Department of Transportation

2025-2026 Bill 4971: Department of Transportation - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 4971
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Pace, D. Mitchell, Kilmartin, Edgerton, Beach, Morgan, Burns, Cromer, Huff, Frank, Terribile, Chumley, Magnuson and Gilreath
Document Path: LC-0478SA26.docx
Introduced in the House on January 15, 2026
Currently residing in the House Committee on
Ways and Means
Summary: Department of Transportation
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

1/15/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 27
)

1/15/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Ways and Means
(
House Journal-page 27
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
01/15/2026

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS
BY ADDING SECTION
57-5-200
SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION SHALL TRANSFER OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN ROADS TO THE COUNTY IN WHICH
IT IS LOCATED; AND BY AMENDING SECTION
12-28-2740
, RELATING TO THE DISTRIBUTION
OF THE GASOLINE USER FEE AMONG COUNTIES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPENDITURE OF
FUNDS, SO AS TO REMOVE A REQUIREMENT THAT TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF A COUNTY'S
APPORTIONMENT OF "C" FUNDS BE EXPENDED ON THE STATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM FOR
CONSTRUCTION, IMPROVEMENTS, AND MAINTENANCE.

B
e it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

S
ECTION 1.
A
rticle 1, Chapter 5, Title 57
of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

S
ection
57-5-200
.
(
A) By December 31, 2028,
the Department of Transportation shall transfer ownership of all roads that are
one half mile or less to the county in which it is located. Roads transferred
to counties pursuant to this section must be maintained by the county in which
it is located, meet the state highway maintenance standards, and remain in a
state of good repair. The department shall determine, in consultation with the
receiving counties, the manner in which the provisions of this section are
implemented to provide the most efficient transfer of ownership.

(
B) The department shall transfer sufficient
funds to a county that receives additional roads to maintain.

S
ECTION 2.
S
ection
12-28-2740
(C) of the
S.C. Code is amended to read:

(
C)
At least twenty-five percent of a county's
apportionment of "C" funds, based on a biennial averaging of expenditures, must
be expended on the state highway system for construction, improvements, and
maintenance. The Department of Transportation shall administer all funds
expended on the state highway system unless the department has given explicit
authority to a county or municipal government or other agent acting on behalf
of the county transportation committee to design, engineer, construct, and
inspect projects using their own personnel. The county transportation
committee, at its discretion, may expend up to seventy-five percent of "C"
construction funds for activities including other local paving or improving
county roads, for street and traffic signs, and for other road and bridge
projects.
Reserved.

S
ECTION
3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on January 15, 2026 at 11:14 AM