The bill S. 62 seeks to amend the South Carolina Code of Laws concerning the Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) and the K-12 Education Lottery Scholarship program. It introduces clearer definitions for "eligible student" and "eligible school," with income thresholds that will increase over time. The bill establishes a standardized application process for students and schools, requiring education service providers to certify compliance with program requirements annually. It also details the management of scholarship funds, including the creation of individual online accounts for students, stipulating that funds can only be used for qualifying educational expenses and emphasizing the need for accurate record-keeping to prevent duplicate payments.

Additionally, the bill sets a cap on the number of eligible scholarship students, starting with 5,000 in the 2024-2025 school year and increasing to 15,000 by the 2026-2027 school year. It mandates that education service providers comply with specific requirements, including annual certification and criminal background checks for employees. The establishment of the "ESTF K-12 Education Lottery Scholarship Review Panel" is also a key provision, aimed at providing recommendations for program improvement. The bill clarifies that school districts can implement their own intra-district transfer policies while requiring a model interdistrict policy to be adopted. It ensures that funds from the Education Lottery Account are used exclusively for educational purposes and maintains that state revenues allocated to public education must not decrease with the introduction of lottery revenues. The act will take effect upon the Governor's approval.

Statutes affected:
12/11/2024: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350
01/14/2025: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350
01/16/2025: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350
01/23/2025: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350
01/28/2025: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350
01/29/2025: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350
01/29/2025-A: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350
01/30/2025: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350
01/30/2025-A: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350
01/31/2025: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350
02/04/2025: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350
02/20/2025: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350
02/26/2025: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350
04/16/2025: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350
04/22/2025: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350
04/23/2025: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350
04/23/2025-A: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350
04/23/2025-B: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350
04/29/2025: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350
Latest Version: 59-8-110, 59-8-115, 59-8-120, 59-8-125, 59-8-130, 59-8-135, 59-8-140, 59-8-145, 59-8-150, 59-8-160, 59-8-165, 59-8-170, 59-150-350