COLUMBIA, S.C. - House subcommittee approved a bill Thursday that drops litter offenses from a convict's record after five years.

The bill says when a person is charged with littering, only violations that occurred within the last five years of the current offense will constitute a prior violation.

"We want to make sure people who litter in South Carolina are prosecuted, but if you do get a violation it drops off after five years so you don't have to walk around like its a scarlet letter or something," said Rep. Fletcher Smith, D-Greenville.

The bill also allows the court to impose an extra fine for littering in addition to requiring litter-gathering work.