South Carolina S 702: Nina Lee Jefferson

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 702 Text of Previous Version (Jan. 14, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 702

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 AMENDING 
SECTION 16-25-10, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS PERTAINING TO A "DATING RELATIONSHIP" 
AND "COERCIVE CONTROL", SO AS TO INCLUDE PERSONS WHO ARE PRESENTLY IN OR HAVE 
FORMERLY BEEN IN A DATING RELATIONSHIP IN THE DEFINITION OF "HOUSEHOLD MEMBER" 
AND TO ADD THE DEFINITIONS OF DATING RELATIONSHIP AND COERCIVE CONTROL; BY 
AMENDING SECTION 16-25-20, RELATING TO PROHIBITED ACTS, SO AS TO MAKE IT 
UNLAWFUL FOR A PERSON TO ENGAGE IN COERCIVE CONTROL OVER A PERSON'S OWN 
HOUSEHOLD; BY AMENDING SECTION 20-3-10, RELATING TO GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE, SO AS 
TO INCLUDE CRIMINAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST A SPOUSE, STALKING, AND 
HARASSMENT AS GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE; BY AMENDING SECTION 20-4-20, RELATING TO 
DEFINITIONS PERTAINING TO ABUSE, SO AS TO INCLUDE HARASSMENT, STALKING, AND 
COERCIVE CONTROL INTO THE DEFINITIONS OF "ABUSE" AND TO FURTHER PROVIDE THAT A 
HOUSEHOLD MEMBER INCLUDES PERSONS WHO ARE PRESENTLY IN OR HAVE FORMERLY BEEN IN 
A DATING RELATIONSHIP; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 63-15-240, RELATING TO THE 
CONTENTS OF ORDER FOR CUSTODY AFFECTING RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARENTS 
AND THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILD, SO AS TO INCLUDE THE STATUTORY REFERENCE 
TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ADD STALKING AND HARASSMENT AS ACTIVITY FOR A COURT TO 
CONSIDER WHEN DETERMINING WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF A CHILD.

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

SECTION 1. Section 16-25-10 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
16-25-10. As used in this article, the term:

 (1) 
"Deadly weapon" means any pistol, dirk, slingshot, metal knuckles, razor, or 
other instrument which can be used to inflict deadly force.

 (2) 
"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.

 (3) 
"Household member" means:

 (a) 
a spouse;

 (b) 
a former spouse;

 (c) 
persons who have a child in common; or

 (d) 
a male and femalepersons 
who are cohabiting or formerly have cohabited.; or

 (e) persons who are presently in or 
have formerly been in a dating relationship.

 (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) 
"Prior conviction of domestic violence" includes conviction of any crime, in 
any state, containing among its elements those enumerated in, or substantially 
similar to those enumerated in, Section 16-25-20(A) that is committed against a 
household member as defined in item (3) within the ten years prior to the 
incident date of the current offense.

 (6) 
"Protection order" means any order of protection, restraining order, condition 
of bond, or any other similar order issued in this State or another state or 
foreign jurisdiction for the purpose of protecting a household member.

 (7) 
"Firearm" means a pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun, machine gun, submachine 
gun, or an assault rifle which is designed to fire or is capable of firing 
fixed cartridge ammunition or from which a shot or projectile is discharged by 
an explosive but does not include an antique firearm as defined in 18 U.S.C. 
921(a)(16).

 (8)(a) "Dating relationship" means a 
romantic, courtship, or engagement relationship between two individuals that 
need not include sexual involvement. In addition to any other factors the court 
deems relevant, the court may consider the following factors when determining 
whether a relationship exists or existed:

 (i) length of the relationship;

 (ii) the nature or type of the 
relationship;

 (iii) the frequency of interaction 
between the two individuals involved in the relationship; and

 (iv) the time since termination of the 
relationship, if applicable.

 (b) A "dating relationship" does not include 
a casual relationship or ordinary fraternization between two individuals in a 
business or social context.

 (9) "Coercive Control" means a pattern 
of behavior that in purpose or effect unreasonably interferes with a person's 
free will and personal liberty. "Coercive control" includes a pattern of 
behavio