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Current Status Bill Number:View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.903 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:Senate Introduced Date:19990622 Primary Sponsor:Rankin All Sponsors:Rankin Drafted Document Number:l:\council\bills\bbm\9423som99.doc Residing Body:House Current Committee:Judiciary Committee 25 HJ Date of Last Amendment:20000427 Subject:Litter or solid waste, dumping of; penalties, point system to be used for motor vehicle drivers licenses, Conservation History Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ ______________________________________ _______ ____________ House 20000502 Introduced, read first time, 25 HJ referred to Committee Senate 20000428 Read third time, sent to House ------ 20000428 Scrivener's error corrected Senate 20000427 Amended, read second time, unanimous consent for third reading Friday, 20000428 Senate 20000426 Committee report: Favorable with 11 SJ amendment Senate 19990622 Introduced, read first time, 11 SJ referred to Committee Versions of This Bill Revised on April 26, 2000 - Word format Revised on April 27, 2000 - Word format Revised on April 28, 2000 - Word format
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ADOPTED
April 27, 2000
S. 903
S. Printed 4/27/00--S. [SEC 4/28/00 3:29 PM]
Read the first time June 22, 1999.
TO AMEND SECTION 16-11-700, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE OFFENSE OF DUMPING LITTER OR OTHER SOLID WASTE ON PUBLIC OR PRIVATE PROPERTY, SO AS TO INCREASE THE MONETARY PENALTY, THE LENGTH OF TIME FOR PUBLIC SERVICE WORK THE COURT SHALL IMPOSE, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE IMPOSITION OF POINTS ON THE PERSON'S DRIVER'S LICENSE IF THE VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION OCCURRED WHILE THE OFFENDER WAS OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE; AND TO AMEND SECTION 56-1-720, RELATING TO THE POINT SYSTEM FOR VIOLATIONS OF MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC LAWS, BY ADDING LITTERING WHILE OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE TO THE OFFENSES FOR WHICH POINTS ARE ASSESSED.
Amend Title To Conform
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 16-11-700, as last amended by Act 100 of 1999, is further amended to read:
"Section 16-11-700. (A) No person may dump, throw, drop, deposit, discard, or otherwise dispose of litter or other solid waste, as defined by Section 44-96-40(46), upon any public or private property or waters in the State whether from a vehicle or otherwise, including, but not limited to, a public highway, public park, beach, campground, forest land, recreational area, trailer park, highway, road, street, or alley except:
(1) when the property is designated by the State for the disposal of litter and other solid waste and the person is authorized to use the property for that purpose;
(2) into a litter receptacle in a manner that the litter is prevented from being carried away or deposited by the elements upon a part of the private or public property or waters.
(B) Responsibility for the removal of litter from property or receptacles is upon the person convicted under this section of littering the property or receptacles. However, if there is no conviction, the responsibility is upon the owner of the property or upon the owner of the property where the receptacle is located.
(C)(1) A person who violates the provisions of this section in an amount less than fifteen pounds in weight or twenty-seven cubic feet in volume is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than two hundred dollars nor more than three hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days for each offense for a first or second conviction, or fined five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days for a third or subsequent conviction. In addition to a the fine or term of imprisonment and for each offense under the provisions of this item, the court shall must also impose a minimum of five fifteen hours of litter-gathering labor for a first conviction, thirty hours of litter-gathering labor for a second conviction, and 100 hours of litter-gathering labor for a third or subsequent conviction, or other form of public service as the court may order because of physical or other incapacities, and which is under the supervision of the court. One hundred dollars of the fine imposed by this item must be deposited in the state's general fund and used by the Office of the Governor to fund a litter control campaign.
(2) The fine for a deposit of a collection of litter or garbage in an area or facility not intended for public deposit of litter or garbage is one thousand dollars. The provisions of this item apply to a deposit of litter or garbage, as defined in Section 44-67-30(4), in an area or facility not intended for public deposit of litter or garbage, but this does not prohibit a private property owner from depositing litter or garbage as a property enhancement if the depositing does not violate applicable local or state health and safety regulations. In addition to a fine and for each offense under the provisions of this item the court shall also impose a minimum of five hours of litter-gathering labor or other form of public service as the court may order because of physical or other incapacities, and which is under the supervision of the court. Eight hundred dollars of the fine imposed by this item must be deposited in the states state's general fund and used by the Office of the Governor to fund a litter control campaign.
(3) The court, in lieu of payment of the monetary fine imposed for a violation of this section, may direct the substitution of additional litter-gathering labor or other form of public service as it may order because of physical or other incapacities, under the supervision of the court, not to exceed one hour for each five dollars of fine imposed.
(4) For a second and subsequent convictions under the provisions of items (1) or (2) of this subsection, a minimum of twenty hours of community service must be imposed in addition to a fine.
(5) In addition to any other punishment authorized by this section, in the discretion of the court in which conviction is obtained, the person may be directed by the judge to pick up and remove from any public place or any private property, with prior permission of the legal owner upon which it is established by competent evidence that the person has deposited litter, all litter deposited on the place or property by anyone before the date of execution of sentence.
(6)(5) Magistrates and municipal courts have jurisdiction to try violations of subsections (A), (B), (C), and (D) of this section.
(D) Any person who violates the provisions of this section in an amount exceeding fifteen pounds in weight or twenty-seven cubic feet in volume, but not exceeding five hundred pounds or one hundred cubic feet, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than two hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than ninety days. In addition, the court shall require the violator to pick up litter or perform other community service commensurate with the offense committed.
(E)(1) Any person who violates the provisions of this section in an amount exceeding five hundred pounds in weight or one hundred cubic feet in volume is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than five hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. In addition, the court may order the violator to:
(a) remove or render harmless the litter that he dumped in violation of this subsection;
(b) repair or restore property damaged by, or pay damages for damage arising out of, his dumping litter in violation of this subsection; or
(c) perform community public service relating to the removal of litter dumped in violation of this subsection or relating to the restoration of an area polluted by litter dumped in violation of this subsection.
(2) A court may enjoin a violation of this subsection.
(3) A motor vehicle, vessel, aircraft, container, crane, winch, or machine involved in the disposal of more than five hundred pounds in weight or more than one hundred cubic feet in volume of litter in violation of this subsection is declared contraband and is subject to seizure and summary forfeiture to the State.
(4) If a person sustains damages arising out of a violation of this subsection that is punishable as a felony, a court, in a civil action for such damages, shall order the person to pay the injured party threefold the actual damages or two hundred dollars, whichever amount is greater. In addition, the court shall order the person to pay the injured party's court costs and attorney's fees.
(5) No part of a fine imposed pursuant to this section may be suspended.
(6) [Repealed]
(F) For purposes of the offenses established by this section, litter includes cigarettes and cigarette filters."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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