Disturbing Religious Worship

2025-2026 Bill 934: Disturbing Religious Worship - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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S. 934
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Leber and Fernandez
Document Path: LC-0225AHB26.docx
Introduced in the Senate on February 18, 2026
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on
Judiciary
Summary: Disturbing Religious Worship
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

2/18/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 6
)

2/18/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
Senate Journal-page 6
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
02/18/2026

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH
CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION
16-17-520
, RELATING TO DISTURBANCES
OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP, SO AS TO FURTHER DEFINE UNLAWFUL CONDUCT FOR PURPOSES OF
THE OFFENSE OF DISTURBING RELIGIOUS WORSHIP, AND TO INCREASE THE PENALTY FOR A
VIOLATION TO A FELONY
.

B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
16-17-520
of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

S
ection
16-17-520
.
(
A)
Any person who shall (a)
It is unlawful for a person to
wilfully and maliciously
:

(
1)
disturb or interrupt any
meeting, society, assembly or congregation convened for the purpose of
religious worship
, (b)
at a
tax-exempt place of worship, regardless of whether the conduct is within the
place at which the assemblage is held or is on the property on which that place
is located and which disturbs the order and solemnity of the assemblage;

(
2)
enter such meeting while in
a state of intoxication or
(c)
use or sell
spirituous liquors
, or
;

(
3)
use blasphemous, profane
,
or obscene language at or near the place of meeting
; or

(
4) disturb or interfere with a
virtual meeting or gathering, by interactive video conference or
teleconference, of people for religious worship through the use of a computer,
computer system, telecommunications device, or other electronic device or
system, or in any other manner.

(
B)

shall
be
A person who violates the provisions of this
section is
guilty of a
misdemeanor
felony
and
shall
,
on
upon
conviction,
must
be sentenced to
pay
a
fine of not less than twenty nor more than one hundred dollars, or be
imprisoned for a term
of
not
exceeding
one year or less than thirty days, either or both, at the discretion of the
court
more than five years
.

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.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on February 18, 2026 at 1:33 PM