South CarolinaSC Hands-Free Act
What it does
AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "SOUTH CAROLINA HANDS-FREE AND DISTRACTED DRIVING ACT" BY AMENDING SECTION 56-5-3890, RELATING TO UNLAWFUL USE OF WIRELESS ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION DEVICES WHILE OPERATING MOTOR VEHICLES, SO AS TO DELETE CERTAIN TERMS AND THEIR DEFINITIONS, TO DEFINE THE TERM "MOBILE ELECTRONIC DEVICE," TO PROVIDE THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN MOBILE ELECTRONIC DEVICES MAY NOT BE USED WHILE OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE, TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF DISTRACTED DRIVING AND PROVIDE PENALTIES, TO PROVIDE FOR THE DISBURSEMENT OF FINES IMPOSED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, TO PROVIDE THE CIRCUMSTANCES UPON WHICH THIS SECTION MAY BE ENFORCED, TO PROVIDE FOR THE SHARING OF CERTAIN INFORMATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, AND TO PROVIDE THIS SECTION IS NOT SUBJECT TO PROVISIONS RELATED TO CITIZENS ARRESTS; BY AMENDING SECTION 56-1-720, RELATING TO POINTS THAT MAY BE ASSESSED AGAINST A PERSON'S DRIVING RECORD FOR MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVING VIOLATIONS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT OFFENSE OF DISTRACTED DRIVING IS A TWO-POINT VIOLATION; TO PROVIDE THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SHALL ERECT SIGNS ADVISING MOTORISTS OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT; TO PROVIDE ONLY WARNINGS MAY BE ISSUED FOR CERTAIN VIOLATIONS FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD; AND TO PROVIDE THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY SHALL FILE A REPORT WITH CERTAIN OFFICIALS CONTAINING INFORMATION ABOUT PERSONS STOPPED PURSUANT TO THIS ACT. - RATIFIED TITLE
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed 1st Chamber
- Passed 2nd Chamber
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- May 19Act No. 40Latest
- May 19Effective date 09/01/25
- May 12Signed By Governor Henry McMasterBecame Law
- May 8Ratified R 59
- May 7Roll call Yeas-77 Nays-37
- Vote recorded Concur in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- May 7Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolledTo Governor
- May 6Debate adjourned until Wed., 5-7-25
- May 1Read third time and returned to House with amendmentsPassed 2nd Chamber
- Apr 30Roll call Ayes-40 Nays-0
- Vote recorded 2nd Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 30Read second timeMinor
- Apr 30AmendedMajor
- Apr 30Committee Amendment AdoptedMajor
- Apr 29Special order, set for April 29, 2025
- Apr 16Committee report: Favorable with amendment TransportationMinor
- Apr 15Referred to Committee on TransportationMinor
- Apr 15Introduced and read first timeMinor
- Apr 10Read third time and sent to SenatePassed 1st Chamber
- Apr 9Roll call Yeas-85 Nays-25
- Vote recorded Table Amendment 7. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded Passage of Bill. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 9Read second timeMinor
- Apr 9AmendedMajor
- Apr 9Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hartnett
- Apr 9Member(s) request name removed as sponsor: Gilliard, Rivers
- Apr 3Member(s) request name added as sponsor: M.M.Smith
- Apr 1Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hixon
- Mar 27Debate adjourned
- Vote recorded Adopt Amendment 1. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Table Motion to Adjourn Debate. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 27AmendedMajor
- Mar 27Requests for debate-Rep(s). King, Long, Gibson, Frank, Edgerton, Magnuson, Kilmartin, White, Terribile, Chumley, Cromer, Gilreath, Huff, Williams, McDaniel, Grant, Garvin, Spann-Wilder, Stavrinakis, Rose, Kirby, Hosey, Taylor
- Mar 27Member(s) request name removed as sponsor: Henderson-Myers
- Mar 27Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Gilliard, Anderson, Rivers, Schuessler
- Mar 26Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Ligon
- Mar 26Debate adjourned until Thur., 3-27-25
- Mar 25Scrivener's error corrected
- Mar 25Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hart, Henderson-Myers, Erickson, Bradley
- Mar 20Committee report: Favorable with amendment JudiciaryMinor
- Feb 18Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Wooten
- Feb 13Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bernstein
- Feb 11Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Calhoon
- Jan 29Member(s) request name added as sponsor: McGinnis
- Jan 14Referred to Committee on JudiciaryMinor
- Jan 14Introduced and read first timeMinor
- 2024
- Dec 5Referred to Committee on JudiciaryMinor
- Dec 5PrefiledIntroduced