# South Carolina H 3974: AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING ARTICLE 5 TO CHAPTER 10, TITLE 59 SO AS TO AUTHORIZE EVALUATORS TO EVALUATE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR HEALTH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, OR THERAPEUTIC NEEDS, TO AUTHORIZE CERTAIN PRIVATE PROVIDERS TO PROVIDE RELATED SERVICES AT SCHOOLS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, TO SPECIFY THESE EVALUATIONS AND SERVICES ONLY MAY OCCUR UPON REQUEST OF THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF THE STUDENT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS, TO PROVIDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY NOT PROHIBIT SUCH EVALUATIONS OR SERVICES IN SCHOOLS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, TO PROVIDE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL ADOPT A RELATED MODEL POLICY, TO PROVIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MODEL POLICY, TO PROVIDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL ADOPT RELATED POLICIES, AND TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS. South Carolina H 3974, AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING ARTICLE 5 TO CHAPTER 10, TITLE 59 SO AS TO AUTHORIZE EVALUATORS TO EVALUATE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR HEALTH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, OR THERAPEUTIC NEEDS, TO AUTHORIZE CERTAIN PRIVATE PROVIDERS TO PROVIDE RELATED SERVICES AT SCHOOLS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, TO SPECIFY THESE EVALUATIONS AND SERVICES ONLY MAY OCCUR UPON REQUEST OF THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF THE STUDENT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS, TO PROVIDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY NOT PROHIBIT SUCH EVALUATIONS OR SERVICES IN SCHOOLS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, TO PROVIDE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL ADOPT A RELATED MODEL POLICY, TO PROVIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MODEL POLICY, TO PROVIDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL ADOPT RELATED POLICIES, AND TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS., is a 126th General Assembly (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Paula Rawl Calhoon (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-06-02 (Act No. 186) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-H3974-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: South Carolina H 3974 - State: South Carolina - Session: 126th General Assembly (2025-2026) - Title: AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING ARTICLE 5 TO CHAPTER 10, TITLE 59 SO AS TO AUTHORIZE EVALUATORS TO EVALUATE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR HEALTH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, OR THERAPEUTIC NEEDS, TO AUTHORIZE CERTAIN PRIVATE PROVIDERS TO PROVIDE RELATED SERVICES AT SCHOOLS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, TO SPECIFY THESE EVALUATIONS AND SERVICES ONLY MAY OCCUR UPON REQUEST OF THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF THE STUDENT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS, TO PROVIDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY NOT PROHIBIT SUCH EVALUATIONS OR SERVICES IN SCHOOLS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, TO PROVIDE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL ADOPT A RELATED MODEL POLICY, TO PROVIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MODEL POLICY, TO PROVIDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL ADOPT RELATED POLICIES, AND TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-12 - Last action: 2026-06-02, Act No. 186 - Sponsor: Paula Rawl Calhoon (Republican) - Cosponsors: 6 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 3 (250 yes, 9 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary Private Providers ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Who can provide therapy at school: benefit, low. The law defines who counts as a private provider in public schools. It includes board-certified behavior analysts and registered behavior technicians under proper supervision. Providers must be licensed in South Carolina and in good standing, or hold a recognized national credential if no state lic… - Parents can request in-school therapy: mixed, medium. Parents can ask the school to let a private provider give a medically necessary, insurer- or Medicaid-approved service during school hours. The district must review each request case by case under ADA standards. If the request goes beyond the IEP, the district still must do an ADA review and cannot… - State rules for in-school therapy: mixed, medium. The State Board of Education creates a model policy for private-provider observations, evaluations, and services in schools. It must include a case-by-case ADA review and can allow services during class when approved and not disruptive. Parents must give written confirmation of the funding source,… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Paula Rawl Calhoon (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Heather