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Current Status Bill Number:View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.930 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:Senate Introduced Date:20000111 Primary Sponsor:McConnell All Sponsors:McConnell, Cork, Leventis, Elliott, Wilson, Branton Drafted Document Number:l:\s-res\gfm\002inte.jh.doc Residing Body:Senate Current Committee:General Committee 08 SG Subject:Evacuations, mandatory or emergency; interstate highway system; Governor, Civil Defense, Public Safety, Transportation History Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ ______________________________________ _______ ____________ Senate 20000119 Co-Sponsor added by Senator Wilson Branton Senate 20000111 Introduced, read first time, 08 SG referred to Committee Senate 19990921 Prefiled, referred to Committee 08 SG Versions of This Bill
TO AMEND CHAPTER 1, TITLE 25, OF THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA PREPAREDNESS DIVISION, BY ADDING SECTION 25-1-470, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY LANE REVERSAL PLAN TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE EVENT OF EMERGENCY AND MANDATORY EVACUATIONS OF THE COASTAL AREAS OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Chapter 1, Title 25 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 25-1-470. (A) The Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Safety shall jointly prepare a plan, in conjunction with the municipal and county elected officials of the coastal counties, for the reversal of all lanes of all interstate highways and limited access highways from the coastal areas of the state to inland South Carolina above the fall line if the coastal areas of the state need to be evacuated for any reason. This plan shall be prepared and submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly within six months of the passage of this bill. This plan shall be updated annually and communicated to the municipal and county elected officials of each county below the fall line of the state of South Carolina.
(B) The Governor shall implement the reversal plan provided in this section as needed but must implement the plan in the event a mandatory evacuation is ordered for the coastal areas of the state serviced by the interstate system or limited access highways.
(C) The Governor is empowered to activate and use the Department of Transportation, the Department of Public Safety, the South Carolina National Guard, State Guard, South Carolina Highway Patrol, and any other available law enforcement personnel which cooperate with and take such actions as directed by the Governor to implement the reversal plan provided for in this section.
(D) After the need for the evacuation has ended, the Governor is authorized to reverse traffic patterns on the interstates and limited access highways as needed in order to effectuate the prompt return of those evacuated to their communities.
(E) The Governor is authorized to direct South Carolina Educational Television and Radio Networks throughout the state to broadcast during the mandatory evacuation, and for up to ninety-six hours after the ordered evacuation, available traffic information, recovery information, and storm damage relative to the evacuation and conditions for returning to the impacted areas."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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