South Carolina General Assembly
104th Session, 1981-1982

Bill 2224

                    Current Status

Bill Number:               2224
Ratification Number:       334
Act Number                 299
Introducing Body:          House
Subject:                   To make it unlawful to wilfully threaten
                           the life or person of a public official or
                           members of their immediate families
View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A299, R334, H2224)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 16-3-1040 SO AS TO MAKE IT UNLAWFUL TO WILFULLY THREATEN THE LIFE OR PERSON OF A PUBLIC OFFICIAL OR MEMBERS OF THEIR IMMEDIATE FAMILIES AND TO PROVIDE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Penalties for threatening public officials

Section 1. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 16-3-1040. It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly and wilfully deliver or convey to a public official any letter or paper, writing, print, missive, document or electronic communication or any verbal or electronic communication which contains any threat to take the life of or to inflict bodily harm upon the public official, or members of their immediate families.

Any person violating the provisions of this section shall upon conviction be punished by a term of imprisonment for not more than five years.

For purposes of this section:

(a) `Public official' means any elected or appointed official of the United States or of the State or of a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of this State.

(b) `Immediate family' shall mean a public official's spouse, child, grandchild, mother, father, sister or brother."

Time effective

Section 2. This act shall take effect upon the approval by the Governor.