South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 5181


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A bill

 

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16-3-5, RELATING TO THE PROHIBITION AGAINST PROSECUTING PERSONS FOR HOMICIDE who cause injuries which result in death three or more years later, SO AS TO EXTEND THE INTERVENING TIME PERIOD BETWEEN INJURY AND DEATH TO TEN or more YEARS.

 

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 and no more than ten years pass between the injury and the death of the victim.

    (B) 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.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on February 12, 2026 at 11:50 AM