Constitutional Carry

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "SOUTH CAROLINA CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY/SECOND AMENDMENT PRESERVATION ACT OF 2024" BY AMENDING SECTION 10-11-320, RELATING TO CARRYING OR DISCHARGING FIREARMS AND EXCEPTIONS FOR CONCEALABLE WEAPONS PERMIT HOLDERS, SO AS TO DELETE A PROVISION THAT MAKES THIS SECTION INAPPLICABLE TO PERSONS WHO POSSESS CONCEALABLE WEAPONS PERMITS AND TO PROVIDE THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO PERSONS WHO POSSESS FIREARMS; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-23-20, RELATING TO UNLAWFUL CARRYING OF HANDGUNS, SO AS TO REVISE THE PLACES WHERE AND CIRCUMSTANCES UPON WHICH HANDGUNS AND FIREARMS MAY BE CARRIED, AND PERSONS WHO MAY CARRY HANDGUNS AND FIREARMS; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-23-50, RELATING TO CERTAIN PENALTIES, DISPOSITION OF FINES, AND FORFEITURE AND DISPOSITION OF HANDGUNS, SO AS TO PROVIDE GRADUATED PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF THIS SECTION; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-23-55, RELATING TO PROCEDURES FOR RETURNING FOUND HANDGUNS, SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISION RELATING TO FILING APPLICATIONS TO OBTAIN FOUND HANDGUNS, AND PROVIDE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ALLOW LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO MAINTAIN POSSESSION OR DISPOSE OF FOUND HANDGUNS; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-23-420, RELATING TO POSSESSION OF FIREARMS ON SCHOOL PROPERTY, SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISION THAT EXEMPTS PERSONS WHO POSSESS CONCEALED WEAPON PERMITS FROM THIS PROVISION, AND TO DELETE THE TERM "WEAPON" AND REPLACE IT WITH THE TERM "FIREARM"; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-23-430, RELATING TO CARRYING WEAPONS ON SCHOOL PROPERTY, SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISION THAT EXEMPTS PERSONS WHO POSSESS CONCEALED WEAPON PERMITS FROM THIS PROVISION; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-23-465, RELATING TO THE ADDITIONAL PENALTIES FOR UNLAWFULLY CARRYING PISTOLS OR FIREARMS ONTO PREMISES OF BUSINESSES SELLING ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR, BEER, OR WINE FOR ON-PREMISES CONSUMPTION, SO AS TO PROVIDE THIS PROVISION DOES NOT APPLY TO CERTAIN OFFENSES THAT PROHIBIT PERSONS FROM CARRYING CERTAIN DEADLY WEAPONS, TO PROVIDE THIS PROVISION APPLIES TO PERSONS WHO KNOWINGLY CARRY CERTAIN FIREARMS, TO DELETE THE PROVISION THAT EXEMPTS PERSONS WHO POSSESS CONCEALED WEAPON PERMITS FROM THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION, AND TO PROVIDE PERSONS LAWFULLY CARRYING FIREARMS WHO DO NOT CONSUME ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE EXEMPT FROM THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION; BY AMENDING SECTION 23-31-215, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF CONCEALED WEAPON PERMITS, SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISIONS REQUIRING PERMIT HOLDERS TO CARRY PERMITS WHILE CARRYING WEAPONS AND IDENTIFYING THEMSELVES AS PERMIT HOLDERS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, TO PROVIDE PERSONS MUST REPORT THE LOSS OR THEFT OF A FIREARM TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, TO REVISE THE REQUIREMENTS TO REPORT THE LOSSES OF PERMITS TO SLED, TO REVISE THE PREMISES UPON WHICH PERMIT HOLDERS MUST NOT CARRY WEAPONS, TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PENALTIES FOR CERTAIN VIOLATIONS, TO REVISE THE PROVISION THAT PROVIDES EXEMPTIONS TO CARRYING PERMITS, TO DELETE THE PROVISION RELATING TO PENALTIES FOR CARRYING EXPIRED PERMITS, TO PROVIDE SLED SHALL OFFER