A bill

 

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING "EGYPT'S LAW" BY AMENDING SECTION 16-3-5, RELATING TO THE PROHIBITION AGAINST PROSECUTING PERSONS FOR HOMICIDE WHO CAUSE INJURIES WHICH RESULT IN DEATH AT LEAST THREE YEARS LATER, SO AS TO REMOVE THIS LIMITATION AND ALLOW PROSECUTION REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT OF TIME BETWEEN INJURY AND DEATH.

 

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

 

SECTION 1.  This act may be cited as "Egypt's Law."

 

SECTION 2.  Section 16-3-5 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 

    Section 16-3-5.  (A) A person who causes inflicts bodily injury which results in the death of the victim is not criminally responsible for the victim's death and must not be prosecuted for a homicide offense if at least three years intervene between the injury and the death of the victim upon another individual, whether through an act of violence, recklessness, or criminal negligence, may be charged with an applicable homicide offense if the injured individual later dies as a result of that injury, regardless of the amount of time that passes between the injury and the death.

    (B) The prosecution is not barred from filing or pursuing homicide charges based on any lapse of time between the infliction of injury and the resulting death of the victim.

    (C) Nothing in this section may be construed to limit the defendant's right to assert a defense regarding causation, intervening factors, or other relevant issues at trial.

 

SECTION 3.  The provisions of Section 16-3-5 apply to all offenses committed on or after the effective date of this act.

 

SECTION 4.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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