Bauer (Democrat), House - Cosponsor: Beth E. Bernstein (Democrat), House - Cosponsor: Shannon S. Erickson (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Brandon Guffey (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Timothy A. "Tim" McGinnis (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Carla M. Schuessler (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-23 | House | (Private Providers)Concur in Senate Amendments | pass | 107 | 0 | | | 2026-04-01 | Senate | (Private Providers)2nd Reading | pass | 44 | 0 | | | 2025-05-06 | House | (Private Providers)Passage of Bill | pass | 99 | 9 | | ## Actions (29) - 2026-06-02: Act No. 186 (legislature) - 2026-06-02: Effective date 05/18/26 (legislature) - 2026-05-18: Signed By Governor (Governor) - 2026-05-14: Ratified R 189 (legislature) - 2026-04-23: Roll call Yeas-107 Nays-0 (House) - 2026-04-23: Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled (House) - 2026-04-21: Debate adjourned (House) - 2026-04-20: Scrivener's error corrected (legislature) - 2026-04-15: Read third time and returned to House with amendments (Senate) - 2026-04-01: Roll call Ayes-44 Nays-0 (Senate) - 2026-04-01: Read second time (Senate) - 2026-04-01: Amended (Senate) - 2026-02-17: Committee Amendment Adopted (Senate) - 2026-02-11: Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education (Senate) - 2025-05-07: Referred to Committee on Education (Senate) - 2025-05-07: Introduced and read first time (Senate) - 2025-05-07: Scrivener's error corrected (legislature) - 2025-05-07: Read third time and sent to Senate (House) - 2025-05-06: Roll call Yeas-99 Nays-9 (House) - 2025-05-06: Read second time (House) - 2025-05-06: Amended (House) - 2025-05-06: Scrivener's error corrected (legislature) - 2025-05-05: Scrivener's error corrected (legislature) - 2025-05-01: Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education and Public Works (House) - 2025-04-09: Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Guffey, McGinnis (House) - 2025-04-08: Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bauer (House) - 2025-03-05: Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Schuessler (House) - 2025-02-12: Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works (House) - 2025-02-12: Introduced and read first time (House) ## Bill text - Introduced: [HTML](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/3974.htm) ## Related bills - S 0623: AN ACT TO EXEMPT GEORGETOWN COUNTY FROM CERTAIN BUILDING REQUIREMENTS AND TO ALLOW THE COUNTY TO INSTEAD ENFORCE AE STANDARDS IN GEORGETOWN COUNTY'S FLOOD DAMA… (became law) - S 0586: AN ACT TO AMEND ACT 172 OF 1995, RELATING TO THE KERSHAW COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT EACH MEMBER OF THE KERSHAW COUNTY TRANSPORTATIO… (signed) - H 5653: AN ACT TO AMEND ACT 843 OF 1952, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE LEE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, SO AS TO CLARIFY THE METHOD BY WHICH PERSONS FILE TO BECOME A CANDI… (signed) - S 1062: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE STATE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION, RELATING TO DETERMINATION OF RATES OF TUITION AND FEES, DESIGNATED AS RE… (signed) - S 0779: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO PROVIDE THAT EACH MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL RECEIVE A MONTHLY LEGISLATIVE EXPENSE ALLOWANCE OF ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS; TO PROVID… (signed) - H 5261: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIVING ALCOHOL SERVER TRAINING AS PROVIDED FOR IN CHAPTER 3, TITLE 61 TO MAY 1, 2026. (signed) ## Sources - [Introduced (HTML)](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/3974.htm) ## Related - [S 0623: AN ACT TO EXEMPT GEORGETOWN COUNTY FROM CERTAIN BUILDING REQUIREMENTS AND TO AL…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-S0623-2025-2026) - [S 0586: AN ACT TO AMEND ACT 172 OF 1995, RELATING TO THE KERSHAW COUNTY TRANSPORTATION…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-S0586-2025-2026) - [H 5653: AN ACT TO AMEND ACT 843 OF 1952, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE LEE COUNTY BOARD O…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-H5653-2025-2026) - [S 1062: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE STATE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDU…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-S1062-2025-2026) - [S 0779: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO PROVIDE THAT EACH MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL RE…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-S0779-2025-2026) - [H 5261: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIVING ALCOHOL SERVER TRAINING…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-H5261-2025-2026) - [South Carolina bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/south-carolina/bills) - [South Carolina state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/south-carolina) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-H3974-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-19).