S*0969(Rat #0318, Act #0257 of 2002)  General Bill, By Martin
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 50-11-2210, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH
 CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO UNLAWFUL ABUSE OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA LANDS
 AND IMPROVEMENTS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN ACTIVITIES ARE UNLAWFUL ABUSES
 OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA LANDS AND IMPROVEMENTS; AND TO AMEND SECTION
 50-11-2220, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO ADDITIONAL PENALTIES FOR ABUSING WILDLIFE
 MANAGEMENT AREA LANDS AND IMPROVEMENTS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT IT IS UNLAWFUL
 TO ENTER ONTO WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA LANDS AFTER LOSING THE PRIVILEGE TO
 ENTER WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA LANDS, AND TO PROVIDE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS
 OF THIS SECTION.

   02/05/02  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-17
   02/05/02  Senate Referred to Committee on Fish, Game and Forestry SJ-17
   02/27/02  Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment Fish,
                     Game and Forestry SJ-10
   02/28/02  Senate Amended SJ-45
   02/28/02  Senate Read second time SJ-45
   02/28/02  Senate Ordered to third reading with notice of
                     amendments SJ-45
   03/05/02  Senate Read third time and sent to House SJ-10
   03/06/02  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-7
   03/06/02  House  Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural
                     Resources and Environmental Affairs HJ-7
   05/08/02  House  Committee report: Favorable Agriculture, Natural
                     Resources and Environmental Affairs HJ-6
   05/09/02  House  Read second time HJ-13
   05/09/02  House  Unanimous consent for third reading on next
                     legislative day HJ-14
   05/10/02  House  Read third time and enrolled HJ-3
   05/14/02         Ratified R 318
   05/20/02         Signed By Governor
   06/05/02         Act No. 257
   06/19/02         Effective date 05/20/02
   06/19/02         Copies available

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 50-11-2210, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO UNLAWFUL ABUSE OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA LANDS AND IMPROVEMENTS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN ACTIVITIES ARE UNLAWFUL ABUSES OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA LANDS AND IMPROVEMENTS; AND TO AMEND SECTION 50-11-2220, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO ADDITIONAL PENALTIES FOR ABUSING WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA LANDS AND IMPROVEMENTS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT IT IS UNLAWFUL TO ENTER ONTO WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA LANDS AFTER LOSING THE PRIVILEGE TO ENTER WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA LANDS, AND TO PROVIDE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF THIS SECTION.

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

Abuse of wildlife management area land and improvements unlawful; penalties

SECTION 1. Section 50-11-2210 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 181 of 1993, is further amended to read:

"Section 50-11-2210. The abuse, misuse, damage, or destruction of wildlife management area land or improvements on wildlife management area land is unlawful. A person who abuses, misuses, damages, or destroys wildlife management area land or improvements on them including, but not limited to, roads, vegetation, buildings, structures, or fences or leaves refuse, trash, or other debris on the property or sets, makes, or builds a fire except in an area specially designated by the landowner, operates a motor conveyance in an area or on a road closed to operation, conducts target practice except in a designated target practice area, camps in an area not designated as a campsite, disregards a safety or restrictive posting by the landowner, or who otherwise abuses, damages, destroys, or misuses a wildlife management area is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined two hundred dollars and be required to make restitution to the landowner in an amount determined by the court to be necessary to repair, rebuild, clean up, or restore the property to its condition before the abuse occurred. A person failing to make restitution within the time limit set by the court must serve a mandatory ten-day sentence in the county jail which may not be suspended in whole or in part. The provisions of this section are in addition to other criminal penalties."

Additional penalties for abuse of wildlife management area land; loss of privilege to enter wildlife management areas

SECTION 2. Section 50-11-2220 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 181 of 1993, is further amended to read:

"Section 50-11-2220. A person convicted of violating Section 50-11-2210 twice within a three-year period, in addition to the penalties incurred for violating Section 50-11-2210, must lose the privilege of entering onto wildlife management area land for one year. A person who enters a wildlife management area after losing the privilege to enter wildlife management areas is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than two hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days and must have the privilege to hunt or fish suspended for one year. The provisions of this section are in addition to other criminal penalties."

Time effective

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

Ratified the 14th day of May, 2002.

Approved the 20th day of May, 2002.