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TO AMEND SECTION 56-1-220, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO VISION SCREENINGS REQUIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES FOR ALL PERSONS WHO SEEK TO RENEW THEIR LICENSES, SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISION THAT REQUIRES A LICENSE HOLDER TO SUBMIT TO A VISION SCREENING DURING THE FIFTH YEAR OF A TEN-YEAR LICENSE.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 56-1-220 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 56-1-220. (A) Vision screenings are required for all persons before having their licenses renewed by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The vision screening may 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) During the fifth year of a ten-year license, the licensee must submit by mail to the department a certificate from an ophthalmologist or optometrist licensed in any state or appear in person at a department office to complete a vision screening. If a licensee fails to submit a certificate or fails to appear in person, the licensee must be fined fifty dollars. The department shall waive the fine if the person completes the requirements of this section within ninety days after the end of the fifth year of a ten-year license. This fine must be placed by the Comptroller General into a special restricted account to be used by the department to defray the expenses incurred by this section. Interest accrued by this account must remain in this account.
(C)(B) A vision screening will not be required before October 1, 2008, if a licensee is less than sixty-five years of age, his license expires on his birth date on the fifth calendar year after the calendar year in which it is issued, and his license is renewed for an additional five years by mail or electronically. If a licensee is sixty-five years of age or older and his license expires on his birth date on the fifth calendar year after the calendar year in which it is issued, then he may renew his license by mail for an additional five years upon submission of a certificate of vision examination from an ophthalmologist or optometrist licensed in any state.
(D)(C) 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. The minimum standards of the department shall not require a greater degree of vision than 20/40 corrected in one eye.
(E)(D) A person whose vision is corrected to meet the minimum standards shall have the correction noted on his driver's license by the department.
(F)(E) It is unlawful for a person whose vision requires correction in order to meet the minimum standards of the department to drive a motor vehicle in this State without the use of the correction.
(G)(F) Unless otherwise provided in this section, any person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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