BIL:182

RTN:260

ACN:224

TYP:General Bill GB

INB:Senate

IND:20010123

PSP:Hawkins

SPO:Hawkins, Ritchie, Reese, Branton

DDN:l:\council\bills\ggs\22786cm01.doc

DPB:20020410

LAD:20020410

GOV:S

DGA:20020501

SUB:Murder, death penalty for; statutory aggravating circumstance when county detention facility officer; Crimes, Execution

HST:

BodyDateAction DescriptionComLeg Involved

______

------20020514Act No. A224

------20020501Signed by Governor

------20020425Ratified R260

Senate20020410Free Conference Committee Report89 SFCC

adopted

House20020326Free Conference Committee Report99 HFCC

adopted

House20020326Free Conference Powers granted,99 HFCCLaw

appointed Reps. to Committee ofWilder

Free ConferenceDelleney

Senate20020320Free Conference Powers granted,89 SFCCGregory

appointed Senators to CommitteeHawkins

of Free ConferenceHutto

House20020206Conference Committee Appointed98 HCCLaw

Wilder

Delleney

Senate20020205Senate insists upon amendment and88 SCCHawkins

Conference Committee appointedHutto

Gregory

House20010607Non-concurrence in Senate amendment

Senate20010607House amendments amended,

returned to House with amendment

House20010530Read third time, returned to Senate

with amendment

House20010529Amended, read second time

House20010523Committee report: Favorable with25 HJ

amendment

House20010307Introduced, read first time,25 HJ

referred to Committee

Senate20010306Read third time, sent to House

Senate20010301Co-Sponsor added by SenatorBranton

Senate20010301Read second time, notice of

general amendments

Senate20010301Committee amendment adopted

Senate20010228Committee report: Favorable with11 SJ

amendment

Senate20010123Introduced, read first time,11 SJ

referred to Committee

Versions of This Bill

Revised on 20010228

Revised on 20010301

Revised on 20010523

Revised on 20010529

Revised on 20010607

Revised on 20020410

TXT:

(A224, R260, S182)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 16320, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE SENTENCING PROCEEDING TO DETERMINE WHETHER A PERSON CONVICTED OF MURDER SHOULD BE SENTENCED TO DEATH, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE MURDER OF A FORMER FEDERAL, STATE, OR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, OR CERTAIN CURRENT OR FORMER CORRECTIONS OFFICERS IS A STATUTORY AGGRAVATING CIRCUMSTANCE, TO SUBSTITUTE THE TERM “CORRECTIONS OFFICER” FOR THE TERM “CORRECTIONS EMPLOYEE”; TO AMEND SECTION 1611110, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO ARSON, SO AS TO MAKE A TECHNICAL CHANGE, AND TO PROVIDE A DEFINITION FOR THE TERM “DAMAGE”; TO AMEND SECTION 408020, RELATING TO THE REQUIREMENT THAT A PROSPECTIVE FIREFIGHTER MUST UNDERGO A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK BEFORE HE MAY BE EMPLOYED AS A FIREFIGHTER, SO AS TO REVISE THE CONDITIONS UPON WHICH A FIREFIGHTER OR PROSPECTIVE FIREFIGHTER MUST UNDERGO A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK AND MAY NOT PERFORM FIREFIGHTING DUTIES; AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION IS NOT REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT CERTAIN PROVISIONS PERTAINING TO THE COMPULSORY PROCESS FOR OBTAINING WITNESSES UNTIL THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FUNDS THE PROGRAM.

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

Sentencing procedure for a murderer

SECTION1.Section 16320(C)(a)(7) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

“(7)The murder of a federal, state, or local law enforcement officer or former federal, state, or local law enforcement officer, peace officer or former peace officer, corrections officer or former corrections officer, including a county or municipal corrections officer or a former county or municipal corrections officer, a county or municipal detention facility employee or former county or municipal detention facility employee, or fireman or former fireman during or because of the performance of his official duties.”

Arson

SECTION2.Section 1611110 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 113 of 1997, is further amended to read:

“Section 1611110.(A)A person who wilfully and maliciously causes an explosion, sets fire to, burns, or causes to be burned or aids, counsels, or procures a burning that results in damage to a building, structure, or any property specified in subsections (B) and (C) whether the property of himself or another, which results, either directly or indirectly, in death or serious bodily injury to a person is guilty of arson in the first degree and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned not less than ten nor more than thirty years.

(B)A person who wilfully and maliciously causes an explosion, sets fire to, burns, or causes to be burned or aids, counsels, or procures the burning that results in damage to a dwelling house, church or place of worship, a public or private school facility, a manufacturing plant or warehouse, a building where business is conducted, an institutional facility, or any structure designed for human occupancy to include local and municipal buildings, whether the property of himself or another, is guilty of arson in the second degree and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned not less than five nor more than twentyfive years.

(C)A person who wilfully and maliciously:

(1)causes an explosion, sets fire to, burns, or causes a burning which results in damage to a building or structure other than those specified in subsection (A) or (B), a railway car, a ship, boat, or other watercraft, an aircraft, an automobile or other motor vehicle, or personal property; or

(2)aids, counsels, or procures a burning that results in damage to a building or structure other than those specified in subsection (A) or (B), a railway car, a ship, boat, or other watercraft, an aircraft, an automobile or other motor vehicle, or personal property with intent to destroy or damage by explosion or fire; whether the property of himself or another, is guilty of arson in the third degree and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned not less than one and not more than ten years.

(D)For purposes of this section, ‘damage’ means an application of fire or explosive that results in burning, charring, blistering, scorching, smoking, singeing, discoloring, or changing the fiber or composition of a building, structure, or any property specified in this section.”

Firefighter criminal background check

SECTION3.Section 408020 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 60 of 2001, is amended read:

“Section 408020.(A)(1)Prior to employment of any firefighter, paid or volunteer, the fire chief or other employer must ensure that each prospective firefighter undergoes a criminal records check conducted by a law enforcement agency.

(2)The cost of the criminal records check must not exceed eight dollars.

(3)A criminal records check is not required for a firefighter employed as of June 30, 2001, if the firefighter is employed with the same fire department that he was employed with on June 30, 2001. Upon separation from the fire department that he was employed with on June 30, 2001, a firefighter must comply with the provisions of Section 408040.

(B)(1)After June 30, 2001, a person must not perform firefighting duties in South Carolina if the person has been convicted of, or pled guilty or nolo contendere to:

(a)a felony;

(b)arson or any other offense provided in Article 3, Chapter 11, Title 16; or

(c)an offense involving a controlled substance as provided for in Chapter 53, Title 44.

(2)The prohibition in item (1) of this subsection applies for a period of ten years after the conviction or plea of guilty or nolo contendere.

After the expiration of the tenyear period, it is within a fire chief’s or other employer’s discretion to determine whether or not to allow a person with a criminal record to perform firefighting duties.”

Compulsory process for obtaining witnesses

SECTION4.Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the State Law Enforcement Division is not required to implement those provisions of Section 5652934 as contained in Section 9 of Act 390 of 2000 pertaining to the compulsory process for obtaining witnesses until such time that the General Assembly provides funding for the program. The State Law Enforcement Division must reassess the costs necessary to implement this program and present information regarding the costs to the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee during each committee’s budget hearings for fiscal year 20032004.

Time effective

SECTION5.This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor and applies to offenses committed on or after the effective date.

Ratified the 25th day of April, 2002.

Approved the 1st day of May, 2002.

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