A CONCEALED WEAPON PERMIT TRAINING COURSE, AND TO PROVIDE PERSONS AT LEAST EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD MAY OBTAIN PERMITS; BY AMENDING SECTION 23-31-220, RELATING TO THE RIGHT TO ALLOW OR PERMIT CONCEALED WEAPONS UPON PREMISES AND THE POSTING OF SIGNS PROHIBITING THE CARRYING OF WEAPONS, SO AS TO MAKE TECHNICAL CHANGES, THAT PERSONS MUST KNOWINGLY VIOLATE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION TO BE CHARGED WITH A VIOLATION, AND TO PROVIDE THIS SECTION DOES NOT LIMIT PERSONS FROM CARRYING CERTAIN WEAPONS IN STATE PARKS; BY AMENDING SECTION 23-31-232, RELATING TO CARRYING CONCEALABLE WEAPONS ON PREMISES OF CERTAIN SCHOOLS LEASED BY CHURCHES, SO AS TO PROVIDE APPROPRIATE CHURCH OFFICIALS OR GOVERNING BODIES MAY ALLOW ANY PERSON TO CARRY A CONCEALABLE WEAPON ON THE LEASED PREMISES; BY AMENDING SECTION 23-31-235, RELATING TO CONCEALABLE WEAPON SIGN REQUIREMENTS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THE SIGNS MUST BE POSTED AT LOCATIONS WHERE THE CARRYING OF CONCEALABLE WEAPONS IS PROHIBITED; BY AMENDING SECTION 23-31-600, RELATING TO RETIRED PERSONNEL, IDENTIFICATION CARDS, AND QUALIFICATIONS FOR CARRYING CONCEALED WEAPONS, SO AS TO MAKE A TECHNICAL CHANGE; BY AMENDING SECTION 51-3-145, RELATING TO UNLAWFUL ACTS COMMITTED AT STATE PARKS, SO AS TO PROVIDE PERSONS MAY POSSESS OR CARRY CONCEALABLE WEAPONS IN STATE PARKS; BY REPEALING SECTIONS 16-23-460, 23-31-225, AND 23-31-230 RELATING TO THE CARRYING OF WEAPONS BY INDIVIDUALS ON THEIR PERSON, INTO RESIDENCES OR DWELLINGS, OR BETWEEN A MOTOR VEHICLE AND A RENTED ACCOMMODATION; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-23-500, RELATING TO UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF FIREARMS BY PERSONS CONVICTED OF VIOLENT OFFENSES, THE CONFISCATION OF CERTAIN WEAPONS, AND THE RETURN OF FIREARMS TO INNOCENT OWNERS, SO AS TO REVISE THE LIST OF CRIMES SUBJECT TO THIS PROVISION AND THE PENALTIES ASSOCIATED WITH VIOLATIONS, AND TO DEFINE THE TERM "CRIME PUNISHABLE BY A MAXIMUM TERM OF IMPRISONMENT OF MORE THAN ONE YEAR"; BY AMENDING SECTION 22-5-910, RELATING TO THE EXPUNGEMENT OF CRIMINAL RECORDS, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE EXPUNGEMENT OF CRIMINAL RECORDS FOR CERTAIN UNLAWFUL POSSESSIONS OF FIREARMS OR WEAPONS OFFENSES, AND TO MAKE A TECHNICAL CHANGE; BY AMENDING SECTION 23-31-240, RELATING TO PERSONS ALLOWED TO CARRY CONCEALABLE WEAPONS ANYWHERE IN THIS STATE, SO AS TO ADD ADDITIONAL PERSONS TO THIS LIST WITH CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS; BY ADDING SECTION 23-31-245 SO AS TO PROVIDE CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS MAY SEARCH, DETAIN, OR ARREST PERSONS OPENLY CARRYING WEAPONS; BY ADDING SECTION 17-1-65 SO AS TO PROVIDE PERSONS MAY APPLY FOR EXPUNGEMENTS OF CONVICTIONS FOR UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF HANDGUNS UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; BY ADDING SECTION 16-23-495 SO AS TO PROVIDE PENALTIES FOR PERSONS CONVICTED OF COMMITTING OR ATTEMPTING TO COMMIT CERTAIN CRIMES INVOLVING CONCEALABLE WEAPONS, TO PROVIDE SLED SHALL DEVELOP AND DISTRIBUTE A DOCUMENT THAT INFORMS GUN PURCHASERS THAT THEY MAY OBTAIN CONCEALED WEAPON PERMITS, CARRY THEIR WEAPONS WITHOUT A PERMIT, AND CERTAIN PENALTIES IMPOSED FOR CRIMES INVOLVING CONCEALABLE WEAPONS, TO PROVIDE SLED MUST INFORM THE PUBLIC THE STATE PROVIDES A PROCESS FOR GUN OWNERS TO OBTAIN CONCEALED WEAPON PERMITS AND ALLOWS GUN OWNERS TO CARRY THEIR WEAPONS WITHOUT PERMITS; AND TO PROVIDE NO PROVISION OF THIS ACT SHOULD BE CONSTRUED TO DISCOURAGE GUN OWNERSHIP OR GUN SAFETY TRAINING, BUT TO ENCOURAGE GUN OWNERS TO RECEIVE GUN SAFETY TRAINING. - RATIFIED TITLE