South Carolina General Assembly
121st Session, 2015-2016

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H. 3974

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Rep. Quinn
Document Path: l:\council\bills\ggs\22746cm15.docx
Companion/Similar bill(s): 590

Introduced in the House on April 14, 2015
Currently residing in the House Committee on Judiciary

Summary: Ignition interlock devices

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   4/14/2015  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 106)
   4/14/2015  House   Referred to Committee on Judiciary 
                        (House Journal-page 106)

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

4/14/2015

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

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTIONS 56-1-400 AND 56-5-2941, BOTH AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO REQUIRING A PERSON TO SURRENDER HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES WHEN THE LICENSE IS SUSPENDED OR REVOKED, THE ISSUANCE OF A NEW LICENSE BY THE DEPARTMENT, AND THE OPERATION OF A MOTOR VEHICLE WITH AN IGNITION INTERLOCK DEVICE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE PROVISION THAT EXEMPTS AN EMPLOYER FROM INSTALLING AN IGNITION INTERLOCK DEVICE ON A COMPANY VEHICLE DOES NOT APPLY TO A VEHICLE DRIVEN BY A PERSON CONVICTED OF A SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT VIOLATION OF SECTION 56-5-2930, 56-5-2933, 56-5-2945, OR A LAW OF ANOTHER STATE THAT PROHIBITS A PERSON FROM DRIVING A MOTOR VEHICLE WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL OR OTHER DRUGS, UNLESS THE PERSON'S DRIVING PRIVILEGES HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED FOR NOT LESS THAN ONE YEAR OR THE PERSON HAS HAD AN IGNITION INTERLOCK DEVICE INSTALLED FOR NOT LESS THAN ONE YEAR ON EACH OF THE MOTOR VEHICLES OWNED OR OPERATED, OR BOTH, BY THE PERSON; AND TO AMEND SECTION 56-5-2990, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE SUSPENSION OF A PERSON'S DRIVER'S LICENSE FOR A VIOLATION OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS THAT PROHIBIT A PERSON FROM DRIVING A MOTOR VEHICLE WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL OR OTHER DRUGS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT ENTRY INTO AN ALCOHOL AND DRUG SAFETY ACTION PROGRAM'S SERVICES, IF THE SERVICES ARE NECESSARY, IS A MANDATORY REQUIREMENT FOR THE ISSUANCE OF AN IGNITION INTERLOCK RESTRICTED LICENSE, AND TO PROVIDE THAT SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A PROGRAM UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES IS A REQUIREMENT OF THE FULL RESTORATION OF DRIVING PRIVILEGES TO A PERSON WHOSE LICENSE IS SUSPENDED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.

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

SECTION    1.    Section 56-1-400(B) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 158 of 2014, is further amended to read:

"(B)(1)    A person who does not own a vehicle, as shown in the Department of Motor Vehicles' records, and who certifies that the person:

(a)    cannot obtain a vehicle owner's permission to have an ignition interlock device installed on a vehicle;

(b)    will not be driving a vehicle other than a vehicle owned by the person's employer; and

(c)    will not own a vehicle during the interlock period, may petition the department, on a form provided by the department, for issuance of an ignition interlock restricted license that permits the person to operate a vehicle specified by the employee according to the employer's needs as contained in the employer's statement during the days and hours specified in the employer's statement without having to show that an ignition interlock device has been installed.

(2)    The form must contain:

(a)    identifying information about the employer's noncommercial vehicles that the person will be operating;

(b)    a statement that explains the circumstances in which the person will be operating the employer's vehicles; and

(c)    the notarized signature of the person's employer.

(3)    This subsection does not apply to:

(a)    a person convicted of a second or subsequent violation of Section 56-5-2930, 56-5-2933, 56-5-2945, or a law of another state that prohibits a person from driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, unless the person's driving privileges have been suspended for not less than one year or the person has had an ignition interlock device installed for not less than one year on each of the motor vehicles owned or operated, or both, by the person; or

(b)    a person who is self-employed or to a person who is employed by a business owned in whole or in part by the person or a member of the person's household or immediate family unless during the defense of a criminal charge, the court finds that the vehicle's ownership by the business serves a legitimate business purpose and that titling and registration of the vehicle by the business was not done to circumvent the intent of this section.

(4)    Whenever the person operates the employer's vehicle pursuant to this subsection, the person shall have with the person a copy of the form specified by this subsection.

(5)    The determination of eligibility for the waiver is subject to periodic review at the discretion of the department. The department shall revoke a waiver issued pursuant to this exemption if the department determines that the person has been driving a vehicle other than the vehicle owned by the person's employer or has been operating the person's employer's vehicle outside the locations, days, or hours specified by the employer in the department's records. The person may seek relief from the department's determination by filing a request for a contested case hearing with the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act and the rules of procedure for the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings."

SECTION    2.    Section 56-5-2941(L) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 158 of 2014, is further amended to read:

"(L)(1)    A person who is required in the course and scope of the person's employment to drive a motor vehicle owned by the person's employer may drive the employer's motor vehicle without installation of an ignition interlock device, provided that the person's use of the employer's motor vehicle is solely for the employer's business purposes.

(2)    This subsection does not apply to:

(a)    a person convicted of a second or subsequent violation of Section 56-5-2930, 56-5-2933, 56-5-2945, or a law of another state that prohibits a person from driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, unless the person's driving privileges have been suspended for not less than one year or the person has had an ignition interlock device installed for not less than one year on each of the motor vehicles owned or operated, or both, by the person; or

(b)    a person who is self employed or to a person who is employed by a business owned in whole or in part by the person or a member of the person's household or immediate family unless during the defense of a criminal charge, the court finds that the vehicle's ownership by the business serves a legitimate business purpose and that titling and registration of the vehicle by the business was not done to circumvent the intent of this section.

(2)(3)    Whenever the person operates the employer's vehicle pursuant to this subsection, the person shall have with the person a copy of the Department of Motor Vehicles' form specified by Section 56-1-400(B).

(3)(4)    This subsection will be construed in parallel with the requirements of Section 56-1-400(B). A waiver issued pursuant to this subsection will be subject to the same review and revocation as described in Section 56-1-400(B)."

SECTION    3.    Section 56-5-2990(B) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 158 of 2014, is further amended to read:

"(B)    A person whose license is suspended pursuant to this section, Section 56-1-286, Section 56-5-2945, or Section 56-5-2951 must be notified by the department of the suspension and of the requirement to enroll in and successfully complete an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program certified by the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services. A person who must complete an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program as a condition of reinstatement of his driving privileges or a court-ordered drug program may use the route restricted or special restricted driver's license to attend the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program classes or court-ordered drug program in addition to the other permitted uses of a route restricted driver's license or a special restricted driver's license. An assessment of the extent and nature of the alcohol and drug abuse problem, if any, of the person must be prepared and a plan of education or treatment, or both, must be developed for the person. Entry into and successful completion of the services, if the services are necessary, recommended in the plan of education or treatment, or both, developed for the person is a mandatory requirement of the issuance of an ignition interlock restricted license and restoration of driving privileges to the person whose license is suspended pursuant to this section. Successful completion of the services, if the services are necessary, recommended in the plan of education or treatment, or both, developed for the person is a mandatory requirement of the full restoration of driving privileges to the person whose license is suspended pursuant to this section. The Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program shall determine if the person has successfully completed the services. Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Programs shall meet at least once a month. The person whose license is suspended shall attend the first Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program available after the date of enrollment."

SECTION    4.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on April 17, 2015 at 11:32 AM