DMV legislation filed

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The bill includes virtually all of last month's recommendations from Gov. Mark Sanford's task force and most of the suggestions by a House panel appointed last year to look into problems at the state's Division of Motor Vehicles.

"In essence, it demands of DMV more accountability, more efficiency, and certainly makes it customer friendly," House Speaker David Wilkins of Greenville said in announcing the bill.

The legislation would make the agency, now part of the Department of Public Safety, a stand-alone agency whose director would be appointed by the governor. Other parts of the bill are designed to move more business outside DMV offices, which lawmakers and task force members hope will further reduce wait time.

"If some of the workload that we now carry is outsourced to other agencies, I think customer service will improve," said Ingrid Austin, manager of DMV's Laurens Road branch and a member of Sanford's task force.

Rep. Ronald Townsend, an Anderson Republican who chaired a House committee studying DMV problems, said the bill will allow members of the public to do DMV business at many locations, including county auditor or treasurer offices, schools or other driver's education offices, car dealerships, insurance offices and the Internet.

"Our main intent is accountability," he said, "and to get it to where whoever is the head of it is answerable to somebody that can make a difference."

Long lines at DMV offices last summer sparked calls for reform at the agency, which Wilkins called "the red-headed stepchild" of state government because its long-standing problems had not been adequately addressed by lawmakers.

The lines were caused by installation of a new $57 million Phoenix computer system, which has continued to spawn data problems even after the lines shortened last fall.

Sanford's task force questioned the timing of the new system's installation, saying it came during the heaviest month of the year for DMV transactions.

The group predicted long lines again this summer unless its recommendations were implemented before then.

The bill would extend driver's license renewal from five to 10 years, except for those 65 or older, and allow high school driver's education teachers or other private driving teachers to administer state tests.

Wilkins said while other House members may add their own ideas to the bill, "I believe at the end of the day the bill will not be substantially changed."

Tim Smith can be reached at 803-256-7367.