South Carolina General Assembly
117th Session, 2007-2008

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H. 3018

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. W.D. Smith, G.R. Smith, Kirsh, Mahaffey, Cotty, Bingham, Toole and Gullick
Document Path: l:\council\bills\ms\7034ahb07.doc

Introduced in the House on January 9, 2007
Currently residing in the House Committee on Judiciary

Summary: Unlawful transfer of beer, wine or alcohol

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  12/13/2006  House   Prefiled
  12/13/2006  House   Referred to Committee on Judiciary
    1/9/2007  House   Introduced and read first time HJ-23
    1/9/2007  House   Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-24
   1/11/2007  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Cotty
   1/24/2007  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bingham, Toole
   2/27/2007  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Gullick

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

12/13/2006

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

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 56-1-746, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO DRIVER'S LICENSE SUSPENSION FOR CERTAIN OFFENSES INVOLVING THE UNLAWFUL TRANSFER OF BEER OR WINE OR ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS TO MINORS, SO AS TO ADD OFFENSES INVOLVING THE UNLAWFUL SALE OF BEER OR WINE OR ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS TO MINORS; TO AMEND SECTION 61-4-90, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO TRANSFER OF BEER OR WINE FOR A MINOR'S CONSUMPTION, AND TO AMEND SECTION 61-6-4070, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO TRANSFER OF ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS FOR A MINOR'S CONSUMPTION, BOTH SO AS TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT THAT THE TRANSFER TO THE MINOR BE FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSUMPTION; AND TO AMEND SECTION 61-4-100, RELATING TO CRIMINAL CHARGES FOR CERTAIN OFFENSES INVOLVING THE UNLAWFUL TRANSFER OF BEER OR WINE OR ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS TO MINORS BROUGHT AGAINST THE SELLER AND PURCHASER, SO AS TO ALLOW THE USE OF A MINOR BY LAW ENFORCEMENT TO TEST AN ESTABLISHMENT'S COMPLIANCE WITH THE APPLICABLE LAW.

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

SECTION    1.    Section 56-1-746 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 56-1-746.    (A) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall suspend the driver's license of any a person convicted of the offenses an offense contained in Sections 56-1-510(2), 56-1-510(5), 56-1-515, 61-4-50, 61-4-60, 61-4-80, 61-4-90, 61-6-4070, 61-6-4080, 20-7-8920, and 20-7-8925 as follows:

(1)    for a conviction for a first offense, for a period of ninety days;

(2)    for a conviction for a second or subsequent offense, for a period of six months.

(B)    For the purposes of determining a prior offenses offense, a conviction of any of the offenses for an offense enumerated in subsection (A) within ten years of the date of the violation is considered a prior offense.

(C)    Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 56-1-460, any a person convicted under pursuant to this section shall must be punished pursuant to Section 56-1-440 and is not required to furnish proof of financial responsibility as provided for in Section 56-9-500. The conviction shall may not result in any an insurance penalty under pursuant to the Merit Rating Plan promulgated by the Department of Insurance.

(D)(1)    If an individual is employed or enrolled in a college or university, or a court-ordered drug program, at any time while his driver's license is suspended pursuant to this section, he may apply for a special restricted driver's license permitting him to drive only to and from work, his place of education, or the court-ordered drug program, and in the course of his employment, education, or a court-ordered drug program during the period of suspension. The department may issue the special restricted driver's license only upon showing by the individual that he is employed or enrolled in a college, university, or court-ordered drug program, that he lives further than one mile from his place of employment, education, or court-ordered drug program, and that there is no adequate public transportation between his residence and his place of employment, his place of education, or court- ordered drug program.

(2)    If the department issues a special restricted driver's license, it shall designate reasonable restrictions on the times during which and routes on which the individual may operate a motor vehicle. A change in the employment hours, place of employment, status as a student, status of attendance in his court-ordered drug program, or residence must be reported immediately to the department by the licensee.

(3)    The fee for a special restricted driver's license is one hundred dollars, but no additional fee is due because of changes in the place and hours of employment, education, or residence. Twenty dollars of this fee must be deposited in the state general fund and eighty dollars must be placed by the Comptroller General into a special restricted account to be used by the Department of Motor Vehicles to defray the expenses of the Department of Motor Vehicles.

(4)    The operation of a motor vehicle outside the time limits and route imposed by a special restricted license by the person issued that license is a violation of Section 56-1-460."

SECTION    2.    Section 61-4-90 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 1 of 1999, is further amended to read:

"Section 61-4-90.    (A)    It is unlawful for a person to transfer or give beer or wine to a person under the age of twenty-one years for the purpose of consumption beer or wine at any place in the State. A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days. A person found guilty of a violation of Section 61-6-4070 and this section may not be sentenced under both sections for the same offense.

