A bill

TO AMEND THE south carolina CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 16-17-780 SO AS TO CREATE THE CRIMINAL OFFENSE OF UNLAWFUL PERMITTING.

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

SECTION 1.   Article 7, Chapter 17, Title 16 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

   Section 16-17-780.   (A) It is unlawful for a person to approve a plan, license, application, or permit of any kind to construct or use property or infrastructure to facilitate Atlantic Ocean marine seismic testing to locate reserves of oil and natural gas or to transport or store Atlantic Ocean offshore oil or gas onto the land of this State. Infrastructure includes, but is not limited to, a pipeline, a tank, or any facility used in conjunction with Atlantic Ocean Marine Seismic testing, or the transportation or storage of Atlantic Ocean offshore oil or gas.

   (B) A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both. Jurisdiction to hear a violation of this section is vested exclusively in the magistrates court.

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

----XX----