H 4563 General Bill, By Lourie, Martin and J. Smith
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 56-1-720, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE POINT SYSTEM FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE
 OPERATING RECORD OF A PERSON TO WHOM A DRIVER'S LICENSE HAS BEEN ISSUED AND
 FOR THE DETERMINATION OF THE CONTINUED QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PERSON TO DRIVE,
 SO AS TO REVISE THE MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT ASSOCIATED WITH A FOUR-POINT VIOLATION
 FOR SPEEDING AND THE MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT ASSOCIATED WITH A SIX-POINT VIOLATION
 FOR SPEEDING; AND TO AMEND SECTION 56-5-1520, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE
 ALTERATION OF SPEED LIMITS BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES, SO AS TO PROVIDE PENALTIES
 FOR PERSONS WHO VIOLATE THE SPEED LIMIT WHILE OPERATING A VEHICLE WITH LESS
 THAN SIX WHEELS AND VEHICLES WITH SIX WHEELS OR MORE, AND TO PROVIDE THAT A
 PERSON WHO OPERATES A VEHICLE IN EXCESS OF TWENTY-FIVE MILES AN HOUR ABOVE THE
 POSTED SPEED LIMIT SHALL LOSE HIS PRIVILEGE TO DRIVE FOR SIX MONTHS.

   02/08/00  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-6
   02/08/00  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-7
   04/19/00  House  Committee report: Majority favorable with amend.,
                     minority unfavorable Judiciary HJ-18
   05/17/00  House  Amended HJ-115
   05/17/00  House  Read second time HJ-119
   05/17/00  House  Roll call Yeas-86  Nays-9 HJ-119
   05/18/00  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-77
   05/23/00  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-9
   05/23/00  Senate Referred to Committee on Transportation SJ-9

Indicates New Matter

AMENDED

May 17, 2000

H. 4563

S. Printed 5/17/00--H.

Read the first time February 8, 2000.

TO AMEND SECTION 56-1-720, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE POINT SYSTEM FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE OPERATING RECORD OF A PERSON TO WHOM A DRIVER'S LICENSE HAS BEEN ISSUED AND FOR THE DETERMINATION OF THE CONTINUED QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PERSON TO DRIVE, SO AS TO REVISE THE MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT ASSOCIATED WITH A FOUR-POINT VIOLATION FOR SPEEDING AND THE MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT ASSOCIATED WITH A SIX-POINT VIOLATION FOR SPEEDING; AND TO AMEND SECTION 56-5-1520, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE ALTERATION OF SPEED LIMITS BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES, SO AS TO PROVIDE PENALTIES FOR PERSONS WHO VIOLATE THE SPEED LIMIT WHILE OPERATING A VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN SIX WHEELS AND VEHICLES WITH SIX WHEELS OR MORE, AND TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON WHO OPERATES A VEHICLE IN EXCESS OF TWENTY-FIVE MILES AN HOUR ABOVE THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT SHALL LOSE HIS PRIVILEGE TO DRIVE FOR SIX MONTHS.

Amend Title To Conform

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

SECTION 1. Section 56-5-1520(G), (H), and (I) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 17 of 1999, is further amended to read:

"(G) A person violating the speed limits established by this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction for a first offense, must be fined or imprisoned as follows:

(1) in excess of the above-posted limit but not in excess of ten miles an hour by a fine of not less than fifteen dollars nor more than twenty-five dollars;

(2) in excess of ten miles an hour but less than fifteen miles an hour above the posted limit by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than fifty dollars;

(3) in excess of fifteen miles an hour but less than twenty-five miles an hour above the posted limit by a fine of not less than fifty dollars nor more than seventy-five dollars; and

(4) in excess of twenty-five miles an hour above the posted limit by a fine of not less than seventy-five dollars nor more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days.

(H) A person violating the speed limits established in zones where the posted maximum speed limit is at least fifty-five miles an hour while driving a commercial motor vehicle which requires the driver to possess a commercial driver's license is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction for a first offense, must be fined as follows:

(1) in excess of the posted limit but not in excess of ten miles an hour by a fine of not less than twenty dollars nor more than thirty-five dollars;

(2) in excess of ten miles an hour but less than fifteen miles an hour above the posted limit by a fine of not less than thirty-five dollars nor more than seventy-five dollars;

(3) in excess of fifteen miles an hour but less than twenty miles an hour above the posted limit by a fine of not less than seventy-five dollars nor more than one hundred twenty-five dollars; and

(4) in excess of twenty miles an hour above the posted limit by a fine of not less than one hundred twenty-five dollars nor more than three hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days, and lose his privilege to drive for six months.

(I) A citation for violating the speed limits issued by any authorized officer must note on it the rate of speed for which the citation is issued.

(I)(J) In expending the funds credited to the state general fund from fines generated under subsection (G), the department first shall consider the need for additional highway patrolmen."

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