After years of debate, legislation strengthening the state’s distracted driving laws has finally crossed the finish line. This week, Governor McMaster signed the distracted driving/hands-free bill (H.3276) into law, effective September 1, 2025.

Key provisions included in the bill are outlined below:

• Prohibits drivers from holding or supporting a mobile device to read/transmit messages/emails or to watch movies or videos while driving.
  • Includes several exceptions, including when a driver is stopped, communicating with the use of voice-based/hands-free technology, reporting an accident or emergency, and performing occupational duties.
• Increases penalties for distracted driving – $100 penalty for first offenses and $200 for subsequent offenses and a two-point violation.
• It prohibits law enforcement from stopping a driver unless they witness a driver using a device and have reasonable suspicion they are using it unlawfully.
• Includes provisions to require that warning tickets are issued for the first 180 days.

In recent years, efforts to strengthen distracted driving laws have repeatedly stalled. However, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s threat to withhold federal highway funding unless South Carolina enacted a stronger law has motivated legislators to finally move this issue forward.

The bill aligns South Carolina with other states, and hopefully, these increased penalties will curtail drivers from being distracted by their mobile devices – and make our roads a little safer.

Governor McMaster signed waste tire legislation (S.171) into law on May 12, 2025. 

This legislation has been years in the making and supported by the SC Association of Counties and the SC Manufacturers Alliance.

An overview of key provisions of the bill is outlined below.

• Establish protocols and reporting requirements for waste haulers.
• Prohibit the installation of unsafe used tires.
• Allow counties to charge additional tipping fees for waste tire disposal.
• Expands eligibility for Waste Tire Fund grants:
  • Grants may be extended to counties to assist in recruiting businesses that utilize waste tires for alternative uses, including rubber-modified asphalt.
  • Grants may be awarded to businesses that generate or process waste tires to develop, create, or utilize waste tires for alternative productive uses, including but not limited to rubber-modified asphalt.
• Provides for developing a state plan for managing waste tires and market development, with input from various entities and industries.

The House adopted their second version of the FY25-26 budget “H2” amending the Senate’s version. As expected, H2 differs from the Senate version, and the House also made changes from the budget they originally passed back in March.

Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bruce Bannister (R-Greenville) provided a summary of H2 to members, citing that the changes were intended to set the bill up for conference committee.

When it comes to allocations to SCDOT, the House maintains the $200 million in non-recurring funds to the state’s bridge program. They reduced the storm recovery allocation (originally $50 million) to $35 million.

They also removed the $9 million allocation for “road safety improvements” and left $1 on the line for litter pickup. (A $1 line item serves as a placeholder for conference committee so the line-item can be negotiated.)

SCFOR applauds the House and Senate for including transportation investments in the budget, and we look forward to the conference committee supporting these critical investments. We will encourage conferees to support the full $200 million allocation and $35 million for storm recovery.

The Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) meets on May 20, which may impact the amount of revenues available for spending. Therefore, we don’t anticipate the conference committee meeting until closer to the end of the month or early June.

Budget Conference Committee

Representatives Bruce Bannister (R-Greenville), Lee Hewitt (R-Georgetown), and Leon Stavrinakis (D-Charleston).

Senators Harvey Peeler (R-Cherokee), Thomas Alexander (R-Oconee), and Darrell Jackson (D-Richland).

Momentum 2050 is the state’s multimodal transportation plan (MTP), and this document serves as the agency’s long-term vision. The MTP is updated every five years to reflect the latest travel and growth trends, infrastructure conditions, future deficiencies, and estimated funding.

Leah Quattlebaum, Deputy Secretary for Planning, provided an overview of the plan’s updates to the SCDOT Commission at the March meeting. Public input and stakeholder comments played a critical role in drafting these changes, as well as data related to shifting population and demographic changes, port growth, and vehicle technologies.

Population Changes: The state’s Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office (RFA) estimates that by 2040, there will be 6.2 million people in South Carolina.  That’s an increase of nearly one million people over the next 15 years. Because of this, Quattlebaum emphasized the importance of balancing the needs of urban and rural areas because much of the state’s growth is projected along the coast, the I-85 corridor, and near Charlotte. On the other hand, rural counties are experiencing population declines, and projections maintain this decline over the next decade.

Port Growth: The State Ports Authority (SPA) continues to expand operations and is estimated to triple its volume in the next 25 years.  Therefore, the ability to move freight safely and efficiently remains critically important.

Electrification of Transportation: The anticipated growth of the EV market remains a concern from a revenue perspective since the state’s primary revenue source is gasoline. In addition, EVs pose challenges to safety/design standards because they have a low center of gravity, and current guardrail designs are less effective for these vehicles.

Momentum 2050 identifies four key goals aimed at tackling the need for ongoing repairs, while modernizing the system to meet the needs of a rapidly changing population and economy.

The reliability of our state’s dedicated revenue streams continues to be a concern given the erosion of buying power that we have seen in recent years due to revenues not keeping pace with population growth and inflation.

To adequately address ongoing repairs and continued growth, the plan estimates that the state needs to invest an additional $971 million.  These dollars would be allocated across existing programs and new areas such as rail, truck parking, and rest areas.

Commissioners approved the plan, and it is now open for public comment through April 19.

Click here to learn more about Momentum 2025 and to submit comments. 

