South Carolina H 3523: Organized Retail Crime

Bill Text

South Carolina General Assembly

126th Session, 2025-2026



A1, R5, H3523



STATUS INFORMATION



General Bill

Sponsors: Reps. J.E. Johnson, W. Newton, Robbins, C. Mitchell, Pedalino, Taylor, Long, Bailey, Calhoon, Yow, Weeks, Erickson, Bradley, Hager, Whitmire, Hixon, Cromer, Gilreath, Oremus and Hartz

Companion/Similar bill(s): 159

Document Path: LC-0071AHB25.docx



Introduced in the House on January 14, 2025

Introduced in the Senate on February 18, 2025

Last Amended on February 25, 2025


Currently residing in the House

Governor's Action: March 7, 2025, Signed



Summary: Organized Retail Crime





HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS



	Date	Body	Action Description with journal page number	

	12/5/2024	House	Prefiled
 

	12/5/2024	House	Referred to Committee on Judiciary

	1/14/2025	House	Introduced and read first time (House Journal‑page 233)

	1/14/2025	House	Referred to Committee on Judiciary (House Journal‑page 233)

	1/29/2025	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bailey
 

	2/5/2025	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Calhoon
 

	2/6/2025	House	Committee report: Favorable Judiciary (House Journal‑page 6)

	2/12/2025	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Yow, 
 Weeks, Erickson, Bradley, Hager, Whitmire
 

	2/12/2025	House	Debate adjourned until Thur., 2-13-25 (House Journal‑page 41)

	2/13/2025	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hixon, 
 Cromer, Gilreath, Oremus, Hartz
 

	2/13/2025	House	Read second time (House Journal‑page 16)

	2/13/2025	House	Roll call Yeas-101  Nays-0 (House Journal‑page 16)

	2/13/2025	House	Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative day (House Journal‑page 18)

	2/18/2025	Senate	Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal‑page 13)

	2/18/2025	Senate	Referred to Committee on Judiciary (Senate Journal‑page 13)

	2/19/2025	Senate	Recalled from Committee on Judiciary (Senate Journal‑page 4)

	2/19/2025		Scrivener's error corrected
 

	2/25/2025	Senate	Amended (Senate Journal‑page 27)

	2/25/2025	Senate	Read second time (Senate Journal‑page 27)

	2/25/2025	Senate	Roll call Ayes-43  Nays-0 (Senate Journal‑page 27)

	2/26/2025	Senate	Read third time and returned to House with amendments (Senate Journal‑page 21)

	2/27/2025	House	Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled (House Journal‑page 35)

	2/27/2025	House	Roll call Yeas-107  Nays-0 (House Journal‑page 36)

	3/6/2025		Ratified R 5
 

	3/7/2025		Signed By Governor
 

	3/12/2025		Effective date 03/07/25
 

	3/12/2025		Act No. 1
 



View the latest  legislative information  at the website





VERSIONS OF THIS BILL



12/05/2024

02/06/2025

02/19/2025

02/25/2025

02/25/2025-A

































(A1, R5, H3523)



AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16‑13‑135, RELATING TO THE OFFENSE OF RETAIL THEFT AND ASSOCIATED PENALTIES, SO AS TO REVISE NECESSARY DEFINITIONS, TO REVISE THE PREVIOUS OFFENSE OF RETAIL THEFT, TO CREATE THE OFFENSES OF ORGANIZED RETAIL CRIME AND ORGANIZED RETAIL CRIME OF AN AGGRAVATED NATURE, AND TO PROVIDE A GRADUATED PENALTY STRUCTURE.



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



Organized retail crime, and organized retail crime of an aggravated nature



SECTION 1.	Section 16‑13‑135 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:



	Section 16‑13‑135.	(A) As used in this section:

		(1) “Organized retail crime” means two or more people conspiring to commit theft of retail property from a retail establishment with the intent to sell, barter, exchange, or reenter such retail property into commerce for monetary or other gain.

		(2) “Retail property” means an article, merchandise, property, money or negotiable documents including gift cards or other forms of credit, products, commodities, items, or components intended to be sold in retail commerce.

		(3) “Retail property fence” means a person or business that buys retail property knowing or believing that the retail property is stolen.

		(4) “Theft” means to take possession of, carry away, transfer, or cause to be carried away the retail property of another with the intent to deprive the merchant of the possession, use, benefit, and value of the retail property.

		(5) “Value” means the retail value of an item as offered for sale to the public by the affected retail establishment and includes all applicable taxes.

	(B) It is unlawful for a person to:

		(1) commit organized retail crime, with a value exceeding two thousand dollars aggregated over a ninety‑day period, with the intent to cause the retail property to be placed in the control of a retail property fence or other person in exchange for consideration; or

		(2) receive, possess, or sell retail property that has been taken or stolen in violation of item (1) while knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe the property is stolen. A person is guilty of this offense whether or not anyone is convicted of the property theft.

	(C) Acts committed in different counties tha