The state budget, judicial selection process reform, and new guidelines for schools to help students with epilepsy all took effect Tuesday.
COLUMBIA, S.C. โ July 1 marks the beginning of South Carolinaโs new fiscal year, and with it, several new state laws are now in effect.
Theย state budget will implement new funding for the various state agencies. The budget got the final approvalย from the General Assembly and a stamp from the Governor in May. It includes a $1,500 pay raise for teachers., a cut to the state’s income tax rate, college tuition freezes, investments in road andย bridge repairs, and Helene relief funds.
Other significant policy changes are kicking in from the previous legislative session. is a law reforming how the state selects its judges. The legislation, passed in 2024, changes the makeup of the Judicial Merit Selection Commission, the panel responsible for screening judicial candidates. It expands the number of commission members, imposes term limits, and gives the Governor the authority to appoint up to four of them.
โThe primary thing that has to take place right away is the appointment of the new members,โ said Sen. Greg Hembree, R-Horry, who sponsored the bill. โThe composition will be a little bit different.โ
Hembree said the changes aim to make the judicial selection process more transparent. The law now requires the commissionโs meetings to be livestreamed.
โI think it will force the committee to be more honest and not worry about hurting somebodyโs feelings,โ he said. โTheyโre going to have to say, โLook, youโre just not qualified.โโ
Also going into effect is the Seizure Safe Schools Act, which requires every school district and charter school in the state to implement seizure response training for staff. The law also allows schools to create individualized health care plans for students with epilepsy or seizure disorders.
โI had parents come to me and tell me about their children who have epilepsy,โ said Rep. Doug Gilliam, R-Union, who sponsored the bill. โPeople donโt have the training in the school system, and theyโre just trying to get something where teachers could help them.โ
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