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A38, R57, H3127
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Robbins, Wooten, Lawson, Pope, Chapman, Pedalino, W. Newton, Sanders, Duncan, Hixon, Taylor, Gagnon, Oremus, Hartz, Davis, M.M. Smith, Vaughan, Williams, Erickson, Bradley, Cromer and Gilreath
Document Path: LC-0083CM25.docx
Introduced in the House on January 14, 2025
Introduced in the Senate on April 15, 2025
Last Amended on May 7, 2025
Currently residing in the Senate
Governor's Action: May 12, 2025, Signed
Summary: Failure to stop a motor vehicle
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
| Date | Body | Action Description with journal page number |
|---|---|---|
| 12/5/2024 | House | Prefiled |
| 12/5/2024 | House | Referred to Committee on Judiciary |
| 1/14/2025 | House | Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 103) |
| 1/14/2025 | House | Referred to Committee on Judiciary (House Journal-page 103) |
| 1/28/2025 | House | Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Sanders, Duncan |
| 2/26/2025 | House | Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary (House Journal-page 78) |
| 3/4/2025 | House | Debate adjourned until Tues., 3-25-25 (House Journal-page 27) |
| 3/4/2025 | House | Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hixon, Taylor, Gagnon, Oremus, Hartz, Davis |
| 3/25/2025 | House | Member(s) request name added as sponsor: M.M. Smith |
| 3/25/2025 | House | Debate adjourned (House Journal-page 50) |
| 3/26/2025 | House | Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Vaughan |
| 3/26/2025 | House | Requests for debate-Rep(s). B Newton, Martin, BL Cox, Collins, Bowers, Jordan, Guest, Hager, Whitmire (House Journal-page 17) |
| 3/26/2025 | House | Debate adjourned (House Journal-page 45) |
| 3/27/2025 | House | Debate adjourned (House Journal-page 33) |
| 4/1/2025 | House | Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Williams, Erickson, Bradley |
| 4/2/2025 | House | Debate adjourned (House Journal-page 83) |
| 4/3/2025 | House | Debate adjourned (House Journal-page 49) |
| 4/9/2025 | House | Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Cromer, Gilreath |
| 4/9/2025 | House | Amended (House Journal-page 55) |
| 4/9/2025 | House | Read second time (House Journal-page 55) |
| 4/9/2025 | House | Roll call Yeas-98 Nays-10 (House Journal-page 55) |
| 4/10/2025 | House | Read third time and sent to Senate (House Journal-page 43) |
| 4/15/2025 | Senate | Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 12) |
| 4/15/2025 | Senate | Referred to Committee on Judiciary (Senate Journal-page 12) |
| 4/16/2025 | Senate | Recalled from Committee on Judiciary (Senate Journal-page 50) |
| 4/29/2025 | Senate | Special order, set for April 29, 2025 (Senate Journal-page 51) |
| 4/30/2025 | Senate | Amended (Senate Journal-page 50) |
| 4/30/2025 | Senate | Read second time (Senate Journal-page 50) |
| 5/1/2025 | Senate | Read third time and returned to House with amendments (Senate Journal-page 83) |
| 5/1/2025 | Senate | Roll call Ayes-35 Nays-5 (Senate Journal-page 83) |
| 5/6/2025 | House | Debate adjourned until Wed., 5-7-25 (House Journal-page 209) |
| 5/7/2025 | House | Senate amendment amended (House Journal-page 37) |
| 5/7/2025 | House | Returned to Senate with amendments (House Journal-page 37) |
| 5/7/2025 | Senate | Concurred in House amendment and enrolled |
| 5/8/2025 | Ratified R 57 | |
| 5/12/2025 | Signed By Governor | |
| 5/19/2025 | Effective date 05/12/26 | |
| 5/19/2025 | Act No. 38 |
View the latest legislative information at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
12/05/2024
02/26/2025
04/09/2025
04/16/2025
04/30/2025
05/07/2025
NOTE: THIS IS A TEMPORARY VERSION. THIS DOCUMENT WILL REMAIN IN THIS VERSION UNTIL FINAL APPROVAL BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
(A38, R57, H3127)
AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 56-5-750, RELATING TO FAILURE TO STOP MOTOR VEHICLES WHEN SIGNALED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES, SO AS TO REVISE THE PENALTIES FOR CERTAIN OFFENSES, TO CREATE AN ADDITIONAL FELONY OFFENSE WHEN A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER IS LED ON A HIGH-SPEED PURSUIT, AND TO PROVIDE PENALTIES.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Failure to stop when signaled by law enforcement vehicles
SECTION 1. Section 56-5-750 (A), (B), and (C) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
(A) In the absence of mitigating circumstances, it is unlawful for a motor vehicle driver, while driving on a road, street, or highway of the State, to fail to stop when signaled by a law enforcement vehicle by means of a siren or flashing light. An attempt to increase the speed of a vehicle or in other manner avoid the pursuing law enforcement vehicle when signaled by a siren or flashing light is prima facie evidence of a violation of this section. Failure to see the flashing light or hear the siren does not excuse a failure to stop when the distance between the vehicles and other road conditions are such that it would be reasonable for a driver to hear or see the signals from the law enforcement vehicle.
(B) A person who violates the provisions of subsection (A):
(1) for a first offense where no great bodily injury or death resulted from the violation, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than three years. The Department of Motor Vehicles must suspend the person's driver's license for at least thirty days;
(2) for a second or subsequent offense where no great bodily injury or death resulted from the violation, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned for not more than ten years. The person's driver's license must be suspended by the department for a period of one year from the date of the conviction; or
(3) where the person is found to have led law enforcement upon a high-speed pursuit, the person is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned for not more than ten years and the person's driver's license must be suspended for a period of one year from the date of conviction. For the purposes of this section, a high-speed pursuit occurs when the driver of the vehicle increases speed or takes evasive actions to avoid the pursuing law enforcement vehicle.
(C) A person who violates the provisions of subsection (A) and when driving performs an act forbidden by law or neglects a duty imposed by law in the driving of the vehicle:
(1) where great bodily injury resulted, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned for not more than fifteen years; or
(2) where death resulted, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned for not more than thirty years.
Time effective
SECTION 2. This act takes effect one year after approval of the Governor.
Ratified the 8th day of May, 2025.
Approved the 12th day of May, 2025.
This web page was last updated on May 19, 2025 at 1:10 PM