South Carolina General Assembly
120th Session, 2013-2014

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Bill 813

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

COMMITTEE REPORT

May 14, 2014

S. 813

Introduced by Senators Hayes, Peeler, O'Dell, Alexander, McElveen, McGill, Pinckney, Johnson, Williams and Verdin

S. Printed 5/14/14--H.

Read the first time April 10, 2014.

            

THE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

To whom was referred a Bill (S. 813) to amend the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, by adding Section 16-11-625 so as to provide a person who, without legal cause or good excuse, etc., respectfully

REPORT:

That they have duly and carefully considered the same and recommend that the same do pass:

F. GREGRORY DELLENEY, JR. for Committee.

            

A BILL

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 16-11-625 SO AS TO PROVIDE A PERSON WHO, WITHOUT LEGAL CAUSE OR GOOD EXCUSE, ENTERS A PUBLIC LIBRARY AFTER HAVING BEEN WARNED BY AN EMPLOYEE, AGENT, OR REPRESENTATIVE OF THE LIBRARY NOT TO DO SO OR WITHOUT HAVING BEEN WARNED FAILS AND REFUSES, WITHOUT GOOD CAUSE OR GOOD EXCUSE, TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY UPON BEING ORDERED OR REQUESTED TO DO SO IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR TRIABLE IN A MUNICIPAL OR MAGISTRATES COURT, AND TO PROVIDE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION MUST BE CONSTRUED AS IN ADDITION TO, AND NOT AS SUPERSEDING, ANOTHER STATUTE RELATING TO TRESPASS OR UNLAWFUL ENTRY ON LANDS OF ANOTHER.

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

SECTION    1.    Article 7, Chapter 11, Title 16 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 16-11-625.    (A)(1)    A person who enters a public library, without legal cause or good excuse, after having been warned not to do so by the library director, the branch manager, or the acting branch manager of the library in consultation with the library director is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than two hundred dollars or be imprisoned not more than thirty days.

(2)    A copy of the warning provided for by subsection (A)(1) must be given to the person in writing, in the presence of a law enforcement officer, and must state:

(a)    the alleged criminal law violation or the alleged violation of the library's code of conduct promulgated by the library's board of trustees under the authority provided by Section 4-9-37(b);

(b)    the duration of the prohibition to return; and

(c)    the procedure by which the person may appeal the warning to the library board of trustees.

(B)    A person who fails and refuses to leave the library immediately, without good cause or good excuse, upon being ordered or requested to do so by law enforcement, the library director, the branch manager, or the acting branch manager of the library in consultation with the library director is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than two hundred dollars or be imprisoned not more than thirty days. A previous written warning is not required to enforce the provisions of this subsection.

(C)    A violation of the provisions of this section is triable in the appropriate municipal or magistrates court with jurisdiction over the offense. Any law enforcement officer of this State or a subdivision of this State may enforce the provisions of this section within their respective jurisdictions.

(D)    The provisions of this section must be construed as in addition to, and not as superseding, another statute relating to trespass or unlawful entry on lands of another."

SECTION    2.    If any section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this act is for any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such holding shall not affect the constitutionality or validity of the remaining portions of this act, the General Assembly hereby declaring that it would have passed this act, and each and every section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, and word thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more other sections, subsections, paragraphs, subparagraphs, sentences, clauses, phrases, or words hereof may be declared to be unconstitutional, invalid, or otherwise ineffective.

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

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