South Carolina H 3535: Helping Alleviate Lawful Obstruction (HALO) Act

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3535 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 06, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3535

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 ENACTING THE 
"HELPING ALLEVIATE LAWFUL OBSTRUCTION (HALO) ACT"; AND BY ADDING SECTION 
16-3-1092 SO AS TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF IMPEDING, INTERFERING, THREATENING, OR 
HARASSING A FIRST RESPONDER ENGAGED IN THE LAWFUL PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUTIES, 
AND TO PROVIDE A PENALTY.

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

SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "Helping Alleviate Lawful Obstruction 
(HALO) Act."

SECTION 2. Article 11, Chapter 3, Title 16 of the S.C. Code is 
amended by adding:

 Section 
16-3-1092. (A) As used in this 
section, the term:

 (1) 
"First responder" includes a law enforcement officer, a firefighter, and an 
emergency medical care provider.

 (2) 
"Harass" means to wilfully engage in a course of conduct directed at a first 
responder which intentionally causes substantial emotional distress in that 
first responder and serves no legitimate purpose.

 (B) 
It is unlawful for a person, after receiving a verbal warning not to approach 
from a person he knows or reasonably should know is a first responder who is 
engaged in the lawful performance of a legal duty, to knowingly and wilfully 
violate the warning and approach or remain within twenty-five feet of the first 
responder with the intent to:

 (1) 
impede or interfere with the first responder's ability to perform his duty;

 (2) 
threaten the first responder with physical harm; or

 (3) 
harass the first responder.

 (C) A 
person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor 
and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five hundred dollars and imprisoned 
not more than sixty days.

SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

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