H 3162 General Bill, By Duncan, M.A. Pitts, E.H. Pitts, Taylor, Anthony, 
W.D. Smith, J.M. Neal, Pinson, Hayes, Jennings, McGee, G.R. Smith, Wilkins, 
Vaughn, Young, Kirsh, Bailey, Battle, Witherspoon, Ballentine, Hinson, Mahaffey, 
Toole and Clark
 A BILL TO ENACT THE "SOUTH CAROLINA SPORTS OFFICIALS AND COACHES PROTECTION
 ACT" BY ADDING SECTION 16-3-611 TO THE 1976 CODE SO AS TO MAKE IT UNLAWFUL TO
 COMMIT AN ASSAULT AND BATTERY UPON A SPORTS OFFICIAL OR COACH DURING AND AFTER
 AN ATHLETIC CONTEST AND TO PROVIDE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS INCLUDING ENHANCED
 PENALTIES WHEN A WEAPON IS USED IN THE COMMISSION OF THE CRIME OF ASSAULT AND
 BATTERY UPON A SPORTS OFFICIAL OR COACH.

   12/15/04  House  Prefiled
   12/15/04  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary
   01/11/05  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-106
   01/11/05  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-106
   05/18/05  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Judiciary HJ-143
   05/19/05  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Clark
   05/24/05  House  Amended HJ-40
   05/24/05  House  Read second time HJ-42
   05/25/05  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-28
   05/25/05  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-20
   05/25/05  Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-20
   06/07/05  Senate Referred to Subcommittee: Hutto (ch), Jackson,
                     Knotts, Bryant

AMENDED

May 24, 2005

H. 3162

Introduced by Reps. Duncan, M.A. Pitts, E.H. Pitts, Taylor, Anthony, W.D. Smith, J.M. Neal, Pinson, Hayes, Jennings, McGee, G.R. Smith, Wilkins, Vaughn, Young, Kirsh, Bailey, Battle, Witherspoon, Ballentine, Hinson, Mahaffey, Toole and Clark

S. Printed 5/24/05--H.

Read the first time January 11, 2005.

TO ENACT THE "SOUTH CAROLINA SPORTS OFFICIALS AND COACHES PROTECTION ACT" BY ADDING SECTION 16-3-611 TO THE 1976 CODE SO AS TO MAKE IT UNLAWFUL TO COMMIT AN ASSAULT AND BATTERY UPON A SPORTS OFFICIAL OR COACH DURING AND AFTER AN ATHLETIC CONTEST AND TO PROVIDE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS INCLUDING ENHANCED PENALTIES WHEN A WEAPON IS USED IN THE COMMISSION OF THE CRIME OF ASSAULT AND BATTERY UPON A SPORTS OFFICIAL OR COACH.

Amend Title To Conform

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

SECTION    1.    This act is known as and may be cited as the "South Carolina Sports Officials and Coaches Protection Act".

SECTION    2.    Chapter 3 of Title 16 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 16-3-611.    (A)    A person commits the crime of assault and battery upon a sports official or coach when, in committing an assault and battery, he knows the individual assaulted to be a sports official or coach at any level of competition and the act causing the assault and battery to the sports official or coach occurred within an athletic facility or an indoor or outdoor playing field or within the immediate vicinity of the athletic facility or an indoor or outdoor playing field at which the sports official or coach was an active participant in the athletic contests held at the athletic facility. For the purposes of this subsection, 'sports official' means a person at an athletic contest who enforces the rules of the contest, such as an umpire or referee, and 'coach' means a person recognized as a coach by the sanctioning authority that conducted the athletic contest.

(B)    The provisions of this section apply during the athletic contest and for a period of two hours following the conclusion of the athletic contest.

(C)(1)    A person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, for a first offense when a weapon is not used must be punished by a term of imprisonment for not more than one year or by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, or both.

(2)    A person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, for a second or subsequent offense when a weapon is not used must be punished by a term of imprisonment for not more than five years or by a fine not exceeding seven thousand five hundred dollars, or both."

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