H 3530 General Bill, By E.H. Pitts, Cotty, Merrill, Rutherford, McLeod, Bales, 
Ceips, Dantzler, Hardwick, Harrison, Herbkersman, Hinson, Kennedy, Limehouse, 
Miller, Moody-Lawrence, J.H. Neal, Norman, Perry, Scarborough, J.E. Smith, 
Weeks, Witherspoon and J.R. Smith

Similar(H 3647)
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 53-1-5, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
 1976, RELATING TO THE RIGHT OF AN EMPLOYEE OF A BUSINESS TO REFUSE TO WORK ON
 SUNDAY, SO AS TO FURTHER PROVIDE FOR PROTECTION OF THIS RIGHT TO REFUSE TO
 WORK ON SUNDAY BY REASON OF CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION TO SUNDAY WORK; TO REPEAL
 THE REMAINING SECTIONS OF CHAPTER 1 OF TITLE 53, SECTIONS 53-1-6 THROUGH
 53-1-160, POPULARLY KNOWN AS THE "SUNDAY BLUE LAWS", RELATING TO THE
 PROHIBITION AGAINST THE SALE OF CERTAIN ITEMS ON SUNDAY EXCEPT DURING
 SPECIFIED HOURS AND THE PROHIBITION AGAINST THE CONDUCT OF CERTAIN WORK OR
 EVENTS OR THE OPERATION OF SPECIFIC BUSINESSES OR MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS
 ON SUNDAY; AND TO PROVIDE THAT THIS ACT DOES NOT AFFECT PROVISIONS OF LAW
 PROHIBITING OR OTHERWISE REGULATING THE SALE OF ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS, BEER, OR
 WINE ON SUNDAY.

   02/10/05  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-27
   02/10/05  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-27
   02/16/05  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: J.R.Smith
   03/15/05  House  Member(s) request name removed as sponsor: Bailey

TO AMEND SECTION 53-1-5, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE RIGHT OF AN EMPLOYEE OF A BUSINESS TO REFUSE TO WORK ON SUNDAY, SO AS TO FURTHER PROVIDE FOR PROTECTION OF THIS RIGHT TO REFUSE TO WORK ON SUNDAY BY REASON OF CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION TO SUNDAY WORK; TO REPEAL THE REMAINING SECTIONS OF CHAPTER 1 OF TITLE 53, SECTIONS 53-1-6 THROUGH 53-1-160, POPULARLY KNOWN AS THE "SUNDAY BLUE LAWS", RELATING TO THE PROHIBITION AGAINST THE SALE OF CERTAIN ITEMS ON SUNDAY EXCEPT DURING SPECIFIED HOURS AND THE PROHIBITION AGAINST THE CONDUCT OF CERTAIN WORK OR EVENTS OR THE OPERATION OF SPECIFIC BUSINESSES OR MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS ON SUNDAY; AND TO PROVIDE THAT THIS ACT DOES NOT AFFECT PROVISIONS OF LAW PROHIBITING OR OTHERWISE REGULATING THE SALE OF ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS, BEER, OR WINE ON SUNDAY.

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

SECTION    1.    Section 53-1-5 of the 1976 Code, as amended by Act 134 of 1995, is further amended to read:

"Section 53-1-5.    (A)    The provisions of this chapter do not apply after the hour of 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Any An employee of any a business which that operates on Sunday under the provisions of this section has the option of refusing to work in accordance with Section 53-1-100. Any on Sunday if he is conscientiously opposed to Sunday work. An employer who dismisses or demotes an employee because he the employee is a conscientious objector to Sunday work is subject to a civil penalty of treble the damages found by the court or the jury plus court costs and the employee's attorney's fees. The court may order the employer to rehire or reinstate the employee in the same position he was in prior to before dismissal or demotion without forfeiture of compensation, rank, or grade, or seniority.

(B)    No A proprietor of a retail establishment who is opposed to working on Sunday may not be forced by his lessor or franchisor to open his establishment on Sunday nor may and there be discrimination against persons a person whose regular day of worship is Saturday is prohibited."

SECTION    2.    Sections 53-1-6 through Section 53-1-160 of the 1976 Code are repealed.

SECTION    3.    The repeal of Sections 53-1-6 through 53-1-160 of Chapter 1, Title 53 of the 1976 Code, as contained in Section 2 of this act, does not affect provisions of law, including those in Title 61 of the 1976 Code, prohibiting or otherwise regulating the sale of alcoholic liquors, beer, or wine on Sunday.

SECTION    4.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.