Bill Sponsor
South Carolina House Bill 3276
Session 2025-2026
SC Hands-Free Act
Became Law
Became Law
Signed by Governor on May 12, 2025
Sponsorship by Party
House Votes (5)
Senate Votes (1)
Motion Text
Concur in Senate Amendments
House Roll Call Votes
Unknown
Henderson-Myers,, Rosalyn D., Ph.D. Hosey, Lonnie
No
Excused
Unknown
Morgan, T. Alan, Jr.
No
Unknown
Waters, Courtney S.
No
Summary
AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "SOUTH CAROLINA HANDS-FREE AND DISTRACTED DRIVING ACT" BY AMENDING SECTION 56-5-3890, RELATING TO UNLAWFUL USE OF WIRELESS ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION DEVICES WHILE OPERATING MOTOR VEHICLES, SO AS TO DELETE CERTAIN TERMS AND THEIR DEFINITIONS, TO DEFINE THE TERM "MOBILE ELECTRONIC DEVICE," TO PROVIDE THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN MOBILE ELECTRONIC DEVICES MAY NOT BE USED WHILE OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE, TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF DISTRACTED DRIVING AND PROVIDE PENALTIES, TO PROVIDE FOR THE DISBURSEMENT OF FINES IMPOSED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, TO PROVIDE THE CIRCUMSTANCES UPON WHICH THIS SECTION MAY BE ENFORCED, TO PROVIDE FOR THE SHARING OF CERTAIN INFORMATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, AND TO PROVIDE THIS SECTION IS NOT SUBJECT TO PROVISIONS RELATED TO CITIZENS ARRESTS; BY AMENDING SECTION 56-1-720, RELATING TO POINTS THAT MAY BE ASSESSED AGAINST A PERSON'S DRIVING RECORD FOR MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVING VIOLATIONS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT OFFENSE OF DISTRACTED DRIVING IS A TWO-POINT VIOLATION; TO PROVIDE THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SHALL ERECT SIGNS ADVISING MOTORISTS OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT; TO PROVIDE ONLY WARNINGS MAY BE ISSUED FOR CERTAIN VIOLATIONS FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD; AND TO PROVIDE THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY SHALL FILE A REPORT WITH CERTAIN OFFICIALS CONTAINING INFORMATION ABOUT PERSONS STOPPED PURSUANT TO THIS ACT. - RATIFIED TITLE
05/19/2025
South Carolina Legislature
Act No. 40
05/19/2025
South Carolina Legislature
Effective date 09/01/25
05/12/2025
South Carolina Legislature
Signed By Governor
05/08/2025
South Carolina Legislature
Ratified R 59
05/07/2025
House
Roll call Yeas-77 Nays-37
05/07/2025
House
Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
05/06/2025
House
Debate adjourned until Wed., 5-7-25
05/01/2025
Senate
Read third time and returned to House with amendments
04/30/2025
Senate
Roll call Ayes-40 Nays-0
04/30/2025
Senate
Read second time
04/30/2025
Senate
Amended
04/30/2025
Senate
Committee Amendment Adopted
04/29/2025
Senate
Special order, set for April 29, 2025
04/16/2025
Senate
Committee report: Favorable with amendment Transportation
04/15/2025
Senate
Referred to Committee on Transportation
04/15/2025
Senate
Introduced and read first time
04/10/2025
House
Read third time and sent to Senate
04/09/2025
House
Roll call Yeas-85 Nays-25
04/09/2025
House
Read second time
04/09/2025
House
Amended
04/09/2025
House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hartnett
04/09/2025
House
Member(s) request name removed as sponsor: Gilliard, Rivers
04/03/2025
House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: M.M.Smith
04/01/2025
House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hixon
03/27/2025
House
Debate adjourned
03/27/2025
House
Amended
03/27/2025
House
Requests for debate-Rep(s). King, Long, Gibson, Frank, Edgerton, Magnuson, Kilmartin, White, Terribile, Chumley, Cromer, Gilreath, Huff, Williams, McDaniel, Grant, Garvin, Spann-Wilder, Stavrinakis, Rose, Kirby, Hosey, Taylor
03/27/2025
House
Member(s) request name removed as sponsor: Henderson-Myers
03/27/2025
House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Gilliard, Anderson, Rivers, Schuessler
03/26/2025
House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Ligon
03/26/2025
House
Debate adjourned until Thur., 3-27-25
03/25/2025
South Carolina Legislature
Scrivener's error corrected
03/25/2025
House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hart, Henderson-Myers, Erickson, Bradley
03/20/2025
House
Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary
02/18/2025
House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Wooten
02/13/2025
House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bernstein
02/11/2025
House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Calhoon
01/29/2025
House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: McGinnis
01/14/2025
House
Referred to Committee on Judiciary
01/14/2025
House
Introduced and read first time
12/05/2024
House
Referred to Committee on Judiciary
12/05/2024
House
Prefiled
Sources
Record Created
Dec 7, 2024 12:26:21 AM
Record Updated
May 20, 2025 3:46:34 AM