South Carolina S 704: A SENATE RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THE THOMAS SUMTER ACADEMY GIRLS VARSITY BASKETBALL TEAM, COACHES, AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS FOR AN OUTSTANDING SEASON AND TO CONGRATULATE THEM FOR WINNING THE 2017 SOUTH CAROLINA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL ASSOCIATION 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE.

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 704 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 10, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 704

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 AMENDING 
SECTION 56-5-1538, RELATING TO EMERGENCY SCENE MANAGEMENT, SO AS TO REVISE AND 
CREATE CERTAIN DEFINITIONS, TO REVISE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF DRIVERS 
APPROACHING EMERGENCY VEHICLES, AND TO ESTABLISH VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES; AND 
BY AMENDING SECTION 56-1-720, RELATING TO THE SYSTEM OF POINTS ASSESSED AGAINST 
A PERSON'S DRIVING RECORD FOR MOTOR VEHICLE VIOLATIONS, SO AS TO ESTABLISH 
POINTS FOR CREATING HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS AT EMERGENCY SCENES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 56-5-1538 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
56-5-1538. (A) An emergency scene 
is a special hazardlocation 
designated by the potential need to provide emergency medical care and is 
identified by emergency vehicles with flashing lights, rescue equipment, or 
emergency personnel on the scene.

 (B) 
An emergency scene is a special hazard location designated by the presence of an emergency vehicle 
conducting a law enforcement activity, fire protection, the potential need to 
provide emergency medical care, or the recovery or restoration of property, or 
both, and is identified by emergency vehicles with flashing lights, rescue 
equipment, or emergency personnel or both on the scene.

 (C) 
An emergency scene is under the authority of the first arriving emergency 
personnel, which includes emergency medical services personnel, until the 
arrival of the fire or law enforcement officials having jurisdiction. All motor 
vehicles passing through an emergency scene and pedestrians observing an 
emergency scene must obey and not interfere with the duties of emergency 
personnel. Motor vehicles and bystanders may not block access to or exit from 
an emergency scene.

 (D) 
The management authority of emergency medical services is limited to managing 
patient care and preventing further injury to the patients and on-scene 
personnel. This authority may be delegated by emergency personnel to provide an 
adequate level of safety.

 (E) 
A paid or volunteer worker at an emergency scene has proper authority to be at 
and control the scene in a manner consistent with his training.

 (F) 
The driver of a vehicle shall ensure that the vehicle is kept under control 
when approaching or passing an emergency scene or authorized emergency vehicle 
stopped on or near the right-of-way of a street or highway with emergency 
lights flashing. The exercise of control required for a driver to comply with 
this section is that control possible and necessary by the driver to prevent a 
collision, to prevent injury to persons or property, and to avoid interference 
with the performance of emergency duties by emergency personnel, or interfering 
with the operation of an authorized emergency vehicle.

 (G) 
A person driving a vehicle approaching a stationary authorized emergency 
vehicle that is giving a signal by displaying alternately flashing red, red and 
white, blue, or red and blue lights, or amber or yellow warning lights shall 
proceed with due caution, significantly reduce the speed of the vehicle, and unless otherwise directed by a law enforcement officer shall:

 (1) 
yield the right-of-way by making a lane change into a lane not adjacent to that 
of the authorized emergency vehicle, if possible with due regard to safety and 
traffic conditions, if on a highway having at least four lanes with not less 
than two lanes proceeding in the same direction as the approaching vehicle; or

 (2) 
maintain a safe speed for road conditions, slow down. ifIf changing lanes is impossible or 
unsafe not possible, drivers must reduce their 
speed to:

 (a) twenty miles per hour below the 
posted speed limit if the speed limit is twenty-five miles per hour or higher; 
or

 (b) five miles per hour if the posted 
speed limit is less than twenty-five miles per hour.

 (H)(1) A person who violates the 
provisions of this section where no property damage results or where no person 
at the emergency scene suffers personal injury is guilty of the misdemeanor of 
creating a hazardous condition at an emergency scene and, upon conviction, must 
be fined not less than seventy-five dollars and not more than two hundred 
dollars, or be imprisoned for not more than thirty daysA person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty 
of the misdemeanor of endangering emergency services personnel or operators of 
authorized emergency vehicles and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than 
three hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars.

 (2) A person who violates the 
provisions of this section where property damage results or