H 5363

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 5363
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
A bill
TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS SO AS TO ENACT
THE "FIX OUR ROADS ACCOUNTABILITY ACT" BY ADDING SECTION 57-1-510 SO AS TO
PROVIDE THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SHALL ESTABLISH AND
ADMINISTER A STATEWIDE PAVEMENT PRESERVATION PROGRAM CONSISTENT WITH FEDERAL
HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION GUIDELINES, IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM THROUGH ITS
ENGINEERING DISTRICTS, AND TO PROVIDE ANNUAL REPORTING TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1.  This act may be cited as the "Fix Our Roads Accountability Act."
SECTION 2.  Article 5, Chapter 1, Title 57 of the S.C. Code is
amended by adding:
    Section
57-1-510.  (A) The Secretary of the
Department of Transportation shall establish and administer a statewide
pavement preservation program designed to extend the useful life of
state-maintained highways and reduce long-term maintenance and reconstruction
costs.
    (B)
The program must be consistent with the pavement preservation principles and
guidelines recommended by the Federal Highway Administration, including
preventive maintenance treatments designed to maintain pavement conditions
before significant deterioration occurs.
    (C)
The program must include:
       (1)
a systematic pavement condition evaluation process for all state-maintained
highways;
       (2)
identification of preventive maintenance treatments appropriate to pavement
condition and roadway classification;
       (3)
a lifecycle-based approach emphasizing "right treatment, right time" pavement
management practices; and
       (4)
integration with the department's pavement management and asset management
systems.
    (D)
The secretary shall administer the pavement preservation program through the
department's engineering district offices, ensuring that each district develops
and implements preservation strategies appropriate to its roadway network.
    (E)
The department shall prioritize preservation activities on roadways classified
as being in fair or
good condition in order to
prevent deterioration into poor condition.
    (F) On
or before January thirty-first of each year, the secretary shall submit a
Pavement Preservation
Program Report to the
Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
and the Chairmen of the Senate and House Transportation Committees.
    (G)
The Pavement Preservation Program report must include, at minimum:
       (1)
pavement condition data for the state highway system;
       (2)
preservation treatments applied during the previous fiscal year;
       (3)
total miles of roadway treated through preservation activities;
       (4)
cost of preservation treatments compared to reconstruction or major
rehabilitation costs;
       (5)
a regional breakdown of preservation activities and expenditures; and
       (6)
projected pavement condition trends for the next five years.
    The report must
identify pavement preservation activities conducted in each regional
operational area and must include lane miles preserved, treatment types,
expenditures by region, and changes in pavement condition ratings.
    The department shall
publish the annual Pavement Preservation Program Report on its public website
for public transparency.
SECTION 3.  This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.
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This web page was last updated on March 11, 2026 at 11:20 AM