Bill > S0809

This bill mandates that youth sports organizations in South Carolina, defined as entities providing organized sports for individuals under eighteen, must require all coaches, including paid staff and volunteers who regularly supervise youth athletic activities, to undergo comprehensive background checks. These checks include state and federal fingerprint-based criminal history reviews conducted by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), respectively, as well as checks of the State Central Registry of Child Abuse and Neglect, Department of Social Services (DSS) records, equivalent registries in other states where the coach has resided, and national and state sex offender registries. The SLED and FBI are authorized to retain fingerprints for future identification purposes and to share ongoing criminal and civil information with the youth sports organizations. Individuals seeking to become coaches will be responsible for the costs associated with the FBI background checks, and youth sports organizations have the discretion to consider all background check information, including pardoned offenses, when determining a candidate's suitability for coaching.

Military Affairs and Security

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=0809&session=126&summary=B