South Carolina S 406: SC Lactation Support Act

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 406 Text of Previous Version (Mar. 05, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 406

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 
56-5-2790 SO AS TO MAKE A VEHICLE OWNER OR OPERATOR LIABLE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF 
EDUCATION FOR A VIOLATION OF SECTION 56-5-2770; BY ADDING SECTION 59-67-235 SO 
AS TO REQUIRE THE OPERATOR OF A SCHOOL BUS TO NOTIFY THE DEPARTMNET OF 
EDUCATION IF A VEHICLE DOES NOT STOP WHEN THE DRIVER HAD AMBER SIGNALS 
ACTUATED; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 56-3-1335, RELATING TO THE SUSPENSION OF A 
VEHICLE'S REGISTRATION FOR FAILURE TO A PAY TOLL, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE 
DEPARMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES SHALL SUSPEND A VEHICLE REGISTRATION FOR AN 
OUTSTANDING JUDGMENT FOR PASSING A SCHOOL BUS.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 5, Title 56 of the S.C. Code is amended by 
adding:

 Section 
56-5-2790. (A) When a vehicle 
violates Section 56-5-2770, the vehicle owner or operator is joint and 
severally liable to the Department of Education to pay the administrative fees 
and civil penalty as provided for in this section.

 (1) 
The department or its authorized agent may assess and collect a civil penalty 
of:

 (a) 
not more than one hundred dollars for the first violation within a period of 
one year; and

 (b) 
not more than two hundred and fifty dollars for each subsequent violation 
within a period of one year.

 (2) 
Upon failure to pay the administrative fees and civil penalty to the department 
within thirty days of the notice, the vehicle owner may be cited for failure to 
pay a penalty pursuant to this subsection and, upon an adjudication of 
liability, is subject to an additional civil penalty not to exceed five hundred 
dollars for each violation.

 (a) 
The department or its authorized agent shall send:

 (i) 
a "First Notice to Pay Penalty" to the owner or operator of a vehicle 
that, on one occasion in any twelve-month period, is identified as having been 
involved in a violation. The first notice must require payment to the 
department of the required penalty, plus an administrative fee, as provided for 
in subsection (A)(2), within thirty days of the mailing of the notice;

 (ii) a "Second Notice to Pay 
Penalty" to the owner or operator of a vehicle that is identified as 
having been involved in a second toll violation in a twelve-month period or who 
has failed to respond to a "First Notice to Pay Penalty" notice 
within the required period. The second notice must require payment to the 
department of the required penalties, plus an administrative fee, as provided 
for in subsection (A)(2) within thirty days of the mailing of the notice; and

 (iii) a "Third Failure to Pay a 
Penalty" citation to the owner or operator of a vehicle that is identified 
as having been involved in a third violation in a twelve-month period or who 
has failed to respond to a "Second Notice to Pay Penalty" notice within the 
required period. Within thirty days, the citation requires payment to the 
department of the unpaid penalties, plus an administrative fee of not more than 
twenty-five dollars for each violation, or the recipient's appearance in 
magistrate's court of the county in which the violation occurred or the 
municipal court of the city in which the violation occurred to contest the 
citation.

 (b) 
A first, second, or third "Failure to Pay a Penalty" citation 
constitutes the summons and complaint for an action to recover the penalty and 
all applicable fees allowed pursuant to this section.

 (3) 
If a magistrate or municipal judge determines that the person or entity charged 
with liability under this section is liable, then the magistrate or municipal 
judge shall collect the unpaid penalty and administrative fee and forward them 
to the department or its authorized agent. The magistrate or municipal judge 
may also impose a civil penalty of up to fifty dollars for each violation, plus 
court costs and attorney's fees. The civil penalty must be distributed in the 
same manner as other fines and penalties collected by the magistrate.

 (a) 
If the owner or operator fails to satisfy the judgement within thirty days, 
then the court shall notify the Department of Motor Vehicles and the authorized 
agent, and the department shall suspend the registration of the vehicle that 
was operated when the penalty was not paid and deny the vehicle's registration 
or reregistration pursuant to Section 56-3-1335.

 (b) 
The suspension shall remain in effect until the judgment is satisfied and 
evidence of its satisfaction has been presented to the Department of Motor 
Vehicles and the authorized agent.

 (B) 
The department shall send by first-class mail a notice and penalty as 
prescribed in subsectio