Witnesses urge funding, not just mandates, as committee hears campus safety testimony
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Summary
University and student witnesses told a legislative committee that campus-safety mandates should come with funding and actionable steps after a recent campus tragedy; the committee set the bill aside for further work at the sponsor's request.
A state legislative committee heard testimony on a higher-education campus-safety bill (identified in the transcript as '47 39') and paused action to give sponsors time to revise the measure.
Alex Conyers, identified in the hearing as president of South Carolina State University, thanked lawmakers for examining campus safety across K–12 and higher education and urged funding to follow any additional mandates. "With any additional mandates ... we are provided additional funding to carry out the mandate," Conyers said, noting the operational strain unfunded mandates impose on colleges and universities.
A student witness, Rejoice Anali, described the fear students feel after recent violence and called for concrete reforms. "No student should ever have to deal with that situation," Anali said, urging lawmakers to adopt "actionable steps" so students do not attend school fearing for their lives.
Sponsor Mr. McGinnis, who described himself as a primary sponsor of the bill, asked the committee not to vote on the measure immediately and to allow more time to refine language. The chair then sought unanimous consent to set the item aside and heard no objection.
Why it matters: Witnesses framed campus safety as both an operational challenge and a student-welfare issue. University leaders warned that mandates without funding can create implementation problems for institutions that must carry out new requirements. Students and campus advocates pressed for measures that address fear and provide clear, practicable protections.
What happened next: The committee agreed to postpone a formal vote and to continue work on the safety bill, allowing sponsors time to refine the proposal and address funding and implementation concerns.
The committee did not take further action on the bill during the session and planned additional work on the measure before future consideration.