COLUMBIA, S.C., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- Carolinas AGC (CAGC) is celebrating the passage of the Work
Zone Safety Bill, legislation that will save lives for the
construction industry and the public. This bill has been five years
in the making and is one that CAGC has filed, and pushed for, for
years.
CAGC lobbyist Leslie Clark worked
closely with SCDOT Secretary Christy
Hall and her legislative team to see this bill passed. Clark
solicited the help of numerous Senators and suggested several
parliamentary procedures during the final days of the legislative
session to get the readings needed for passage. As approved, the
bill will increase the current fine of $75-$200 (which has been in law for years) to as
high as $5,000, depending on the type
of injury received. The specific changes in the law are as
follows:
- No physical injury must be fined not more than $1,000 and not less than $500, or imprisoned for not more than thirty
days, or both.
- Endangerment of a highway worker, where the worker suffers
physical injury and the committing of the offense is the proximate
cause of the physical injury, must be fined not more than
$2,000 and not less than $1,000, or imprisoned for not more than sixty
days, or both.
- Endangerment of a highway worker, where the highway worker
suffers great bodily injury and the committing of the offense is
the proximate cause of the great bodily injury, must be fined not
more than $5,000 and not less than
$2,000, or imprisoned for not more
than three years, or both.
- Endangerment of a highway worker, where the death of the
highway worker ensues within three years as a proximate result of
injury received by the highway worker related to the endangerment
of the highway worker, is guilty of reckless vehicular homicide
pursuant to Section 56-5-2910, and, upon conviction, is subject to
the penalties contained in that section, including license
reinstatement and related conditions.
The above fines are mandatory and cannot be waived. And, to
ensure they are used to hire more officers to work your
construction zones, the money will be dispersed as follows:
- 65% of fine to the SC Office of the State Treasurer and into a
special account (separate and apart from the General Fund) to be
used by the Department of Public Safety for work zone
enforcement.
- 25% deposited into the State Highway Fund and designated for
use by SCDOT to hire off-duty state, county or municipal police
officers to monitor construction or maintenance zones.
- 10% to county governing or municipality where charge was
disposed in municipal court.
"South Carolina highway
contractors appreciate and applaud the Legislature's passage of the
Work Zone Safety Bill! This law will certainly assist in providing
a much safer work environment for our employees working to improve
our state's roads and bridges. Also, the fact that 90% of monies
from fines collected through this enforcement will be used to
provide additional enforcement assures us that this will be a
long-term sustainable initiative for our state. Carolinas AGC is
proud to be a part of the collaborative effort that assisted in
bringing this legislation to fruition," said CAGC Board of
Directors Chair Marty McKee, of King
Asphalt in Liberty, SC.
For more information please contact Carolinas AGC Director of
Government Relations and Divisions Leslie
Clark at 803/240-6649 or lclark@carolinasagc.org.
Carolinas AGC is the construction industry association in the
Carolinas, bringing value to our thousands of members through
networking, government relations, job leads and meeting with
owners/designers, meetings second to none, education and training
involving such issues as safety and open shop, and community
development. Visit www.cagc.org to learn more.
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/work-zone-safety-bill-will-save-lives-300461501.html
SOURCE Carolinas Associated General Contractors