Emergency Scene Management

2025-2026 Bill 699: Emergency Scene Management - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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S. 699
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senator Goldfinch
Companion/Similar bill(s): 704, 4249
Document Path: SEDU-0034DB26.docx
Introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2026
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on
Transportation
Summary: Emergency Scene Management
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

12/10/2025

Senate

Prefiled

12/10/2025

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Transportation

1/13/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 21
)

1/13/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Transportation
(
Senate Journal-page 21
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
12/10/2025

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING
SECTION
56-5-1538
, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS PERTAINING TO EMERGENCY SCENE
MANAGEMENT, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION APPLY TO
EMERGENCY SCENES; AND BY ADDING SECTION
56-5-1539
SO AS TO REQUIRE A DRIVER TO
MOVE OR SLOW THE VEHICLE WHEN PASSING AN AUTHORIZED LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLE
THAT IS PARKED OR STANDING WITHIN FIVE FEET OF A ROADWAY, CONDUCTING A TRAFFIC
RELATED STOP OR INVESTIGATION, AND GIVING WARNING SIGNAL BY APPROPRIATE LIGHT.

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

S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
56-5-1538
(I) of the S.C. Code is amended to
read:

(
I) For purposes of this section:

(
1)
"Authorized emergency vehicle" means any ambulance, police, fire, rescue,
recovery, or towing vehicle authorized by this State, county, or municipality
to respond to
a traffic incident
an emergency scene
.

(
2)
"Emergency services personnel" means fire, police, or emergency medical
services personnel (EMS) responding to an emergency
incident
scene
.

S
ECTION 2.
C
hapter 5, Title 56 of the S.C. Code is amended by
adding:

S
ection
56-5-1539
.
W
hen an authorized law enforcement
vehicle is parked or standing within five feet of a roadway, conducting a
traffic related stop or investigation, and giving a warning signal by
appropriate light, the driver of every other approaching vehicle shall, as soon
as it is safe and when not otherwise directed by an individual lawfully
directing traffic:

(
A) move
the vehicle into a lane that is not the lane nearest to the parked or standing
authorized law enforcement vehicle and continue traveling in that lane until
safely clear of the authorized law enforcement vehicle. This only applies if
the roadway has at least two lanes for traffic proceeding in the direction of
the approaching vehicle and if the approaching vehicle may change lanes safely
without interfering with any other vehicular traffic; or

(
B) slow
the vehicle, maintaining a safe speed for traffic conditions, and operate the
vehicle at a reduced speed and be prepared to stop until completely past the
authorized law enforcement vehicle. This only applies if the roadway has only
one lane for traffic proceeding in the direction of the approaching vehicle or
if the approaching vehicle may not change lanes safely and without interfering
with any other vehicular traffic.

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

----XX----

This web page was last updated on January 13, 2026 at 1:08 PM