South Carolina bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session
South Carolina H 3276
SC Hands-Free Act
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became law
Sponsors
- Pope (Republican)
- Robbins (Republican)
- Chapman (Republican)
- W. Newton (Republican)
- Taylor (Republican)
- Forrest (Republican)
- McGinnis (Republican)
- Calhoon (Republican)
- Bernstein (Democratic)
- Wooten (Republican)
- Hart (Democratic)
- Erickson (Republican)
- Bradley (Republican)
- Ligon (Republican)
- Anderson (Democratic)
- Schuessler (Republican)
- Hixon (Republican)
- M.M. Smith (Republican)
- Hartnett (Republican)
Summary
Official abstract published by the South Carolina legislature· description
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
Text versions
Roll-call votes
State vote data last updated Oct 17, 2026, 8:27 PM.
| Date | Vote | Result | Your legislators |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 2025 House | Concur in Senate Amendments | pass | Set your home in South Carolina to see |
| Apr 30, 2025 Senate | 2nd Reading | pass | Set your home in South Carolina to see |
| Apr 9, 2025 House | Table Amendment 7 | fail | Set your home in South Carolina to see |
| Apr 9, 2025 House | Passage of Bill | pass | Set your home in South Carolina to see |
| Mar 27, 2025 House | Table Motion to Adjourn Debate | pass | Set your home in South Carolina to see |
| Mar 27, 2025 House | Adopt Amendment 1 | pass | Set your home in South Carolina to see |
Actions
- May 19, 2025 · Legislature
Act No. 40 - May 19, 2025 · Legislature
Effective date 09/01/25 - May 12, 2025 · Legislature
Signed By Governor - May 8, 2025 · Legislature
Ratified R 59 - May 7, 2025 · House
Roll call Yeas-77 Nays-37 - May 7, 2025 · House
Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled - May 6, 2025 · House
Debate adjourned until Wed., 5-7-25 - May 1, 2025 · Senate
Read third time and returned to House with amendments - Apr 30, 2025 · Senate
Roll call Ayes-40 Nays-0 - Apr 30, 2025 · Senate
Read second time - Apr 30, 2025 · Senate
Amended - Apr 30, 2025 · Senate
Committee Amendment Adopted - Apr 29, 2025 · Senate
Special order, set for April 29, 2025 - Apr 16, 2025 · Senate
Committee report: Favorable with amendment Transportation - Apr 15, 2025 · Senate
Referred to Committee on Transportation - Apr 15, 2025 · Senate
Introduced and read first time - Apr 10, 2025 · House
Read third time and sent to Senate - Apr 9, 2025 · House
Roll call Yeas-85 Nays-25 - Apr 9, 2025 · House
Read second time - Apr 9, 2025 · House
Amended - Apr 9, 2025 · House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hartnett - Apr 9, 2025 · House
Member(s) request name removed as sponsor: Gilliard, Rivers - Apr 3, 2025 · House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: M.M.Smith - Apr 1, 2025 · House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hixon - Mar 27, 2025 · House
Debate adjourned - Mar 27, 2025 · House
Amended - Mar 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 - Mar 27, 2025 · House
Member(s) request name removed as sponsor: Henderson-Myers - Mar 27, 2025 · House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Gilliard, Anderson, Rivers, Schuessler - Mar 26, 2025 · House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Ligon - Mar 26, 2025 · House
Debate adjourned until Thur., 3-27-25 - Mar 25, 2025 · Legislature
Scrivener's error corrected - Mar 25, 2025 · House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hart, Henderson-Myers, Erickson, Bradley - Mar 20, 2025 · House
Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary - Feb 18, 2025 · House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Wooten - Feb 13, 2025 · House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bernstein - Feb 11, 2025 · House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Calhoon - Jan 29, 2025 · House
Member(s) request name added as sponsor: McGinnis - Jan 14, 2025 · House
Referred to Committee on Judiciary - Jan 14, 2025 · House
Introduced and read first time - Dec 5, 2024 · House
Referred to Committee on Judiciary - Dec 5, 2024 · House
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