South Carolina H 3532: Terrorism

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3532 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 06, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3532

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING ARTICLE 
5 TO CHAPTER 8, TITLE 16 ENTITLED "TERRORISM" SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE OFFENSE 
OF FURTHERING TERRORISM, DEFINE THE ELEMENTS OF THE OFFENSE, AND TO PROVIDE A PENALTY; 
TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF MATERIAL OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF AN ACT OF TERRORISM 
OR CONCEALMENT OF THE ACTIONS OR PLANS OF ANOTHER TO CARRY OUT AN ACT OF 
TERRORISM, DEFINE THE ELEMENTS OF THE OFFENSE, AND TO PROVIDE A PENALTY; AND TO 
PROVIDE FOR THE SEIZURE AND FORFEITURE OF REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY USED IN 
CONNECTION WITH AN OFFENSE CONTAINED IN THE ARTICLE; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 
16-23-710, RELATING TO OFFENSES INVOLVING HANDGUNS, SO AS TO AMEND THE 
DEFINITION OF "TERRORISM."

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 8, Title 16 of the S.C. Code is amended by 
adding:

Article 5

Terrorism

 Section 
16-8-510. (A) As used in this 
section, the term "act of violence" means:

 (1) 
an offense defined as a "violent crime" pursuant to the provisions of Section 
16-1-60; or

 (2) 
any other felony offense provided by law that includes an assault, or use of 
violence or force against another person.

 (B) 
Notwithstanding another provision of law, a person commits the offense of 
furthering terrorism if the person makes significant plans or takes actions 
toward the commission of an act of violence with the intent to commit an act of 
terrorism as defined in Section 16-23-710.

 (C) A 
person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a felony and, 
upon conviction, must be imprisoned for not more than thirty years. A violation 
of this section is considered a separate offense from another underlying 
offense and must be served consecutively to any sentence imposed on an 
underlying offense.

 Section 
16-8-520. (A) A person commits the 
offense of material or financial support of an act of terrorism or concealment 
of the actions or plans of another to carry out an act of terrorism who 
knowingly:

 (1) 
raises, solicits, or collects material support or resources intending that the 
material support or resources be used, in whole or in part, to plan, prepare, 
carry out, or avoid apprehension for committing an act of terrorism pursuant to 
the provisions of this article or Article 7, Chapter 23, against the United 
States or its citizens, this State or its citizens, or a political subdivision 
or any other entity of local government and whose intent is that the material 
support or resources raised, solicited, or collected will be used to further, 
finance, equip, or assist another person in committing an act of terrorism as 
provided herein;

 (2) 
provides material support or resources to a person knowing that the person will 
use that support or resources in whole or in part, to plan, prepare, carry out, 
facilitate, or avoid apprehension for committing an act of terrorism pursuant 
to the provisions of this article or Article 7, Chapter 23, against the United 
States or its citizens, this State or its citizens, or a political subdivision 
or any other instrumentality of this State or of a local unit of government; or

 (3) 
conceals the actions or plans of another person who he knows is engaged in an 
act of terrorism which is prohibited by the provisions of this article or 
Article 7, Chapter 23.

 (B) 
The term "material support or resources" as used in this section includes, but 
is not limited to, financial or monetary assets.

 (C) A 
person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a felony and, 
upon conviction, must be imprisoned for not more than twenty years.

 Section 
16-8-530. All real and personal property of every kind used or intended for 
use in the course of, derived from, or realized through an offense punishable 
pursuant to this article is subject to lawful seizure and forfeiture to the 
State pursuant to the applicable provisions of Section 16-23-770.

SECTION 2. Section 16-23-710(18) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (18) "Terrorism" includes activities 
that:

 (a) 
involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws 
of this State;

 (b) 
appear to be intended to:

 (i) 
intimidate or coerce a civilian population;

 (ii) intimidate or coerce groups 
within the civilian population based on the group's race, religion, color, sex, 
age, national origin, or sexual orientation;

 (ii)(iii) influence the policy of a government by intimidation 
or coercion; or

 (iii)(iv) affect the conduct of a government by mass 
destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and

 (c) 
occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of this Stat