South Carolina General Assembly
125th Session, 2023-2024

Download This Bill in Microsoft Word Format

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

S. 331

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Rankin, Alexander and Verdin
Companion/Similar bill(s): 330, 3577
Document Path: SJ-0036BM23.docx

Introduced in the Senate on January 10, 2023
Currently residing in the Senate

Summary: Malicious Injury to Public Utilities

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date Body Action Description with journal page number
1/10/2023 Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 196)
1/10/2023 Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary (Senate Journal-page 196)
1/12/2023 Senate Referred to Subcommittee: Talley (ch), Hutto, Malloy, Gustafson, Reichenbach

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

01/10/2023



A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16-11-740, RELATING TO MALICIOUS INJURY TO UTILITY SYSTEMs, SO AS TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF MALICIOUS INJURY OF A GASOLINE, NATURAL GAS, PROPANE, OR ELECTRIC UTILITY BY USE OF A FIREARM OR DESTRUCTIVE DEVICE AND TO establish APPROPRIATE PENALTIES.

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

SECTION 1.   Section 16-11-740 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

   Section 16-11-740.   (A) It is unlawful for a person, without the consent of the owner, to wilfully:

      (1) destroy, damage, or in any way injure a telegraph, telephone, electric utility system, satellite dish, or cable television system, including poles, cables, wires, fixtures, antennas, amplifiers, or other apparatus, equipment, or appliances;

      (2) obstruct, impede, or impair their services or transmissions or;

      (3) aid, agree with, employ, or conspire with a person to do or cause to be done any of the acts mentioned in this section subsection.

      (4) A person who violates the provisions of this section subsection is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined in the discretion of the court or imprisoned not more than ten years.

   (B) It is unlawful for a person, without the consent of the owner, to wilfully:

      (1) destroy, damage, or in any way injure a gasoline, natural gas, propane, or electric utility system including poles, cables, wires, pipelines, storage containers, fixtures, or other apparatus, equipment, or appliances by means of or use of a firearm or destructive device as defined by Section 16-23-710;

      (2) obstruct, impede, or impair their services or transmissions, by means of or use of a firearm or destructive device as defined by Section 16-23-710; or

      (3) to aid, agree with, employ, or conspire with a person to do or cause to be done any of the acts mentioned in this subsection.

      (4) A person who violates the provisions of this subsection is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned for not less than ten years nor more than twenty-five years.

SECTION 2.   This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on May 28, 2024 at 12:22 PM