COLUMBIA, S.C. - A bill that would let police ticket adult drivers for failing to buckle up was sent back to a committee Thursday after several House members questioned the need to toughen the state's existing seat belt bill.

Currently, adult drivers can be ticketed for not wearing a seat belt only if they are stopped for another violation.

House Majority Leader Jim Merrill, R-Daniel Island, led the fight against the bill. Merrill and others questioned whether the bill would fulfill enough requirements to qualify the state for federal money as part of a program designed to increase seat belt usage.

Supporters of the bill argued the threat of a $25 fine would be enough to encourage more South Carolinians to buckle up.

On a voice vote, the House sent the bill to the Judiciary Committee for further study. The measure has already passed the Senate, where previous efforts to toughen seat belt enforcement had failed in recent years.