South Carolina General Assembly
119th Session, 2011-2012

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H. 4571

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Rutherford and Weeks
Document Path: l:\council\bills\swb\5066cm12.docx

Introduced in the House on January 11, 2012
Introduced in the Senate on February 1, 2012
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary

Summary: Driver's license suspensions

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS 

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1/11/2012  House   Introduced and read first time
   1/11/2012  House   Referred to Committee on Judiciary
   1/25/2012  House   Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary 
                        (House Journal-page 18)
   1/26/2012  House   24 hour point of order (House Journal-page 21)
   1/26/2012  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Weeks
   1/26/2012          Scrivener's error corrected
   1/31/2012  House   Read second time (House Journal-page 34)
   1/31/2012  House   Roll call Yeas-102  Nays-0 (House Journal-page 35)
    2/1/2012  House   Read third time and sent to Senate (House Journal-page 6)
    2/1/2012          Scrivener's error corrected
    2/1/2012  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 15)
    2/1/2012  Senate  Referred to Committee on Judiciary 
                        (Senate Journal-page 15)
    2/6/2012  Senate  Referred to Subcommittee: Knotts (ch), Massey, Coleman

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

1/11/2012
1/25/2012
1/26/2012
1/31/2012
2/1/2012

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

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

AMENDED

January 31, 2012

H. 4571

Introduced by Reps. Rutherford and Weeks

S. Printed 1/31/12--H.    [SEC 2/1/12 2:31 PM]

Read the first time January 11, 2012.

            

A BILL

TO AMEND ACT 13 OF 2011, RELATING TO THE REPEAL OF SECTION 56-1-745 WHICH RELATES TO THE SUSPENSION OF A DRIVER'S LICENSE OF A PERSON CONVICTED OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE VIOLATION, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE REPEAL OF THIS PROVISION APPLIES TO ALL ACTIONS, RIGHTS, DUTIES, OR LIABILITIES FOUNDED ON IT PENDING ON AND BEFORE APRIL 12, 2011, AND ALTERS, DISCHARGES, RELEASES AND EXTINGUISHES ANY PENALTY, FORFEITURE, OR LIABILITY INCURRED UNDER THE REPEALED SECTION.

Amend Title To Conform

Whereas, Section 1 of Act 13 of 2011, repealed Section 56-1-745 of the 1976 Code, which suspended the driver's license of a person convicted of a controlled substance violation; and

Whereas, Section 2 of Act 13 of 2011, stated that the repeal of this statute (Section 56-1-745) 'does not affect pending actions . . . or liabilities' or does not 'alter, discharge, release, or extinguish any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred under the repealed . . . law'; and

Whereas, Section 2 of Act 13 of 2011, further states that 'After. . . the effective date of this act, all laws repealed or amended by this act must be taken and treated as remaining in full force and effect for the purpose of sustaining any pending or vested right, civil action, special proceeding, criminal prosecution, or appeal existing as of the effective date of this act, and for the enforcement of rights, duties, penalties, forfeitures, and liabilities as they stood under the repealed or amended laws'; and

Whereas, the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) interpreted Section 2 of Act 13 of 2011, to mean that the charge of a person whose controlled substance violation and criminal charge occurred before April 12, 2011, was a pending charge and accordingly applied Section 56-1-748 and suspended that person's driver's license; and

Whereas, members of the General Assembly have stated that the provisions of Section 2 of Act 13 of 2011, do not accurately reflect the intentions of the General Assembly in enacting Act 13 of 2011; and

Whereas, members of the General Assembly have stated that the intention of the General Assembly was to discontinue the suspension of the driver's license of a person who was charged with a controlled substance violation before April 12, 2011, but whose conviction occurred on or after April 12, 2011; and

Whereas, in order to carry out the intentions of the General Assembly, it is necessary to enact the following language. Now, therefore,

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

SECTION    1.    (A)    Notwithstanding the provisions of Act 13 of 2011, the suspension by the Department of Motor Vehicles of the driver's license of a person convicted of a controlled substance violation, pursuant to former Section 56-1-745 of the 1976 Code, for which the person was charged before April 12, 2011, and whose conviction or guilty plea or nolo contendere was entered on or after April 12, 2011, is reversed and the person's driving privilege must be reinstated on this act's effective date.

(B)    The department must not pay or reimburse a person for a reinstatement fee or other costs or fees incurred by the person as a result of the suspension of the person's driver's license if the person's driver's license suspension was due to being charged with a controlled substance violation before April 12, 2011, and convicted on or after April 12, 2011, and the suspension ended and the person paid the reinstatement fee or incurred other costs or fees before this act's effective date.

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