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H. 3343
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Hagood, Cotty, Harrison, Limehouse, Loftis, McLeod, Townsend, Merrill, Herbkersman, Pinson, Altman, Barfield, Battle, Branham, G. Brown, Ceips, Coleman, Davenport, Funderburk, Mack, McGee, Miller, J.H. Neal, Ott, Rivers, Scarborough, J.E. Smith, W.D. Smith, Young and Hodges
Document Path: l:\council\bills\ms\7093ahb05.doc
Companion/Similar bill(s): 262
Introduced in the House on January 25, 2005
Introduced in the Senate on May 30, 2006
Last Amended on May 24, 2006
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary
Summary: Traffic Diversion Program Act
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number
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1/25/2005 House Introduced and read first time HJ-6
1/25/2005 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-6
5/3/2006 House Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary
HJ-13
5/4/2006 House Member(s) request name removed as sponsor: Cato
5/4/2006 Scrivener's error corrected
5/10/2006 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hodges
5/10/2006 House Debate adjourned until Tuesday, May 16, 2006 HJ-31
5/16/2006 House Requests for debate-Rep(s). Walker, Cato, Kirsh,
Anthony, Owens, Davenport, Skelton, Coates, Mahaffey,
Hagood, Toole, and Bingham HJ-7
5/24/2006 House Amended HJ-117
5/24/2006 House Read second time HJ-124
5/24/2006 House Roll call Yeas-77 Nays-23 HJ-124
5/25/2006 House Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-46
5/30/2006 Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-8
5/30/2006 Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-8
View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
1/25/2005
5/3/2006
5/4/2006
5/24/2006
AMENDED
May 24, 2006
H. 3343
Introduced by Reps. Hagood, Cotty, Harrison, Limehouse, Loftis, McLeod, Townsend, Merrill, Herbkersman, Pinson, Altman, Barfield, Battle, Branham, G. Brown, Ceips, Coleman, Davenport, Funderburk, Mack, McGee, Miller, J.H. Neal, Ott, Rivers, Scarborough, J.E. Smith, W.D. Smith, Young and Hodges
S. Printed 5/24/06--H.
Read the first time January 25, 2005.
TO AMEND CHAPTER 22, TITLE 17, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE PRETRIAL INTERVENTION PROGRAM BY DESIGNATING THE EXISTING SECTIONS AS ARTICLE 1 AND BY ADDING ARTICLE 3 SO AS TO CREATE THE TRAFFIC DIVERSION PROGRAM, TO PROVIDE THAT EACH SOLICITOR HAS THE AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH A PROGRAM FOR PERSONS WHO COMMIT TRAFFIC-RELATED OFFENSES PUNISHABLE BY A FINE OR LOSS OF POINTS, TO PROVIDE THAT THE APPROPRIATE MUNICIPALITY OR COUNTY IS AUTHORIZED TO CREATE A PROGRAM WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE SOLICITOR, AND TO PROVIDE PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION OF A PROGRAM AND REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONS DESIRING TO ENTER A PROGRAM.
Amend Title To Conform
SECTION 1. Sections 17-22-10 through 17-22-170 of the 1976 Code are designated as Article 1 of Chapter 22, Title 17.
SECTION 2. Chapter 22, Title 17 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
Section 17-22-300. This article may be cited as the 'Traffic Diversion Program Act'.
Section 17-22-310. (A) Each circuit solicitor has the prosecutorial discretion as defined in this chapter and shall as a matter of prosecutorial discretion establish a traffic diversion program in the respective circuits for persons who commit traffic-related offenses that are punishable only by a fine and loss of four points or less.
(B) The circuit solicitors are specifically endowed with and retain all discretionary powers pursuant to the common law.
(C) A traffic diversion program must be under the direct supervision and control of the circuit solicitor; however, the solicitor may contract for services with a county or municipality in the circuit.
(D) The South Carolina Commission on Prosecution Coordination shall oversee administrative procedures for the traffic diversion programs.
(E) A traffic diversion program must include a community service or an educational component, or both.
Section 17-22-320. (A) A person may be considered for a traffic diversion program if he has no prior traffic-related offenses on his record. A person may not participate in a traffic diversion program more than once.
(B) A person's participation in a traffic diversion program does not prevent his participation in a pretrial intervention program pursuant to the provisions and conditions of Article 1.
Section 17-22-330. (A) When a person successfully completes a traffic diversion program, the circuit solicitor shall effect a noncriminal disposition, as defined in this chapter, of the traffic-related offense, and there must be no record maintained of the traffic-related offense except by the appropriate traffic diversion program in order to ensure that a person does not benefit from the provisions of this article more than once.
(B) If applicable, the person may apply to the court for an order to destroy all official records relating to his arrest.
(C) If a person violates the conditions of a traffic diversion program, then the person may be terminated from the program and the traffic-related offense reinstated by the circuit solicitor in the appropriate municipality or county.
Section 17-22-340. Each circuit solicitor may establish an Office of Traffic Diversion Program Coordinator whose responsibility is to assist in the establishment and maintenance of the traffic diversion program.
Section 17-22-350. (A) A person shall pay a nonrefundable one hundred forty-dollar fee to apply for a traffic diversion program that cannot be reduced or suspended. Additionally, a person shall pay a nonrefundable fee, not to exceed one hundred forty dollars, to participate in a traffic diversion program. Participation in a traffic diversion program may not be denied due to a person's inability to pay. If a person is deemed unable to pay, both the application fee and the participation fee must be waived.
