SC Hands-Free Act
Summary
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
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
May 2025
Signed into Law
May 2025
Introduced Jan 14, 2025
Signed May 12, 2025
Floor votes · Senate Apr 30, 2025 · House Apr 9, 2025
How they voted
40–0
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 43
Apr 30, 2025
D
Democratic12
91% Yea
R
Republican31
93% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
44
Key actions
12
Committee
5
Amendments
4
May 12, 2025
Signed into law
Signed By Governor
legislature
May 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
lower
May 1, 2025
Upper · Passed
Read third time and returned to House with amendments
upper
Apr 30, 2025
Upper · Passed
Amended
upper
Apr 30, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee Amendment Adopted
upper
Apr 30, 2025
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (40-0-3)
senate
Apr 16, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report: Favorable with amendment Transportation
upper
Apr 15, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Transportation
upper
Apr 15, 2025
Introduced
Introduced and read first time
upper
Apr 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read third time and sent to Senate
lower
Apr 9, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amended
lower
Apr 9, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (81-24-13)
house
Mar 27, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amended
lower
Mar 20, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary
lower
Jan 14, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Judiciary
lower
Jan 14, 2025
Introduced
Introduced and read first time
lower
Dec 5, 2024
Committee
Referred to Committee on Judiciary
lower
19 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Beth Bernstein
DDemocratic
P
Bill Hixon
RRepublican
P
Bill Taylor
RRepublican
P
Cal Forrest
RRepublican
P
Carl Anderson
DDemocratic
P
Carla Schuessler
RRepublican
P
Chris Hart
DDemocratic
P
Chris Wooten
RRepublican
P
Don Chapman
RRepublican
P
Jeff Bradley
RRepublican
P
Mark Smith
RRepublican
P
Paula Calhoon
RRepublican
P
Randy Ligon
RRepublican
P
Robby Robbins
RRepublican
P
Shannon Erickson
RRepublican
P
Tim McGinnis
RRepublican
P
Tom Hartnett
RRepublican
P
Tommy Pope
RRepublican
P
Weston Newton
RRepublican
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