South Carolina § 59-152-60 - Local First Steps Partnership Boards.

§ 59-152-60. Local First Steps Partnership Boards.

(A) Each county must be represented on a Local First Steps Partnership Board and each local board must provide services within every county it represents. A local partnership board must be comprised of individuals with resources, skills, knowledge, and interest in improving the readiness of young children for school. A list of all local partnership board members must be published in the partnership's annual report, be reported annually to the local legislative delegation, and be on file with the Office of First Steps.

(B) The South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees must establish bylaws for use by each local partnership board. These bylaws must, in addition to other requirements provided in this section, require that a meeting or election of a local partnership board comply with all Freedom of Information Act and IRS disclosure requirements.

(C) In accordance with the bylaws established by the board of trustees, appointed members shall comprise a voting majority of the board.

(1) No more than four may be elected to sit on a First Steps Partnership Board.

(2) Each county legislative delegation shall appoint six members to a local partnership board. In multicounty partnerships, the legislative delegations shall modify their appointments based on the plan approved by the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees pursuant to Section 59-152-70(E).

(3) Each of the following entities located within a particular First Steps Partnership coverage area shall recommend one member to the legislative delegation for appointment by the delegation to serve as a member of the local First Steps Partnership Board:

(a) Department of Social Services;

(b) Department of Health and Environmental Control; and

(c) Head Start or early Head Start.

(4) The county public library system staff located within a particular First Steps Partnership coverage area shall recommend one employee of the system for appointment by its county council to serve as a member of the partnership, and the council either shall make the appointment or reject the appointment and ask the library staff to make another recommendation.

(5) Each public school district board located within a particular First Steps Partnership coverage area shall appoint one of its employees to serve as a member of the local First Steps Partnership.

(6) The legislative delegation may by resolution delegate some or all of its appointments to county council.

(D) In conjunction with the independent external program evaluation established in Section 59-152-160, the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees shall conduct a formal review of the membership categories for First Steps Partnership Board composition. Upon completion of the review, the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees shall submit to the General Assembly a statement either verifying the continued applicability and appropriateness of the composition categories for First Steps Partnership Boards in place at that time, or recommending any appropriate and necessary changes.

(E)(1) Members who miss more than three consecutive meetings without excuse are considered terminated from membership and a vacancy is created.

(2) When any membership vacancy occurs, the vacancy timely must be filled with a person from the same category and in the same manner of election or appointment as the vacated member.

(3) The terms of the members of a local First Steps Partnership Board are for four years; however, excluding all appointed members, membership on the board may not exceed eight consecutive years. Elected members may not serve in a holdover capacity after their term ends.

(F) The chairman of a local partnership board must be elected by majority vote of the board. The chairman shall serve a one-year term; however, the chairman may be elected to subsequent terms not to exceed a total of four consecutive years.

(G) A local First Steps Partnership Board must have policies and procedures for conducting meetings and disclosing records comparable to those provided for in the Freedom of Information Act. Prior to every vote taken by the board, members must abstain from voting if the issue being considered would result in a conflict of interest. The abstention must be noted in the minutes of the meeting.

HISTORY: 1999 Act No. 99, SECTION 2; 2014 Act No. 287 (H.3428), SECTION 11, eff June 18, 2014; 2023 Act No. 81 (H.4023), SECTION 1.A, eff June 19, 2023.

Editor's Note

2018 Act No. 152, SECTION 8, provides as follows:

"SECTION 8. Section 20B. of Act 287 of 2014 [reauthorizing the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Act until July 1, 2016] is repealed. Act 99 of 1999, South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Act, as amended by this act, is reauthorized until June 30, 2025."

2023 Act No. 81, SECTION 1.B, provides as follows:

"[SECTION 1.]B. The terms of all local First Steps Partnership members designated pursuant to Section 59-152-60(C)(3) terminate on July 1, 2023. The South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees shall design and implement a transition plan setting forth the tasks to be accomplished by local First Steps Partnerships in compliance with the requirements of this act. This plan shall be fully implemented by July 1, 2024."

Effect of Amendment

2014 Act No. 287, SECTION 11, rewrote the section.

2023 Act No. 81, SECTION 1.A, rewrote the section.