Bill
H 3252
Creates a temporary committee to study higher-ed governance and consider a statewide Board of Regents, with a report by Jan 1, 2027.
Status & Timeline
- Classification: Joint resolution to create a study committee
- Introduced / Prefiled: Prefiled 12/05/2024; introduced and read first time 01/14/2025
- Referred: Committee on Education and Public Works (House)
- Legislative actions: Senate concurred 02/27/2025; referred to Revenue (02/27/2025); hearing scheduled 06/16/2025 (1:00–5:00 PM, A-1)
- Report deadline / termination: The committee must report findings and recommendations to the General Assembly before January 1, 2027; the committee terminates upon that report.
Purpose and Intent
- Establish a temporary study committee to evaluate whether current higher education governance (the Commission on Higher Education and individual institutional boards of trustees) effectively advances the State’s statutory mission for public higher education, and to consider the advisability of replacing or supplementing that model with a statewide Board of Regents.
Key Provisions
- Creation: Establishes the “Future of Higher Education Governance Committee.”
- Scope of review:
- Assess the Commission on Higher Education’s effectiveness in carrying out legislatively mandated missions and goals.
- Evaluate whether a statewide Board of Regents (coordinating all or most higher education governance) would be a preferable alternative to the Commission plus individual boards of trustees.
- Membership (7 members):
1. One appointee of the Speaker of the House
2. One appointee of the President of the Senate
3. One appointee of the Chairman of the House Education and Public Works Committee
4. One appointee of the Senate Education Committee
5. One appointee of the House Minority Leader
6. One appointee of the Senate Minority Leader
7. One appointee of the Governor
- Compensation and support: Members serve without pay but are eligible for mileage, subsistence, and per diem as allowed by law for state boards/commissions, paid equally from approved House and Senate accounts. The committee will select officers and receive clerical, administrative, and research support from the House and Senate.
- Effective date: The resolution takes effect upon the Governor’s approval.
Who Would Be Affected
- Commission on Higher Education staff and authority (subject to evaluation, and potential structural change).
- Public higher education institutions and their governing boards (could face governance restructuring if recommendations are adopted).
- Students, faculty, and administrative leadership (potential changes in policy coordination, funding priorities, program oversight).
- State legislators and the Governor (would consider any statutory changes recommended).
Potential Impact
- The committee’s findings could lead to proposals to consolidate governance under a Board of Regents or to reform the Commission on Higher Education and local boards — with implications for institutional autonomy, statewide coordination, budgeting, program approval, and long‑term strategic planning for higher education. Any structural changes would require subsequent legislation.
Note on document contents
- The text submitted also contains, separately, language from a Massachusetts House bill (House No. 3252 / HD 1029) concerning older‑adult property tax relief (changes to the definition of “real estate tax payment” to include certain water/sewer charges and 50% of homeowner insurance). That provision appears unrelated to this South Carolina joint resolution and reflects a different legislative measure.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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