Legislative Priorities

Local:

 

State Legislation:

South Carolina began a new legislative session on  Tuesday, January 9, 2024. Returning and newly elected officials will begin to improve and create new legislation, potentially impacting afterschool and summer learning programs. Please stay tuned to this page for current information.

South Carolina’s STEM Opportunity Act

Federal Legislation:

Biden Administration 2025 Budget

Biden administration released its FY 2025 discretionary budget request and proposed $1.3 billion for afterschool and summer programs funded through the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers—level with FY 2023.

While the lack of a proposed increase for 21st CCLC comes amidst record unmet demand for afterschool programs and increasing program costs, there are a few bright spots: $200M increase for Title I Grants to Local Education Agencies; $8B to create the Academic Acceleration and Achievement Grant program; $5M increase for the Youth Mentoring Initiative; and more! Learn more about the proposal

 

Every Student Succeeds Act

CHILD CARE DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CCDBG)

School-age children represent approximately 45 percent of all children served through CCDBG. Strengthening school-age program quality and access continues be a priority at the federal as well as state and local level.

 

EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT (ESSA)

In addition to 21st CCLC (Title IV part B), Title I, Title IV Part A, and Title IV Part F funds of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) can support local afterschool programs.

 

PERKINS CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION (CTE)

Act Reauthorization is an opportunity to build career pathways and include afterschool and summer learning programs as partners in the effort to provide students with activities and experiences such as competency based learning, hands-on STEM, mentorships, site-visits and apprenticeships.

 

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM)

Increasing access to quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) afterschool. Learn how to make the case for afterschool STEM with talking points and other resources from The Afterschool STEM Hub.

 

CHILD NUTRITION REAUTHORIZATION

Improving access to nutritious meals in afterschool and summer learning programs is vital – including streamlining federal child nutrition programs like the afterschool meal and summer feeding programs , and increasing physical education and activity, nutrition education and access to nutritious food in out of school time programs.

 

National Afterschool Blog

Learn more about afterschool and summer learning national and federal policy related updates.

Legislative Terms and Definitions

Advocacy vs. Lobbying

Advocacy and lobbying are effective ways to create awareness about how a community is impacted, either positively or negatively, by public policy and to generate interest in and support for an organization’s mission.

Advocacy is educating and creating awareness among legislators and the general public of issues facing the community and the importance of aligning public policy to address the need. Advocacy does not endorse or oppose specific legislation, but rather informs the community at large how public policy decisions impact service provision.

What is Lobbying?

Lobbying is attempting to influence legislators to support or oppose a particular issue or piece of legislation and is allowed for non-profits within certain parameters.