South Carolina General Assembly
122nd Session, 2017-2018

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A127, R131, S456

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Grooms and Shealy
Document Path: l:\s-res\lkg\012moto.dmr.lkg.docx

Introduced in the Senate on February 22, 2017
Introduced in the House on March 13, 2017
Passed by the General Assembly on January 11, 2018
Governor's Action: February 5, 2018, Signed

Summary: Motorcycle Beginner's permits

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   2/22/2017  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 3)
   2/22/2017  Senate  Referred to Committee on Transportation 
                        (Senate Journal-page 3)
    3/2/2017  Senate  Committee report: Favorable Transportation 
                        (Senate Journal-page 13)
    3/8/2017  Senate  Read second time (Senate Journal-page 36)
    3/8/2017  Senate  Roll call Ayes-39  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 36)
    3/9/2017  Senate  Read third time and sent to House 
                        (Senate Journal-page 21)
   3/13/2017  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 18)
   3/13/2017  House   Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works 
                        (House Journal-page 18)
   5/10/2017  House   Recalled from Committee on Education and Public Works 
                        (House Journal-page 75)
   5/11/2017  House   Debate adjourned until Tues., 1-9-18
   1/10/2018  House   Read second time (House Journal-page 9)
   1/10/2018  House   Roll call Yeas-106  Nays-0 (House Journal-page 10)
   1/11/2018  House   Read third time and enrolled (House Journal-page 600)
    2/1/2018          Ratified R 131
    2/5/2018          Signed By Governor
    2/8/2018          Effective date 2/5/18
   2/12/2018          Act No. 127

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

2/22/2017
3/2/2017
5/10/2017


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A127, R131, S456)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 56-1-50, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO BEGINNER'S PERMITS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON WHO HOLDS A MOTORCYCLE BEGINNER'S PERMIT WHO HAS FAILED THE MOTORCYCLE DRIVER'S LICENSE TEST THREE OR MORE TIMES MUST COMPLETE SUCCESSFULLY A SOUTH CAROLINA TECHNICAL COLLEGE MOTORCYCLE SAFETY COURSE, OR ITS EQUIVALENT, IN LIEU OF PASSING THE MOTORCYCLE DRIVER'S LICENSE TEST, IN ORDER TO OBTAIN A MOTORCYCLE LICENSE; AND TO AMEND SECTION 56-1-770, RELATING TO POINTS REDUCED FOR COMPLETING A DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT ANY DRIVER WITH A CLASS M (MOTORCYCLE) ENDORSEMENT WHO HAS ACCUMULATED POINTS UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ARTICLE SHALL HAVE THE NUMBER OF HIS POINTS REDUCED BY FOUR UPON PROVING TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES THAT HE HAS COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY A SOUTH CAROLINA TECHNICAL COLLEGE MOTORCYCLE SAFETY COURSE OR ITS EQUIVALENT, TO PROVIDE FOR THE SPECIFICATIONS OF THE COURSE, AND TO PROVIDE THAT NO PERSON'S POINTS MAY BE REDUCED MORE THAN ONE TIME IN ANY THREE-YEAR PERIOD.

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

Beginners' permits

SECTION    1.    Section 56-1-50 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 89 of 2017, is further amended by adding an appropriately lettered new subsection to read:

"(    )    A person who holds a motorcycle beginner's permit who has failed the motorcycle driver's license test three or more times must successfully complete a South Carolina technical college motorcycle safety course, or its equivalent, in lieu of passing the motorcycle driver's license test, in order to obtain a motorcycle license. All courses must be at least eight hours in length and be taught by an instructor accredited through a training program in which the procedures for accreditation are equivalent to those set forth in 'Manual of Rules and Procedures' published by the National Safety Council. All courses must include successful completion of an examination equivalent to the Department of Motor Vehicles motorcycle skills test. These programs are subject to Section 56-1-15."

Defensive driving course

SECTION    2.    Section 56-1-770 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 56-1-770.    (A)    Any driver who has accumulated points under the provisions of this article shall have the number of his points reduced by four upon proving to the satisfaction of the Department of Motor Vehicles that he has completed the National Safety Council's 'Defensive Driving Course' or its equivalent, if the course is completed after the points have been assessed. The course must be taught by an instructor accredited by the National Safety Council whose procedures for accreditation are set forth in the 'Manual of Rules and Procedures' published by the National Safety Council or equivalent accreditation procedures. The department shall establish procedures by which driver training schools may apply to the department for approval of a defensive driving course which will qualify those successfully completing the course for a reduction in points pursuant to this section. The department shall approve the National Safety Council's 'Defensive Driving Course' or its equivalent when offered by driver training schools and taught by an instructor accredited by the National Safety Council or equivalent accreditation procedures.

(B)    Any driver with a Class M (motorcycle) endorsement who has accumulated points under the provisions of this article shall have the number of his points reduced by four upon proving to the satisfaction of the Department of Motor Vehicles that he has successfully completed a South Carolina technical college motorcycle safety course or its equivalent. All courses offered for point reduction must be at least eight hours in length and be taught by an instructor accredited through a training program in which the procedures for accreditation are equivalent to those set forth in 'Manual of Rules and Procedures' published by the National Safety Council.

(C)    No person's points may be reduced more than one time in any three-year period, pursuant to the provisions contained in this section."

Time effective

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

Ratified the 1st day of February, 2018.

Approved the 5th day of February, 2018.

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This web page was last updated on August 29, 2018 at 10:34 AM