H*4672(Rat #0260, Act #0220 of 2018)  General Bill, By Elliott, B. Newton, 
Allison, Felder, Bryant, Putnam, Martin, Arrington, Thigpen, Gagnon, Thayer, 
Douglas, Govan, Anderson, McGinnis, Huggins, Tallon, Daning, D.C. Moss, Long, 
Henderson, Mace, Cogswell, West, Chumley, Gilliard, Atwater, J.E. Smith, 
Bernstein, Jefferson, Williams, W. Newton, Henderson-Myers, Ballentine, Bowers, 
Weeks and M. Rivers
 AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 56-1-220, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO THE VISION SCREENING REQUIRED FOR ISSUANCE OF A DRIVER'S LICENSE,
 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE VISION SCREENING IS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN AN INITIAL
 LICENSE AND UPON RENEWAL OF A LICENSE, TO PROVIDE THAT THE VISION SCREENING
 MUST BE OFFERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES, TO PROVIDE THAT A
 PERSON'S SCREENING MUST BE WAIVED UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AND TO PROVIDE
 THAT A CERTIFICATE OF VISION EXAMINATION FORM MUST BE EXECUTED BY THE
 CERTIFYING OPHTHALMOLOGIST OR OPTOMETRIST AND TRANSMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT
 ELECTRONICALLY. - ratified title

   01/24/18  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 25)
   01/24/18  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works (House Journal-page 25)
   01/24/18  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Putnam,
                     Martin, Arrington, Thigpen, Gagnon, Thayer,
                     Douglas, Govan
   01/30/18  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor:
                     D.C.Moss, Anderson, McGinnis
   01/31/18  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Huggins
   02/01/18  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Tallon
   02/06/18  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Daning,
                     Long, Henderson, Mace, Cogswell, West, Chumley,
                     Gilliard, Atwater, J.E.Smith, Bernstein
   02/07/18  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor:
                     Jefferson, Williams
   02/08/18  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: W.Newton
   02/14/18  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Education and Public Works (House Journal-page 52)
   02/15/18  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor:
                     Henderson-Myers, Ballentine
   02/20/18  House  Requests for debate-Rep(s). King, Hart, Yow,
                     Rutherford, Ott, Taylor, Crosby, Hosey, Kirby,
                     Anderson, Elliott, Clyburn, Crawford, Willis,
                     Knight, West (House Journal-page 8)
   02/21/18  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bowers, Weeks
   02/27/18  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: M.Rivers
   02/27/18  House  Amended (House Journal-page 28)
   02/27/18  House  Read second time (House Journal-page 28)
   02/27/18  House  Roll call Yeas-109  Nays-1 (House Journal-page 31)
   02/28/18  House  Read third time and sent to Senate
                     (House Journal-page 17)
   02/28/18  Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 22)
   02/28/18  Senate Referred to Committee on Transportation
                     (Senate Journal-page 22)
   04/18/18  Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Transportation (Senate Journal-page 13)
   04/25/18  Senate Committee Amendment Adopted (Senate Journal-page 33)
   04/25/18  Senate Read second time (Senate Journal-page 33)
   04/25/18  Senate Roll call Ayes-42  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 33)
   04/26/18  Senate Read third time and returned to House with
                     amendments (Senate Journal-page 18)
   05/01/18  House  Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
                     (House Journal-page 51)
   05/01/18  House  Roll call Yeas-99  Nays-8 (House Journal-page 52)
   05/14/18         Ratified R 260
   05/18/18         Signed By Governor
   05/25/18         Effective date 05/18/18
   05/31/18         Act No. 220

(A220, R260, H4672)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 56-1-220, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE VISION SCREENING REQUIRED FOR ISSUANCE OF A DRIVER'S LICENSE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE VISION SCREENING IS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN AN INITIAL LICENSE AND UPON RENEWAL OF A LICENSE, TO PROVIDE THAT THE VISION SCREENING MUST BE OFFERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES, TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON'S SCREENING MUST BE WAIVED UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AND TO PROVIDE THAT A CERTIFICATE OF VISION EXAMINATION FORM MUST BE EXECUTED BY THE CERTIFYING OPHTHALMOLOGIST OR OPTOMETRIST AND TRANSMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT ELECTRONICALLY.

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

Vision screening

SECTION    1.    Section 56-1-220(A) and (B) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(A)    The department shall require vision screening for all persons obtaining an initial license and upon license renewal. The vision screening must be offered by the department, however, a person's screening must be waived upon the submission of a certificate of vision examination dated within the previous twelve months from an ophthalmologist or optometrist licensed in any state.

(B)    The renewal license forms distributed by the department must be designed to contain a certification that the vision of the person screened meets the minimum standards required by the department or have been corrected to meet these requirements. The certification must be executed by the person conducting the screening. A Certificate of Vision Examination form must be executed by the certifying ophthalmologist or optometrist and must be transmitted to the department electronically pursuant to its electronic specifications. The minimum standards of the department shall not require a greater degree of vision than 20/40 corrected in one eye. Persons using bioptic lenses must adhere to the provisions contained in Section 56-1-222."

Time effective

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect October 1, 2020.

Ratified the 14th day of May, 2018.

Approved the 18th day of May, 2018.