South Carolina S 346: Assault and battery

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 346 Text of Previous Version (Apr. 30, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 346

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

Committee Amendment Adopted

April 30, 2025

S. 346

Introduced 
by Senators Alexander, Graham and Turner 

S. Printed 4/30/25--S.

Read the first time February 13, 2025

________

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING 
SECTION 16-3-600, RELATING TO ASSAULT AND BATTERY, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A 
PERSON WHO UNLAWFULLY INJURES A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL DURING THE COURSE OF 
HIS DUTIES OR INJURES A PERSON IN A HEALTHCARE FACILITY COMMITS THE OFFENSE OF 
ASSAULT AND BATTERY OF A HIGH AND AGGRAVATED NATURE, AND TO PROVIDE PENALTIES.

 Amend Title To Conform

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 3, Title 16 of the S.C. Code is amended by 
adding:

 Section 16-3-605. (A) For purposes of this section:

 (1) 
"Great bodily injury" means bodily injury which causes a substantial risk of death 
or which causes serious, permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or 
impairment of the function of a bodily member or organ.

 (2) 
"Healthcare facility" has the same meaning as in Section 44-7-130(15) and 
includes a physician's office.

 (3) 
"Healthcare professional" means a physician, a physician's assistant, a 
registered nurse, a licensed practical nurse, an emergency medical service 
provider, a firefighter, an emergency room physician, an emergency room nurse, 
a dentist, or an allied health professional.

 (4) 
"Moderate bodily injury" means physical injury that involves prolonged loss of 
consciousness, or that causes temporary or moderate disfigurement or temporary 
loss of the function of a bodily member or organ, or injury that requires 
medical treatment when the treatment requires the use of regional or general 
anesthesia, or injury that results in a fracture or dislocation. Moderate 
bodily injury does not include one-time treatment and subsequent observation of 
scratches, cuts, abrasions, bruises, burns, splinters, or any other minor 
injuries that do not ordinarily require extensive medical care.

 (5) 
"Private parts" means the genital area or buttocks of a male or female or the 
breasts of a female.

 (B)(1) A person commits the offense of 
assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature against a healthcare 
professional engaged in the performance of his official duties or assault and 
battery of a high and aggravated nature in a healthcare facility, if the person 
unlawfully injures a healthcare professional or unlawfully injures a person in 
a healthcare facility, and:

 (a) 
great bodily injury to the other person results; or

 (b) 
the act is accomplished by means likely to produce death or great bodily 
injury.

 (2) A 
person who violates this subsection is guilty of the felony offense of assault 
and battery of a high and aggravated nature against a healthcare professional 
or the felony offense of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature in 
a healthcare facility and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned for not more 
than thirty years.

 (C)(1) A person commits the offense of 
assault and battery in the first degree against a healthcare professional 
engaged in the performance of his official duties or assault and battery in the 
first degree in a healthcare facility, if the person:

 (a) 
unlawfully injures a healthcare professional or a person in a healthcare 
facility, and the act:

 (i) 
involves nonconsensual touching of the private parts of a person, either under 
or above clothing, with lewd and lascivious intent; or

 (ii) 
occurred during the commission of a robbery, burglary, kidnapping, or theft; or

 (b) 
offers or attempts to injure a healthcare professional or a person in a healthcare 
facility with the present ability to do so, and the act:

 (i) 
is accomplished by means likely to produce death or great bodily injury; or

 (ii) 
occurred during the commission of a robbery, burglary, kidnapping, or theft.

 (2) A 
person who violates this subsection is guilty of the felony offense of assault 
and battery in the first degree against a healthcare professional engaged in 
the performance of his official duties or the felony offense of assault and 
battery in the first degree in a healthcare facility and, upon conviction, must 
be imprisoned for not more than twenty years. Assault and battery in the first 
degree against a healthcare professional or in a healthcare facility are lesser 
included offenses of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature 
against a healthcare professional or in a healthcare facility, as defined in 
subsection (B)(1).

 (D)(1) A person commits the offense of 
assault and battery in the second degree agai