South Carolina General Assembly
123rd Session, 2019-2020

Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

S. 731

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senator Kimpson
Document Path: l:\s-jud\bills\kimpson\jud0047.rem.docx

Introduced in the Senate on April 2, 2019
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary

Summary: Firearms

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    4/2/2019  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 9)
    4/2/2019  Senate  Referred to Committee on Judiciary 
                        (Senate Journal-page 9)

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

4/2/2019

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

A BILL

TO AMEND CHAPTER 31, TITLE 23 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO FIREARMS, BY ADDING ARTICLE 11, TO REQUIRE THAT NO GUN TRANSFER PRECEDED BY A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK MAY PROCEED, UNLESS THE CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK HAS CONCLUDED THAT THE SALE MAY PROCEED, UNTIL AT LEAST FIVE DAYS HAVE PASSED FROM THE INITIATION OF THE BACKGROUND CHECK, AND TO PROVIDE FOR CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF THIS ARTICLE.

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

SECTION    1.    Chapter 31, Title 23 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"ARTICLE 11

Background Checks for Firearm Sales and Transfers

Section 23-31-1110.    As used in this article:

(1)    'Firearm' means a weapon, including a starter gun, that will, is designed to, or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive, the frame or receiver of such weapon, a firearm muffler or firearm silencer, or a destructive device. The term does not include an antique firearm.

(2)    'Licensed dealer' means the holder of any federal firearms license under 18 U.S.C. Section 923(a).

(3)    'Transfer' means to sell, furnish, give, lend, deliver, or otherwise provide, with or without consideration.

(4)    'Transferee' means a person who receives or intends to receive a firearm in a sale or transfer.

Section 23-31-1120.    For any sale or transfer of a firearm for which a licensed dealer contacts the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to conduct a background check, a licensed gun dealer may not deliver a firearm to any transferee unless the NICS provides the licensed dealer with a unique identification number or five days have elapsed from the date the licensed dealer contacted the NICS and the NICS has not notified the licensed dealer that a sale or transfer to such person would violate state or federal law.

Section 23-31-1130.    A person who violates the provisions of this article is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned not more than three years or fined not more than one thousand dollars, or both."

SECTION    2.    If any provision, word, phrase, or clause of this act or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the provisions, words, phrases, clauses, or applications of this act that can be given effect without the invalid provision, word, phrase, clause, or application, and, to this end, the provisions, words, phrases, and clauses of this act are declared to be severable.

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

----XX----


This web page was last updated on April 5, 2019 at 12:09 PM