(B)    The provisions of this section do not apply to a:

(1)    spouse over the age of twenty-one giving beer or wine to his spouse under the age of twenty-one in their home;

(2)    to a parent or guardian over the age of twenty-one giving beer or wine to his children or wards under the age of twenty-one in their home; or

(3)    to a person giving beer or wine to another person under the age of twenty-one in conjunction with a religious ceremony or purpose if the beer or wine was lawfully purchased.

(C)    The provisions of this section do not apply to a person who gives, serves, or permits to be served any beer, ale, porter, wine, or other similar malt or fermented beverage to a student under the age of twenty-one, if the:

(1)    the person is an authorized instructor of an accredited college or university and is twenty-one years of age or older;

(2)    the student, eighteen years of age or older, is enrolled in the an accredited college or university and is a student in a culinary course which has been approved through review by the State Commission on Higher Education, and the beverage is delivered as part of the student's required curriculum and is used only for instructional purposes during classes conducted pursuant to such the curriculum;

(3)    the student is required to taste, but not consume or imbibe, the beverage during classes conducted under the supervision of the authorized instructor pursuant to the curriculum;

(4)    the beverage is never offered for consumption or imbibed by the student; and

(5)    the beverage at all times remains in the possession and control of the authorized instructor at all times."

SECTION    3.    Section 61-6-4070 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 1 of 1999, is further amended to read:

"Section 61-6-4070.    (A)    It is unlawful for a person to transfer or give alcoholic liquors to a person under the age of twenty-one years for the purpose of consumption alcoholic liquors at any place in the State. A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days. A person found guilty of a violation of Section 61-4-90 and this section may not be sentenced under both sections for the same offense.

(B)    The provisions of this section do not apply to a:

(1)    spouse over the age of twenty-one giving alcoholic liquors to his spouse under the age of twenty-one in their home;

(2)    to a parent or guardian over the age of twenty-one giving alcoholic liquors to his children or wards under the age of twenty-one in their home; or

(3)    to a person giving alcoholic liquors to another person under the age of twenty-one in conjunction with a religious ceremony or purpose if the alcoholic liquors were lawfully purchased.

(C)    The provisions of this section do not apply to a person who gives, serves, or permits to be served any alcoholic liquors to a student under the age of twenty-one, if the:

(1)    the person is an authorized instructor of an accredited college or university and is twenty-one years of age or older;

(2)    the student, eighteen years of age or older, is enrolled in the an accredited college or university and is a student in a culinary course which has been approved through review by the State Commission on Higher Education, and the liquor is delivered as part of the student's required curriculum and is used only for instructional purposes during classes conducted pursuant to such the curriculum;

(3)    the student is required to taste, but not consume or imbibe, the liquor during classes conducted under the supervision of the authorized instructor pursuant to the curriculum;

(4)    the liquor is never offered for consumption or imbibed by the student; and

(5)    the liquor at all times remains in the possession and control of the authorized instructor at all times."

SECTION    4.    Section 61-4-100 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 415 of 1996, is amended to read:

"Section 61-4-100.    (A)    If a person is charged with a violation of Section 61-4-50 (the unlawful sale of beer or wine to minors) pursuant to Section 61-4-50, the minor must also be charged with a violation of Section 20-7-8920 (unlawful purchase or possession of beer or wine) pursuant to Section 20-7-8920. In addition, if the minor violated Section 61-4-60 (false information as to age) pursuant to Section 61-4-60 or if an adult violated Section 61-4-80 (unlawful purchase of beer or wine for a person who cannot lawfully buy) pursuant to Section 61-4-80, these persons must also be charged with their violations.

(B)    Unless the provisions of this section are complied with, no A person may not be charged with a violation of Section 61-4-50 may be convicted of the offense if the provisions of subsection (A) are not met.

(C)    Nothing in this section requires that charges made pursuant to this section be prosecuted to conclusion; but rather this determination must be made in the manner provided by law.

(D)    Notwithstanding the requirements of subsections (A) and (B), a person under the age of twenty-one may be enlisted by a law enforcement agency to test an establishment's compliance with laws relating to the unlawful transfer or sale of beer or wine or alcoholic liquors to a minor. The testing must be under the direct supervision of a law enforcement agency, and the agency must have the person's parental consent. If the requirements of this subsection are met, a person may be charged with a violation of Section 61-4-50 without the requirement that the minor also be charged."

SECTION    5.    The repeal or amendment by this act of any law, whether temporary or permanent or civil or criminal, does not affect pending actions, rights, duties, or liabilities founded thereon, or alter, discharge, release or extinguish any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred under the repealed or amended law, unless the repealed or amended provision shall so expressly provide. After the effective date of this act, all laws repealed or amended by this act must be taken and treated as remaining in full force and effect for the purpose of sustaining any pending or vested right, civil action, special proceeding, criminal prosecution, or appeal existing as of the effective date of this act, and for the enforcement of rights, duties, penalties, forfeitures, and liabilities as they stood under the repealed or amended laws.

SECTION    6.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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