H 3777 General Bill, By Ceips, Loftis, Breeland, Scott, Whipper, Hosey, Vaughn, 
Anthony, Battle, Chalk, Clyburn, Dantzler, Hardwick, Harvin, Herbkersman, 
J. Hines, Howard, Jefferson, Kirsh, Lee, Martin, McCraw, Miller, Moody-Lawrence, 
J.H. Neal, Perry, M.A. Pitts, Rivers, Scarborough, Simrill, Toole, Umphlett, 
Mahaffey and Bailey
 A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION
 16-17-605 SO AS TO DEFINE THE TERMS "GEOCACHE", "GEOCACHING", AND
 "LETTERBOXING", TO PROVIDE THAT IT IS UNLAWFUL TO ENGAGE IN GEOCACHING OR
 LETTERBOXING IN CEMETERIES, ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES, OR ON THE HISTORIC PROPERTIES
 OF THE STATE, AND TO PROVIDE A PENALTY.

   03/15/05  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-157
   03/15/05  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-157
   04/13/05  House  Member(s) request name removed as sponsor: Bowers
   04/19/05  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Judiciary HJ-64
   04/26/05  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Mahaffey
   04/26/05  House  Requests for debate-Rep(s). Lucas, Weeks, Ott,
                     Thompson, Rutherford, Hosey, Scarborough,
                     Pinson, Ceips, Scott, Merrill, Hinson, and
                     Limehouse HJ-123
   04/27/05  House  Requests for debate removed-Rep(s). Thompson,
                     Limehouse, Scarborough, Lucas, Hosey, Pinson,
                     Hinson, Ott, Merrill, and Ceips HJ-101
   04/27/05  House  Requests for debate removed-Rep(s). Scott HJ-102
   04/27/05  House  Amended HJ-163
   04/27/05  House  Requests for debate-Rep(s). Talley, Lucas, Rice,
                     Funderburk, Hinson, Scott, Ceips, Hosey,
                     Clemmons, J Brown, Scarborough,  Stewart, and
                     Hardwick HJ-164
   05/11/05  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bailey
   05/11/05  House  Amended HJ-87
   05/11/05  House  Read second time HJ-95
   05/11/05  House  Roll call Yeas-75  Nays-29 HJ-95
   05/12/05  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-47
   05/12/05  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-12
   05/12/05  Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-12
   05/12/05         Scrivener's error corrected

AMENDED

May 11, 2005

H. 3777

Introduced by Reps. Ceips, Loftis, Breeland, Scott, Whipper, Hosey, Vaughn, Anthony, Battle, Chalk, Clyburn, Dantzler, Hardwick, Harvin, Herbkersman, J. Hines, Howard, Jefferson, Kirsh, Lee, Martin, McCraw, Miller, Moody-Lawrence, J.H. Neal, Perry, M.A. Pitts, Rivers, Scarborough, Simrill, Toole, Umphlett, Mahaffey and Bailey

S. Printed 5/11/05--H.    [SEC 5/12/05 2:20 PM]

Read the first time March 15, 2005.

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 16-17-605 SO AS TO DEFINE THE TERMS "GEOCACHE", "GEOCACHING", AND "LETTERBOXING", TO PROVIDE THAT IT IS UNLAWFUL TO ENGAGE IN GEOCACHING OR LETTERBOXING IN CEMETERIES, ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES, OR ON THE HISTORIC PROPERTIES OF THE STATE, AND TO PROVIDE A PENALTY.

Amend Title To Conform

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

SECTION    1.    Article 7, Chapter 17, Title 16 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 16-17-605.    (A)    For the purposes of this section:

(1)    'Geocache' means the container that serves the purpose of providing a place to store small items or logbooks which are intentionally placed by their owners.

(2)    'Geocaching' means the activity of participants using a global positioning system (GPS) device to locate the geocache or another specific location that contains information on the geocache.

(3)    'Letterboxing' means an activity similar to geocaching in which the participant takes directions and uses those directions to find a hidden object. The directions normally are in the form of a riddle, and the hidden object is a stamp that the participant uses to stamp a piece of paper to prove he has visited the site.

(B)    It is unlawful for a person to engage in the activity of geocaching or letterboxing in a cemetery or in an historic or archeological site or property publicly identified by an historical marker without the express written consent of the owner or entity which oversees that cemetery site or property.

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

(D)    Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (C), the judge, in his discretion, may order a person convicted of a violation of this section to perform up to one hundred hours of community service.

(E)    The provisions of this section do not preclude a person from being charged with a violation of Section 16-17-600 in addition to a violation of this section."

SECTION    2.    The repeal or amendment by this act of any law, whether temporary or permanent or civil or criminal, does not affect pending actions, rights, duties, or liabilities founded thereon, or alter, discharge, release or extinguish any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred under the repealed or amended law, unless the repealed or amended provision shall so expressly provide. After the effective date of this act, all laws repealed or amended by this act must be taken and treated as remaining in full force and effect for the purpose of sustaining any pending or vested right, civil action, special proceeding, criminal prosecution, or appeal existing as of the effective date of this act, and for the enforcement of rights, duties, penalties, forfeitures, and liabilities as they stood under the repealed or amended laws.

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