Indicates Matter Stricken

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Committee Report

April 14, 2026

 

S. 585

 

Introduced by Senators Tedder, Adams, Devine, Zell and Sutton

 

S. Printed 4/14/26--H.                                                                           [SEC 4/15/2026 9:57 AM]

Read the first time May 8, 2025

 

________

 

The committee on House Education and Public Works

To whom was referred a Bill (S. 585) to amend the South Carolina Code of Laws by enacting the "Safeguarding American Families Everywhere (SAFE) Act" and by adding Section 56-3-125 so as to provide applications, etc., respectfully

Report:

That they have duly and carefully considered the same, and recommend that the same do pass with amendment:

 

    Amend the bill, as and if amended, by striking all after the enacting words and inserting:

SECTION 1.  Section 56-3-115 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 

    Section 56-3-115.  (A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may add athe notation "SAFE" to a private passenger-carrying motor vehicle registration to indicate that the driver registered owner or a child or ward of the registered owner, whose full legal name and date of birth, as well as an original certificate from a licensed physician as defined in Section 40-47-20, must be provided to the department, has any of the following disabilities or disorders:

       (1) may be deaf or hard of hearing. The application for this special motor vehicle registration notation must include an original certificate from a licensed physician, as defined in Section 40-47-20 and required in subsection (A), or licensed audiologist, as defined in Section 40-67-220, that certifies that the applicant has a permanent, uncorrectable hearing loss of forty decibels or more in one or both ears.;

       (2) autism;

       (3) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder;

       (4) Down syndrome;

       (5) Alzheimer's disease;

       (6) traumatic brain injury;

       (7) post-traumatic stress disorder;

       (8) diabetes;

       (9) an autoimmune disorder;

       (10) blindness; or

       (11) any other mentally or physically limiting disorder.

    (B) The "deaf or hard of hearing" notation "SAFE" would only appear when a law enforcement check is run on the vehicle's license plate through the department's online interface with law enforcement to alert the officer that the driver or any identified passenger may be deaf or hard of hearinghave a disability or disorder contained in subsection (A).

    (C) The department must allow a motor vehicle owner or co-owner to update a motor vehicle registration to include or remove the "SAFE" designation at any time. Should the child or ward of the registered owner turn eighteen years old, the child or ward can remove himself as a designee of the word "SAFE" upon submitting proper documentation to the department.

    (D) No cause of action may arise nor may liability be imposed against any person, government entity, or government entity officer, agent, or employee arising from any action taken by any person in reliance upon information indicated on a person's driver's license or motor vehicle registration when the license holder, physician, or medical provider provided the information on the forms required pursuant to this section.

 

SECTION 2.  Section 56-3-1910(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 

    (A) As used in this article, "handicapped" means a person who has one or more of the following conditions:

       (1) an inability to ordinarily walk one hundred feet nonstop without aggravating an existing medical condition, including the increase of pain;

       (2) an inability to ordinarily walk without the use of, or assistance from a brace, cane, crutch, another person, prosthetic device, wheelchair, or other assistive device;

       (3) a restriction by lung disease to the extent that the person's forced expiratory volume for one second when measured by spirometry is less than one liter, or the arterial oxygen tension is less than sixty mm/hg on room air at rest;

       (4) requires use of portable oxygen;

       (5) a cardiac condition to the extent that the person's functional limitations are classified in severity as Class III or Class IV according to standards established by the American Heart Association. If the person's status improves to a higher level, for example as a result of bypass surgery or transplantation, he no longer meets this criteria;

       (6) a substantial limitation in the ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition, for example, coordination problems and muscle spasticity due to conditions that include Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy, or multiple sclerosis; or

       (7) blindness; or

       (8) autism or neurodivergence.

 

SECTION 3.  This act takes effect one year after approval by the Governor.

Renumber sections to conform.

Amend title to conform.

 

SHANNON ERICKSON for Committee.

 

 

statement of estimated fiscal impact

Explanation of Fiscal Impact

State Expenditure

This bill requires the application form for a motor vehicle registration to include language allowing an applicant to voluntarily indicate that he has been diagnosed with, or is the parent or legal guardian of a child or ward who has been diagnosed with, certain disabilities or disorders.  If the applicant indicates one of the specified diagnoses on the application, DMV must include the designation "SAFE" in the motor vehicle record but may not include personal identifying information or any diagnosis.  DMV is required to allow an owner or co-owner to update a motor vehicle registration to include or remove the "SAFE" designation at any time.

The bill charges DMV with additional responsibilities that the agency can accomplish with existing appropriations.  Therefore, there is no expenditure impact to DMV.  However, DMV indicates that the complex coding changes to its IT system will require at least twelve months to implement and test.

 

 

Frank A. Rainwater, Executive Director

Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office

 

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A bill

 

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "SAFEGUARDING AMERICAN FAMILIES EVERYWHERE (SAFE) ACT" AND BY ADDING SECTION 56-3-125 SO AS TO PROVIDE APPLICATIONS FOR MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS MUST INCLUDE LANGUAGE ALLOWING APPLICANTS TO VOLUNTARILY INDICATE THEY OR THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH CERTAIN DISABILITIES OR DISORDERS, AND TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES TO INCLUDE THE DESIGNATION "SAFE" IN THE MOTOR VEHICLE'S RECORDS.

 

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

 

SECTION 1.  This act may be cited as the "Safeguarding American Families Everywhere (SAFE) Act."

 

SECTION 2.  Article 3, Chapter 3, Title 56 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

    Section 56-3-125.  (A) The application form for motor vehicle registration must include language allowing an applicant to voluntarily indicate that he has been diagnosed with, or is the parent or legal guardian of a child or ward who has been diagnosed with, any of the following disabilities or disorders by a licensed physician:

       (1) autism;

       (2) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder;

       (3) Down syndrome;

       (4) Alzheimer's disease;

       (5) traumatic brain injury;

       (6) post-traumatic stress disorder;

       (7) diabetes;

       (8) an autoimmune disorder;

       (9) deafness;

       (j) blindness; or

       (k) any other mentally or physically limiting disorder.

    (B) If the applicant indicates one of the diagnoses listed in subsection (A) on the application, the department must include the designation "SAFE" in the motor vehicle record. For purposes of this subsection, the department may not include in the motor vehicle record personal identifying information of or any diagnosis of a person for whom a diagnosis is indicated. The department must allow a motor vehicle owner or co-owner to update a motor vehicle registration to include or remove the "SAFE" designation at any time.

 

SECTION 3.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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