(B) For offenses that would have been otherwise tried in magistrate's court, the circuit solicitor shall retain the participation fees to support the traffic diversion program. The application fees must be remitted to the county treasurer. The county treasurer shall remit 9.17 percent of the revenue from the application fees to the county to be used for the purposes set forth in Section 14-1-207(D) and remit the balance of the revenue from the application fees to the State Treasurer's Office on a monthly basis, by the fifteenth day of each month, and make reports on a form and in a manner prescribed by the State Treasurer. Fees paid in installments must be remitted as received. The State Treasurer shall deposit the amounts received as follows:
(1) 23.62 percent to the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services;
(2) 15.12 percent to the Department of Public Safety;
(3) .44 percent to the Department of Public Safety's South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame;
(4) 13.73 percent to the State Office of Victim Assistance;
(5) 6.01 percent to the General Fund;
(6) 10.79 percent to the Office of Indigent Defense;
(7) 1.34 percent to the Attorney General's Office;
(8) .90 percent to the Department of Juvenile Justice Arbitration Program;
(9) .81 percent to the Department of Juvenile Justice Marine Institutes;
(10) .90 percent to the Department of Juvenile Justice Regional Status Offender Program;
(11) 3.95 percent to the Department of Juvenile Justice Coastal Evaluation Center;
(12) 6.74 percent to the Circuit Solicitors;
(13) 2.68 percent to the State Law Enforcement Division;
(14) 2.68 percent to the Department of Corrections;
(15) .67 percent to the Judicial Department;
(16) .28 percent to the Department of Natural Resources;
(17) .18 percent to the Office of Appellate Defense; and
(18) .02 percent to the Forestry Commission.
(C) For offenses that would have been otherwise tried in municipal court, the circuit solicitor shall retain the participation fees to support the traffic diversion program. The application fees must be remitted to the city treasurer. The city treasurer shall remit 9.17 percent of the revenue from the application fees to the municipality to be used for the purposes set forth in Section 14-1-208(D) and remit the balance of the revenues from the application fees to the State Treasurer's Office on a monthly basis, by the fifteenth day of each month, and make reports on a form and in a manner prescribed by the State Treasurer. Fees paid in installments must be remitted as received. The State Treasurer must deposit the amounts received as follows:
(1) 10.25 percent to the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services;
(2) 10.13 percent to the Department of Public Safety;
(3) .26 percent to the Department of Public Safety's South Carolina Law Enforcement Officer's Hall of Fame;
(4) 7.57 percent to the State Office of Victim Assistance;
(5) 2.77 percent to the General Fund;
(6) 10.84 percent to the Office of Indigent Defense;
(7) 1.07 percent to the Attorney General's Office;
(8) .65 percent to the Department of Mental Health;
(9) 7.64 percent for the programs established pursuant to Section 56-5-2953(E);
(10) 9.93 percent to the Governor's Task Force on Litter;
(11) 9.93 percent to the Department of Juvenile Justice;
(12) .90 percent to the Department of Juvenile Justice Arbitration Program;
(13) .81 percent to the Department of Juvenile Justice Marine Institutes;
(14) .90 percent to the Department of Juvenile Justice Regional Status Offender Program;
(15) 3.95 percent to the Department of Juvenile Justice Coastal Evaluation Center;
(16) 6.74 percent to the Circuit Solicitors;
(17) 2.68 percent to the State Law Enforcement Division;
(18) 2.68 percent to the Department of Corrections;
(19) .67 percent to the Judicial Department;
(20) .28 percent to the Department of Natural Resources;
(21) .18 percent to the Office of Appellate Defense; and
(22) .02 percent to the Forestry Commission.
Section 17-22-360. (A) Each circuit solicitor shall submit a traffic diversion program annual report, by the first day of August, to the Commission on Prosecution Coordination providing the total number of participants by original traffic-related offenses, the total number of participants that successfully completed the traffic diversion program, the total amount of fees collected, and the total revenue remitted to the municipalities, counties, and State Treasurer's Office for the state's fiscal year. The Commission on Prosecution Coordination may establish additional guidelines for the annual reports. The annual reports must be made available for public inspection.
(B) Each circuit solicitor shall provide for an independent annual audit of all financial records and transactions of the circuit solicitor's office and may provide for more frequent audits as considered necessary. The audit must be made by a certified public accountant or public account or firm of certified public accountants. The report of the audit must be made available for public inspection. A copy of the report of the audit must be submitted to the Commission on Prosecution Coordination and the State Auditor no later than January first each year following the close of the books of the previous fiscal year.
Section 17-22-370. Each circuit solicitor shall submit to the Commission on Prosecution Coordination necessary identifying information on each participant for the creation and maintenance of a list of participants in traffic diversion programs. This list is to be used by the commission for the sole purpose of complying with Section 17-22-320(A). The information collected by the commission only may be released to a circuit solicitor for the purpose of determining eligibility for a traffic diversion program."
SECTION 3. The Code Commissioner is authorized to change references in Article 1, Chapter 22, Title 17, as provided in SECTION 1, from "chapter" to "article" as appropriate.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor. All circuit solicitors shall have a traffic diversion program in effect by July 1, 2007, and no person shall have the right to apply to the program until the program is established.
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