On March 5, Secretary of Transportation Justin Powell presented the 2025 State of SCDOT to the Senate Transportation Committee chaired by Senator Larry Grooms. Overall, Secretary Powell’s message was clear: in order to modernize the system, we must modernize our policies. The more tools in the toolbox, the better. Here’s a few highlights from the presentation.

Maintaining Momentum  

Secretary Powell touted the work happening across the state and the ongoing support of the legislature to make infrastructure a priority.  Act 40 (2017) was passed to address repairs to existing roads and bridges. The state is fulfilling its commitments by consistently meeting and surpassing targeted goals. However, South Carolina has changed significantly over the past eight years.  In order to maintain momentum, many factors must be considered to accommodate the state’s growing population and economy. 

Loss of Buying Power

South Carolina’s transportation revenues are not keeping pace with population growth or inflation. When you think about it, the state’s tools to address infrastructure needs are based on historical assumptions that the more you drive and the heavier the vehicle – the more you pay. This isn’t necessarily the case anymore.

Secretary Powell explained how the buying power of the state’s revenues (especially gas taxes, the state’s predominant funding source) continues to diminish thanks to inflationary factors, ongoing improvements in fuel economy, and a new generation of vehicles fueled by electricity.

Dollars are not going as far as they used to, and the proof is in the pavement program. Secretary Powell cited that in 2022, the state’s pavement program covered roughly 1,100 miles, whereas the same level of investment in 2024 covered only 727 miles. Learn more about how the state funds our transportation network.

Electrification of Transportation

Many states, including South Carolina, impose higher registration fees for EVs to offset the loss of fuel tax revenues. However, South Carolina’s $120 electric vehicle biennial registration fee ($60/year) is nowhere near what the average driver pays annually in gasoline taxes and remains lower than our sister states. In addition, growing number of states are implementing a kilowatt-hour (kWh) charge on public charging stations which allows out of state EV drivers to contribute to the system. Learn more about how other states handle electric vehicles. 

Bridge Program

South Carolina is responsible for over 8,400 bridges and this network is aging – rapidly.  Closed and load restricted bridges impact commutes, commerce, and emergency response times. Ongoing investments in the bridge program are critical to the state’s ability to address a growing number of bridges in need of repair or replacement.  

The legislature provided a one-time $200 million allocation to bridges in the FY24-25 budget. These dollars continue to be allocated and will be fully committed in the coming months. SCDOT has renewed this request in the FY25-26 budget to continue investment in the bridge program.

Dealing with Growth

Based on input for the SCDOT’s Momentum 2050 plan, congestion and delays are the top concern for residents. SCDOT data shows that there are more drivers traveling more miles on the same number of lane miles. As the state continues to grow, capacity and the ability to move people and freight will continue to be an issue.  Secretary Powell said that easing congestion isn’t just new alignments or widenings. It also includes retiming lights, improving intersections, and considering all modes of transportation.

Improve Transportation Planning

While SCDOT is responsible for maintaining and repairing our extensive state network, many entities have a role in ensuring that our state continues to move forward. Unlike economic development or workforce, there is no formal mechanism for agencies involved in transportation to come together and coordinate efforts. Therefore, improving collaboration and communication between agencies and entities would serve the state well.

SCFOR applauds Secretary Powell for laying out a vision for improving operations, planning, and the need to address revenue sources. South Carolina is one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, and as our economy and population continue to change, so do the impacts on our transportation network – literally and fiscally. We firmly believe that in order to maintain momentum toward improving conditions, mobility, and accessibility statewide, our transportation policies must remain reliable and relevant. 

Commissioner Pam Christopher (Dist. 3) concluded her term as Chairwoman, passing the gavel to Commissioner TJ Johnson (Dist. 1), who was elected Chairman by acclamation. Commissioner Johnson was appointed to the Commission in 2023 and owns and operates automobile dealerships throughout South Carolina, from the Grand Strand to the Pee Dee.

Commissioner Bill Dukes (Dist. 2) was also elected by acclamation to serve as Vice-Chairman. He was first appointed to the Commission in 2021 and has a significant background in the restaurant industry as the owner of Blue Marlin Restaurant and Signature Catering in Columbia, SC.

SCFOR expresses gratitude to Commissioner Christopher for her leadership as Chairwoman over the past year, as well as Commissioner Max Metcalf (Dist. 4) for his service as Vice-Chairman. We look forward to continuing to work with them.

Congratulations to Chairman Johnson and Vice-Chairman Dukes, we look forward to working with them in their new leadership roles on the SCDOT Commission.

The passage of road funding legislation in 2017 put our state on the road to repair. Since then, the legislature has continued to be proactive through budget allocations and investing one-time funds to provide timely boosts for programs to keep projects moving forward. We applaud these actions and hope that legislators will continue to make transportation infrastructure a priority.

South Carolina has come a long way and there is much work to be done! Check out our overview of the state’s transportation network. We hope this provides some background on how the state funds our infrastructure; how those dollars are being put to work, factors to consider; and the electrification of transportation.

TRANSPORTATION OVERVIEW

 

State Funding Sources

A one-page summary of the state’s dedicated and recurring revenue sources that are used to fund our transportation network. (01/25)

Putting Dollars to Work

A one-page summary of the role that federal and state dollars play in various programs and how those dollars are being put to work. (Rev. 03/25)

Factors to Consider

A one-page summary highlighting the role that population changes and economic growth have on our state’s transportation network. (01/25)

Electrification of Transportation

A one-page summary of how electric vehicles contribute to the state system and a look at how other states treat EVs. (Rev. 03/25)