Comprehensive SCDOT Reform Legislation Filed

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – This morning, legislation was filed in the South Carolina House of Representatives to address the modernization of the South Carolina Department of Transportation to better meet the needs of a growing state and the demands of 21st-century transportation infrastructure.

The House Ad-Hoc Committee charged with conducting a comprehensive review of SCDOT’s structure, processes, and long-term effectiveness was created by House Speaker Murrell Smith in May 2025. Over the course of more than six months, committee members traveled across South Carolina, hearing extensive testimony from experts, business leaders, local governments, advocacy groups, and citizens from every region of the state.

The resulting legislation reflects that work and focuses on improving efficiency, accelerating project delivery, streamlining operations, and ensuring the state’s transportation system keeps pace with population growth and economic development.

Top Highlights of the bill include:

Reforms SCDOT for the challenges of the 21st century.

• Shrinks government by cutting the DOT Commission down to streamlined regional-based organization.

• Gives the Governor the power to appoint the SCDOT Secretary.

• Addresses fragmented transportation planning and policy in SC by establishing a Coordinating Council for Transportation and Mobility.

• Works to shrink the state highway system by allowing the transfer of local roads to local jurisdictions.

Provides the tools needed for SCDOT to cut red tape and accelerate project delivery.

• Allows SCDOT to accelerate the environmental process through NEPA Assignment, letting the state set priorities while still maintaining all existing environmental protections and speeding up project delivery by months or years.

• Brings the toll statute into the 21st century to allow choice lanes to add capacity to congested roads while keeping existing lanes fee.

• Enables Public-Private Partnerships to expedite delivery and free up state revenue for other projects while preserving the state’s bonding capacity.

• Adopts procurement tools for today’s challenges including collaborative options like Phased Design Build and CM/GC.

• Puts a timeline on Municipal Consent to projects in municipal boundaries to keep projects rolling.

Ensures EVs pay their fair share.

• Increases registration fees and future-proofs the state’s transportation funding by adding a sales tax to charging stations to match the gas tax at the pumps.

“Over the last nine months, this committee listened to communities across South Carolina to deliver real solutions that modernize SCDOT and improve daily life,” said Chairlady Shannon Erickson. “This legislation does exactly that – giving SCDOT the tools it needs to work faster, smarter, and better for the people it serves.”

“This legislation is the direct result of months of careful study, collaboration, and hard work by a committed group of House members,” said Chairlady Heather

Crawford. “I am proud of the committee’s efforts to deliver a comprehensive, forward-looking plan that modernizes SCDOT, improves accountability, and positions our transportation system to better support South Carolina’s future.”

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