S 1295 General Bill, By Cromer, Sheheen, Lourie, Hawkins, Alexander, Anderson, 
Bryant, Campsen, Cleary, Courson, Drummond, Elliott, Fair, Ford, Gregory, 
Grooms, Hayes, Hutto, Jackson, Knotts, Land, Leatherman, Leventis, Malloy, 
Martin, Matthews, McConnell, McGill, Mescher, Moore, O'Dell, Patterson, Peeler, 
Pinckney, Rankin, Reese, Richardson, Ritchie, Ryberg, Scott, Setzler, Short, 
J.V. Smith, Thomas, Verdin and Williams

Similar(H 4965)
 A BILL TO AMEND ARTICLE 7, CHAPTER 17, TITLE 16 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO
 MISCELLANEOUS CRIMES AGAINST PUBLIC POLICY, BY ADDING SECTION 16-17-525 TO
 MAKE IT UNLAWFUL FOR A PERSON TO WILFULLY OR MALICIOUSLY DISTURB OR INTERRUPT
 A FUNERAL SERVICE.

   03/29/06  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-6
   03/29/06  Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-6
   03/29/06  Senate Referred to Subcommittee: Hawkins (ch), Cromer,
                     Sheheen, Lourie
   04/26/06  Senate Polled out of committee Judiciary SJ-27
   04/26/06  Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Judiciary SJ-27
   04/27/06  Senate Amended SJ-94
   04/27/06  Senate Read second time SJ-94
   04/28/06         Scrivener's error corrected
   05/02/06  Senate Read third time and sent to House SJ-8
   05/02/06  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-21
   05/02/06  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-22

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ADOPTED AND AMENDED

April 27, 2006

S. 1295

Introduced by Senators Cromer, Sheheen, Lourie, Hawkins, Alexander, Anderson, Bryant, Campsen, Cleary, Courson, Drummond, Elliott, Fair, Ford, Gregory, Grooms, Hayes, Hutto, Jackson, Knotts, Land, Leatherman, Leventis, Malloy, Martin, Matthews, McConnell, McGill, Mescher, Moore, O'Dell, Patterson, Peeler, Pinckney, Rankin, Reese, Richardson, Ritchie, Ryberg, Scott, Setzler, Short, J. Verne Smith, Thomas, Verdin and Williams

S. Printed 4/27/06--S.    [SEC 4/28/06 2:54 PM]

Read the first time March 29, 2006.

TO AMEND ARTICLE 7, CHAPTER 17, TITLE 16 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO MISCELLANEOUS CRIMES AGAINST PUBLIC POLICY, BY ADDING SECTION 16-17-525 TO MAKE IT UNLAWFUL FOR A PERSON TO WILFULLY OR MALICIOUSLY DISTURB OR INTERRUPT A FUNERAL SERVICE.

Amend Title To Conform

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

SECTION    1.    Chapter 17, Title 16 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 16-17-525.    (A)    It is unlawful for a person to wilfully, knowingly, or maliciously disturb or interrupt a funeral service.

(B)    This section applies to a willful, knowing, or malicious disturbance or interruption within:

(1)    one thousand feet of the funeral service; and

(2)    a time period of one-half hour before the funeral service until one-half hour after the funeral service.

(C)    A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days.

(D)    For purposes of this section, 'funeral service' means any ceremony, procession, or memorial held in connection with the memorialization, burial, cremation, or other disposition of a deceased person's body.

(E)    It is unlawful for a person to undertake an activity at a public or privately owned cemetery, other than the decorous participation in a funeral service or visitation of a burial space, without the prior written approval of the public or private owner. A person who violates this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days."

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