South Carolina General Assembly
119th Session, 2011-2012

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A54, R88, H3431

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Rep. G.M. Smith
Document Path: l:\council\bills\swb\5062cm11.docx

Introduced in the House on January 25, 2011
Introduced in the Senate on April 7, 2011
Last Amended on April 5, 2011
Passed by the General Assembly on June 2, 2011
Governor's Action: June 14, 2011, Signed

Summary: John's Law

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1/25/2011  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 47)
   1/25/2011  House   Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works 
                        (House Journal-page 47)
   3/30/2011  House   Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education and 
                        Public Works (House Journal-page 12)
    4/5/2011  House   Amended (House Journal-page 18)
    4/5/2011  House   Read second time (House Journal-page 18)
    4/6/2011  House   Read third time and sent to Senate 
                        (House Journal-page 20)
    4/7/2011  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 10)
    4/7/2011  Senate  Referred to Committee on Transportation 
                        (Senate Journal-page 10)
    5/3/2011  Senate  Recalled from Committee on Transportation 
                        (Senate Journal-page 13)
    6/1/2011  Senate  Read second time (Senate Journal-page 51)
    6/1/2011  Senate  Roll call Ayes-36  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 51)
    6/2/2011  Senate  Read third time and enrolled (Senate Journal-page 11)
    6/8/2011          Ratified R 88
   6/14/2011          Signed By Governor
   6/20/2011          Effective date 06/14/11
   6/20/2011          Act No. 54

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

1/25/2011
3/30/2011
4/5/2011
5/3/2011


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

(A54, R88, H3431)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, SO AS TO ENACT "JOHN'S LAW" BY ADDING SECTION 57-1-80 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO PUBLISH ON ITS WEBSITE THE LIST OF ALL PUBLIC RAILROAD CROSSINGS AND THE LIST OF RAILROAD CROSSINGS PROGRAMMED FOR UPGRADE, AND TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF INSTALLATIONS OF RAILROAD SIGNALS OR CROSSING ARMS, OR BOTH, AT DANGEROUS RAILROAD CROSSINGS CONTINGENT UPON THE RECEIPT OF ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF PUBLIC RAILROAD SIGNALS AND GATES.

Whereas, according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation, there were forty-eight collisions between trains and vehicles in 2007 resulting in four fatalities, forty-six collisions between trains and vehicles in 2008 resulting in four fatalities, thirty-one collisions between trains and vehicles in 2009 resulting in five fatalities; and thirty-seven collisions between trains and vehicles during the first nine months of 2010 resulting in one fatality; and

Whereas, on July 23, 2009, John Malcolm Brabham III, a sixteen year old student at Wilson Hall in Sumter County, died from injuries sustained in a collision between a train and his vehicle at a railroad crossing without crossing arms that may have prevented this tragic loss of life; and

Whereas, it is imperative that the members of the General Assembly adopt legislation that requires the Department of Transportation remedy this situation by: (1) informing the public of the locations of railroad crossings that it plans to install crossing arms; (2) immediately placing traffic stop signs at extremely dangerous locations on this list until funds become available to erect crossing arms at these locations; and (3) increasing the number of crossing arms it installs annually. Now, therefore,

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

John's Law

SECTION    1.    This act may be cited as "John's Law".

John's Law

SECTION    2.    Article 1, Chapter 1, Title 57 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 57-1-80.    The Department of Transportation shall publish on its website the list of all public railroad crossings. The department also shall publish on its website the list of railroad crossings programmed for upgrades and designate it on its website 'John's Law'. Contingent upon the receipt of additional funds for the installation of public railroad signals and gates, the department is directed to increase the number of installations of railroad signals or crossing arms, or both, utilizing all funds available for this type of work at dangerous railroad crossings throughout the State."

Time effective

SECTION    3.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 8th day of June, 2011.

Approved the 14th day of June, 2011.

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