Fabio
130 lines
9.1 KiB
Markdown
130 lines
9.1 KiB
Markdown
---
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type: "Bill"
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title: "SC Hands-Free Act"
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description: "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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jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
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legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
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session: "2025-2026"
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identifier: "H 3276"
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citation: "South Carolina H 3276 (2025-2026)"
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classification: ["bill"]
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subjects: []
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status: "enacted"
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primary_sponsors: ["Anderson", "Bernstein", "Bradley", "Calhoon", "Chapman", "Erickson", "Forrest", "Hart", "Hartnett", "Hixon", "Ligon", "M.M. Smith", "McGinnis", "Pope", "Robbins", "Schuessler", "Taylor", "W. Newton", "Wooten"]
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version_count: 9
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action_count: 42
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vote_count: 6
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first_action: "2024-12-05"
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last_action: "2025-05-19"
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source: "openstates"
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source_identifier: "ocd-bill/c55dc506-8d86-4d3e-a075-2d732b6e9bb6"
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source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3276&session=126&summary=B"
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source_hash: "184057e562c1d879218162a705fe89a95c99c65027587aed416fb8379907468b"
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vintage: "2026-07-01"
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source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
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retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
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confidence: "reported"
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tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-sc"]
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---
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# South Carolina H 3276 (2025-2026) — SC Hands-Free Act
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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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## Version chain
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The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.
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1. **Filed** (filed) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/3276.htm)
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2. **03/20/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/3276_20250320.htm)
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3. **03/25/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/3276_20250325.htm)
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4. **03/27/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/3276_20250327.htm)
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5. **04/09/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/3276_20250409.htm)
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6. **04/09/2025-A** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/3276_20250409a.htm)
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7. **04/16/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/3276_20250416.htm)
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8. **04/30/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/3276_20250430.htm)
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9. **12/05/2024** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/3276_20241205.htm)
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## Votes
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- Passage of Bill — **85–25** (pass) · lower
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- Table Amendment 7 — **18–82** (fail) · lower
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- 2nd Reading — **40–0** (pass) · upper
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- Concur in Senate Amendments — **77–37** (pass) · lower
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- Adopt Amendment 1 — **70–29** (pass) · lower
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- Table Motion to Adjourn Debate — **53–39** (pass) · lower
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## Sponsors
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- Anderson — primary (person)
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- Bernstein — primary (person)
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- Bradley — primary (person)
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- Calhoon — primary (person)
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- Chapman — primary (person)
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- Erickson — primary (person)
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- Forrest — primary (person)
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- Hart — primary (person)
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- Hartnett — primary (person)
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- Hixon — primary (person)
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- Ligon — primary (person)
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- M.M. Smith — primary (person)
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- McGinnis — primary (person)
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- Pope — primary (person)
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- Robbins — primary (person)
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- Schuessler — primary (person)
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- Taylor — primary (person)
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- W. Newton — primary (person)
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- Wooten — primary (person)
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## Timeline
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The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.
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- **2024-12-05** Prefiled `filing`
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- **2024-12-05** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
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- **2025-01-14** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
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- **2025-01-14** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
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- **2025-01-29** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: McGinnis
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- **2025-02-11** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Calhoon
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- **2025-02-13** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bernstein
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- **2025-02-18** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Wooten
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- **2025-03-20** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
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- **2025-03-25** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hart, Henderson-Myers, Erickson, Bradley
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- **2025-03-25** Scrivener's error corrected
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- **2025-03-26** Debate adjourned until Thur., 3-27-25
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- **2025-03-26** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Ligon
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- **2025-03-27** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Gilliard, Anderson, Rivers, Schuessler
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- **2025-03-27** Member(s) request name removed as sponsor: Henderson-Myers
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- **2025-03-27** Requests 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
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- **2025-03-27** Amended `amendment-passage`
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- **2025-03-27** Debate adjourned
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- **2025-04-01** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hixon
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- **2025-04-03** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: M.M.Smith
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- **2025-04-09** Member(s) request name removed as sponsor: Gilliard, Rivers
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- **2025-04-09** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hartnett
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- **2025-04-09** Amended `amendment-passage`
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- **2025-04-09** Read second time `reading-2`
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- **2025-04-09** Roll call Yeas-85 Nays-25
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- **2025-04-10** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
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- **2025-04-15** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
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- **2025-04-15** Referred to Committee on Transportation `referral-committee`
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- **2025-04-16** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Transportation `committee-passage-favorable`
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- **2025-04-29** Special order, set for April 29, 2025
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- **2025-04-30** Committee Amendment Adopted `amendment-passage`
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- **2025-04-30** Amended `amendment-passage`
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- **2025-04-30** Read second time `reading-2`
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- **2025-04-30** Roll call Ayes-40 Nays-0
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- **2025-05-01** Read third time and returned to House with amendments `passage, reading-3`
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- **2025-05-06** Debate adjourned until Wed., 5-7-25
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- **2025-05-07** Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
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- **2025-05-07** Roll call Yeas-77 Nays-37
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- **2025-05-08** Ratified R 59
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- **2025-05-12** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
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- **2025-05-19** Effective date 09/01/25
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- **2025-05-19** Act No. 40
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## Source
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OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/c55dc506-8d86-4d3e-a075-2d732b6e9bb6`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).
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