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2025-2026 Bill 5005: Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated nature, certain victims - South Carolina Legislature Online
South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 5005
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Rep. White
Companion/Similar bill(s): 4336
Document Path: LC-0214AHB26.docx
Introduced in the House on January 22, 2026
Currently residing in the House Committee on
Judiciary
Summary: Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated nature, certain victims
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date
Body
Action Description with journal page number
1/22/2026
House
Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 27
)
1/22/2026
House
Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
House Journal-page 27
)
View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
01/22/2026
A bill
TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING
SECTION
16-3-600
, RELATING TO ASSAULT AND BATTERY OFFENSES, SO AS TO PROVIDE
THAT ASSAULT AND BATTERY OF A HIGH AND AGGRAVATED NATURE OCCURS WHEN A PERSON
THREATENS, INTIMIDATES, HARASSES, STALKS, OR OTHERWISE INJURES A FEDERAL,
STATE, OR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER OR CORRECTIONS OFFICER; A HEALTHCARE
PROFESSIONAL, HEALTHCARE WORKER, OR AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE EMPLOYEE; OR AN
EDUCATIONAL PROFESSIONAL DURING OR BECAUSE OF THE PERSON'S OFFICIAL DUTIES.
B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
16-3-600
(B) of the S.C. Code is amended to
read:
(
B)
(
1) A person commits the offense of
assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature if the person unlawfully
threatens, intimidates, harasses, stalks, or otherwise
injures
another person, and:
(
a)
great bodily injury to another person results; or
(
b)
the act is accomplished by means likely to produce death or great bodily injury
.
; or
(
c) the person threatened, intimidated,
harassed, stalked, or injured is:
(
i) a federal, state, or local law
enforcement officer or corrections officer, including a county or municipal
corrections officer, during or because of the performance of the person's
official duties;
(
ii) a "healthcare professional," "healthcare
worker," or an "emergency response employee" as those terms are defined in
Section
44-29-230
, and the injury occurs during or because of the performance
of the person's official duties; or
(
iii) an educational professional including
a school administrator, principal, counselor, teacher, or other educational
provider who works on school grounds during or because of the performance of
the person's official duties.
(
2)
A person who violates this subsection is guilty of a felony, and, upon
conviction, must be imprisoned for
not less than ten years
and
not more than twenty years.
(
3)
Assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature is a lesser-included
offense of attempted murder, as defined in Section
16-3-29
.
S
ECTION 2. The repeal or amendment by this act
of any law, whether temporary or permanent or civil or criminal, does not affect
pending actions, rights, duties, or liabilities founded thereon, or alter,
discharge, release or extinguish any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred
under the repealed or amended law, unless the repealed or amended provision
shall so expressly provide. After the effective date of this act, all
laws repealed or amended by this act must be taken and treated as remaining in
full force and effect for the purpose of sustaining any pending or vested
right, civil action, special proceeding, criminal prosecution, or appeal
existing as of the effective date of this act, and for the enforcement of
rights, duties, penalties, forfeitures, and liabilities as they stood under the
repealed or amended laws.
S
ECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.
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This web page was last updated on January 22, 2026 at 10:47 AM