Trident Technical College would get another shot at churning out chefs with four-year degrees if a bill introduced in the Legislature this week is passed.

State higher education officials, responding to the news, said there may not be enough money to start the program and offering a bachelor's degree at a technical college could set a bad precedent.

A decision by the state Supreme Court last week threw into question plans for a four-year culinary arts program at the school. The high court deemed an amendment that would have helped fund the program was unrelated to the Life Sciences Act and tossed it out.

If the newly introduced bill passes, Trident Tech could begin its four-year culinary program this fall. Rep. Chip Limehouse, R-Charleston, who introduced the bill, said it would offset the loss of a Johnson & Wales University campus in Charleston. That school is relocating to Charlotte in 2006.

"What this does is send a strong message that we in the General Assembly are committed to having a four-year culinary institute in the Lowcountry," Limehouse said of the proposed legislation. "With the withdrawal of Johnson & Wales, this new school will be critical to the hospitality industry in the Lowcountry and across the state."

Under the legislation, the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education would fund the program. But James L. Hudgins, executive director of the board, said technical colleges are already underfunded.

"We hope that there would be additional funding made available (by legislators) so that this would not be done at the expense of other colleges in our system," Hudgins said.

Commission on Higher Education Chairman Dalton Floyd said if the bill passes other technical schools could want four-year programs.

"If the need is there to do that, we would first like to see if there would be some way of working it out within the existing college structure," Floyd said.

Most commissioners didn't favor a similar program proposed at Trident in October, but postponed a vote until legislation that would have funded it was decided.

Trident Tech President Mary Thornley could not be reached Tuesday but said last week that she was disappointed with the Supreme Court's decision.

Thornley has said Trident's four-year program would be world class. The college already expects to open its $27 million, 77,000 square foot, state-of-the-art Culinary and Hospitality Training Center this fall. The center was planned for Trident's existing two-year culinary arts program when state legislators asked Trident to develop the four-year culinary arts program to replace Johnson & Wales.

Gov. Mark Sanford vetoed the Life Sciences bill, citing concerns about unrelated amendments. He was overridden by lawmakers.

On Tuesday, Sanford spokesman Will Folks said, "We have no problem with individual components of this bill being discussed based on their merits."