South Carolina General Assembly
121st Session, 2015-2016

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Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

S. 149

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senator Allen
Document Path: l:\council\bills\ms\7025ahb15.docx

Introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2015
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary

Summary: Second Chance Act

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   12/3/2014  Senate  Prefiled
   12/3/2014  Senate  Referred to Committee on Judiciary
   1/13/2015  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 101)
   1/13/2015  Senate  Referred to Committee on Judiciary 
                        (Senate Journal-page 101)

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

12/3/2014

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

A BILL

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, SO AS TO ENACT THE "SOUTH CAROLINA SECOND CHANCE ACT" BY ADDING SECTION 17-22-935 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN NONVIOLENT MISDEMEANOR AND FELONY OFFENSES MAY BE EXPUNGED AND TO ESTABLISH THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THE EXPUNGEMENT MAY OCCUR.

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

SECTION    1.    This act may be cited as the "South Carolina Second Chance Act".

SECTION    2.    Article 9, Chapter 22, Title 17 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 17-22-935.    (A)    In addition to those offenses enumerated in Section 17-22-910 and as otherwise provided by law, a conviction for a:

(1)    misdemeanor offense, may be expunged pursuant to the provisions of this article upon application to the appropriate solicitor's office when:

(a)    the person has completed his sentence, including probation and parole, and five years have elapsed since completing his sentence during which the offender was not convicted, plead guilty, or plead nolo contendere to any other offense;

(b)    no charges are currently pending against the person; and

(c)    the person does not have an existing or pending driver's license suspension.

(2)    Class D, E, or F felony or an offense for which the maximum penalty is between five and fifteen years, may be expunged pursuant to the provisions of this article upon application to the appropriate solicitor's office when:

(a)    the person has completed his sentence, including probation and parole, and eight years have elapsed since completing his sentence during which the offender was not convicted, plead guilty, or plead nolo contendere to any other offense;

(b)    no charges are currently pending against the person; and

(c)    the person does not have an existing or pending driver's license suspension.

(3)    Class A, B, or C felony or an offense for which the maximum penalty is between twenty and thirty years, may be expunged pursuant to the provisions of this article upon application to the appropriate solicitor's office when:

(a)    the person has completed his sentence, including probation and parole, and ten years have elapsed since completing his sentence during which the offender was not convicted, plead guilty, or plead nolo contendere to any other offense;

(b)    no charges are currently pending against the person; and

(c)    the person does not have an existing or pending driver's license suspension.

(B)    The provisions of this section do not apply to the following:

(1)    a person convicted of a criminal sexual conduct offense as provided in Article 7, Chapter 3, Title 16;

(2)    a person convicted of a violent crime as defined in Section 16-1-60; or

(3)    a person convicted of a felony offense that resulted in bodily injury to another person."

SECTION    3.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on January 20, 2015 at 9:28 AM