South Carolina General Assembly
118th Session, 2009-2010

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Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

S. 991

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senator Rose
Document Path: l:\s-res\mtr\046text.mrh.mtr.docx

Introduced in the Senate on January 12, 2010
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on Transportation

Summary: Text messaging

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS 

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   12/9/2009  Senate  Prefiled
   12/9/2009  Senate  Referred to Committee on Transportation
   1/12/2010  Senate  Introduced and read first time SJ-48
   1/12/2010  Senate  Referred to Committee on Transportation SJ-48

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

12/9/2009

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A BILL

TO AMEND CHAPTER 5, TITLE 56 OF THE 1976 CODE, BY ADDING SECTION 56-5-3895, TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON MAY NOT OPERATE A MOTOR VEHICLE WHILE TEXT MESSAGING WITH A CELL PHONE OR OTHER WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE, AND TO PROVIDE FOR PENALTIES AND EXCEPTIONS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Chapter 5, Title 56 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 56-5-3895.    (A)    Except as provided in subsection (C), a person may not use a cell phone or wireless communication device for text messaging or electronic mail communication while operating a motor vehicle in motion. 'Text messaging' means a communication in the form of electronic text or one or more electronic images sent by the person from a telephone or computer to another person's telephone or computer by addressing the communication to the person's telephone number.

(B)    A person convicted of a violation of this section shall be punished pursuant to Section 56-5-2930. A person convicted of a violation of this section which results in great bodily injury or death shall be punished pursuant to Section 56-5-2945.

(C)    A person is not guilty of a violation of this section if the person is using the cell phone or wireless communications device to respond to an emergency that presents an imminent risk of death or serious bodily harm to the person or another."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on Monday, October 10, 2011 at 12:16 P.M.