Keep Students in School Act

A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, SO AS TO ENACT THE "KEEP STUDENTS IN SCHOOL ACT" BY CREATING THE RESTORATIVE JUSTICE STUDY COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE JUVENILE JUSTICE LAWS OF THE STATE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING PROPOSED CHANGES TO FACILITATE AND ENCOURAGE DIVERSION OF JUVENILES FROM THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM TO RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PRACTICES FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES AND IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, TO PROVIDE THE STUDY COMMITTEE SHALL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING A RELATED PILOT PROGRAM, TO PROVIDE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PILOT PROGRAM, AND TO DEFINE A NECESSARY TERM; BY ADDING SECTION 59-63-212 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL ADOPT ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICIES THAT MAY NOT BE RIGOROUSLY APPLIED TO PETTY ACTS OF MISCONDUCT AND MISDEMEANORS, MUST APPLY EQUALLY TO ALL STUDENTS REGARDLESS OF THEIR ECONOMIC STATUS, RACE, OR DISABILITY, AND THAT ARE INTENDED TO PROMOTE SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS IN SCHOOLS, PROTECT STUDENTS AND STAFF FROM CONDUCT THAT POSES A SERIOUS THREAT TO SCHOOL SAFETY, ENCOURAGES SCHOOLS TO USE ALTERNATIVES TO EXPULSION OR REFERRAL, AMONG OTHER THINGS; BY ADDING SECTION 23-23-117 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACADEMY SHALL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A CULTURAL COMPETENCY MODEL TRAINING PROGRAM CURRICULUM FOR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, TO PROVIDE CONTENT REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CURRICULUM, AND TO REQUIRE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS TO COMPLETE TRAINING BASED ON THE CURRICULUM; AND TO REPEAL SECTIONS 59-63-235 AND 59-63-240 BOTH RELATING TO STUDENT EXPULSIONS.