South Carolina General Assembly
121st Session, 2015-2016

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S. 986

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Shealy, L. Martin, Campsen, Turner, Young, McElveen, M.B. Matthews and Williams
Document Path: l:\s-jud\bills\shealy\jud0076.rem.docx
Companion/Similar bill(s): 4831

Introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2016
Introduced in the House on April 28, 2016
Last Amended on April 26, 2016
Currently residing in the House Committee on Judiciary

Summary: Prostitution

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1/13/2016  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 54)
   1/13/2016  Senate  Referred to Committee on Judiciary 
                        (Senate Journal-page 54)
   2/11/2016  Senate  Referred to Subcommittee: Hutto (ch), Bright, Thurmond
   3/23/2016  Senate  Committee report: Majority favorable with amend., 
                        minority unfavorable Judiciary (Senate Journal-page 10)
   3/24/2016          Scrivener's error corrected
   4/26/2016  Senate  Minority report removed (Senate Journal-page 26)
   4/26/2016  Senate  Committee Amendment Tabled (Senate Journal-page 26)
   4/26/2016  Senate  Amended (Senate Journal-page 26)
   4/26/2016  Senate  Read second time (Senate Journal-page 26)
   4/26/2016  Senate  Roll call Ayes-44  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 26)
   4/27/2016  Senate  Read third time and sent to House 
                        (Senate Journal-page 35)
   4/28/2016  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 12)
   4/28/2016  House   Referred to Committee on Judiciary 
                        (House Journal-page 12)

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

1/13/2016
3/23/2016
3/24/2016
4/26/2016

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

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

AMENDED

April 26, 2016

S. 986

Introduced by Senators Shealy, L. Martin, Campsen, Turner, Young, McElveen, M.B. Matthews and Williams

S. Printed 4/26/16--S.

Read the first time January 13, 2016.

            

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTIONS 16-15-90 AND 16-15-100 SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS, 1976, RELATING TO PROSTITUTION, TO INCREASE THE PENALTIES FOR SOLICITATION OF PROSTITUTION, ESTABLISHING OR KEEPING A BROTHEL OR HOUSE OF PROSTITUTION, OR CAUSING OR INDUCING ANOTHER TO PARTICIPATE IN PROSTITUTION; TO ESTABLISH THE AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE OF BEING A VICTIM OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING; AND TO FURTHER INCREASE THE PENALTIES FOR SOLICITING, CAUSING, OR INDUCING ANOTHER FOR PROSTITUTION WHERE THE PROSTITUTE HAS A MENTAL DISABILITY.

Amend Title To Conform

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

SECTION    1.    Section 16-15-90 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 16-15-90.        (A)    It shall be unlawful to:

(1)    Engage engage in prostitution; or

(2)    Aid knowingly aid or abet prostitution knowingly;

(3)    Procure or solicit for the purpose of prostitution;

(4)    Expose indecently the private person for the purpose of prostitution or other indecency;

(5)    Reside in, enter or remain in any place, structure, building, vehicle, trailer or conveyance for the purpose of lewdness, assignation or prostitution;

(6)    Keep or set up a house of ill fame, brothel or bawdyhouse;

(7)    Receive any person for purposes of lewdness, assignation or prostitution into any vehicle, conveyance, trailer, place, structure or building;

(8)    Permit any person to remain for the purpose of lewdness, assignation or prostitution in any vehicle, conveyance, trailer, place, structure or building;

(9)    Direct, take or transport, offer or agree to take or transport or aid or assist in transporting any person to any vehicle, conveyance, trailer, place, structure or building or to any other person with knowledge or having reasonable cause to believe that the purpose of such directing, taking or transporting is prostitution, lewdness or assignation;

(10)    Lease or rent or contract to lease or rent any vehicle, conveyance, trailer, place, structure or building or part thereof believing or having reasonable cause to believe that it is intended to be used for any of the purposes herein prohibited; or

(11)    Aid, abet, or participate knowingly in the doing of any of the acts herein prohibited.

(B)    A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction:

(1)    for a first offense, must be fined not more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both;

(2)    for a second offense, must be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or both;

(3)    for a third or subsequent offense, must be fined not more than three thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

(C)    It is an affirmative defense to a prosecution for a violation of this section that, during the commission of the offense, the defendant was a victim of trafficking in persons as defined by Section 16-3-2010(10)."

SECTION    2.    Section 16-15-100 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 16-15-100.    (A)    It shall further be unlawful to:

(1)    procure or solicit for the purpose of prostitution;

(1)(2)    Procure procure a female person to be an inmate for a house of prostitution;

(2)(3)    Cause cause, induce, persuade, or encourage by promise, threat, violence, or by any scheme or device a female person to become a prostitute or to remain an inmate of a house of prostitution;

(3)(4)    Induce induce, persuade, or encourage a female person to come into or leave this State for the purpose of prostitution or to become an inmate in a house of prostitution;

(4)(5)    Receive receive or give or agree to receive or give any money or thing of value for procuring or attempting to procure any female a person to become a prostitute or an inmate in a house of prostitution;

(5)(6)    Accept accept or receive knowingly any money or other thing of value without consideration from a prostitute; or

(7)    expose indecently the private person for the purpose of prostitution or other indecency;

(8)    reside in, enter, or remain in a place, structure, building, vehicle, trailer, or conveyance for the purpose of lewdness, assignation, or prostitution;

(9)    keep or set up a house of ill fame, brothel, or bawdyhouse;

(10)    receive a person for purposes of lewdness, assignation, or prostitution into a vehicle, conveyance, trailer, place, structure, or building;

(11)    permit a person to remain for the purpose of lewdness, assignation, or prostitution in a vehicle, conveyance, trailer, place, structure, or building;

(12)    direct, take, or transport, offer or agree to take or transport, or aid or assist in transporting a person to a vehicle, conveyance, trailer, place, structure, or building, or to another person with knowledge or having reasonable cause to believe that the purpose of such directing, taking, or transporting is prostitution, lewdness, or assignation;

(13)    lease, rent, or contract to lease or rent a vehicle, conveyance, trailer, place, structure, building, or part thereof believing or having reasonable cause to believe that it is intended to be used for any of the purposes herein prohibited; or

(6)(14)    Aid knowingly aid, abet, or participate knowingly in the doing of any of the acts herein prohibited in this section.

(B)(1)    A person who violates a provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction:

(a)    for a first offense, must be fined not less than two hundred fifty dollars and not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both;

(b)    for a second offense, must be fined not less than five hundred dollars and not more than three thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or both;

(c)    for a third or subsequent offense, must be fined not less than one thousand five hundred dollars and not more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

(2)    A person who violates a provision of this section where the prostitute is severely or profoundly mentally disabled, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than one thousand five hundred dollars and not more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than two years, or both."

SECTION    3.    Section 16-15-110 of the 1976 Code is repealed.

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

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