---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 16-3-2010, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS FOR THE ARTICLE ON TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS, SO AS TO DELETE THE DEFINITION OF \"TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS\"; AND TO AMEND SECTION 16-3-2020, RELATING TO THE OFFENSE OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS, PENALTIES, AND DEFENSES, SO AS TO RESTRUCTURE THE OFFENSE AND PROVIDE A PENALTY WHEN THE VICTIM IS A MINOR UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN AND TO FURTHER ENSURE THE PROTECTION OF MINOR VICTIMS, AMONG OTHER THINGS. - ratified title"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 16-3-2010, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS FOR THE ARTICLE ON TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS, SO AS TO DELETE THE DEFINITION OF \"TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS\"; AND TO AMEND SECTION 16-3-2020, RELATING TO THE OFFENSE OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS, PENALTIES, AND DEFENSES, SO AS TO RESTRUCTURE THE OFFENSE AND PROVIDE A PENALTY WHEN THE VICTIM IS A MINOR UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN AND TO FURTHER ENSURE THE PROTECTION OF MINOR VICTIMS, AMONG OTHER THINGS. - ratified title"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2017-2018"
identifier: "H 3329"
citation: "South Carolina H 3329 (2017-2018)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Atwater", "B. Newton", "Clemmons", "Cobb-Hunter", "Crawford", "Daning", "Duckworth", "Elliott", "Fry", "Henegan", "King", "Toole", "Yow"]
version_count: 7
action_count: 33
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2016-12-15"
last_action: "2018-05-31"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/ee52da39-cba6-4cb3-abfd-cb1d5725d28e"
source_url: "http://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3329&session=122&summary=B"
source_hash: "871ed39c99e9e5581d756184c6d54c300cb2ad2277934bf080f40dc54ab15920"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-sc"]
---

# South Carolina H 3329 (2017-2018) — AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 16-3-2010, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS FOR THE ARTICLE ON TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS, SO AS TO DELETE THE DEFINITION OF "TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS"; AND TO AMEND SECTION 16-3-2020, RELATING TO THE OFFENSE OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS, PENALTIES, AND DEFENSES, SO AS TO RESTRUCTURE THE OFFENSE AND PROVIDE A PENALTY WHEN THE VICTIM IS A MINOR UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN AND TO FURTHER ENSURE THE PROTECTION OF MINOR VICTIMS, AMONG OTHER THINGS. - ratified title

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **12/15/2016** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/3329_20161215.htm)
2. **2/21/2018** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/3329_20180221.htm)
3. **2/22/2018** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/3329_20180222.htm)
4. **4/25/2018** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/3329_20180425.htm)
5. **4/26/2018** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/3329_20180426.htm)
6. **4/26/2018-A** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/3329_20180426a.htm)
7. **4/27/2018** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/3329_20180427.htm)

## Votes

- Concur in Senate Amendments — **96–0** (pass) · lower
- 3rd Reading — **44–0** (pass) · upper
- Concur in Senate Amendments — **113–0** (pass) · lower
- Passage of Bill — **103–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Atwater — primary (person)
- B. Newton — primary (person)
- Clemmons — primary (person)
- Cobb-Hunter — primary (person)
- Crawford — primary (person)
- Daning — primary (person)
- Duckworth — primary (person)
- Elliott — primary (person)
- Fry — primary (person)
- Henegan — primary (person)
- King — primary (person)
- Toole — primary (person)
- Yow — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2016-12-15** Prefiled `filing`
- **2016-12-15** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2017-01-10** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2017-01-10** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2017-01-11** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Daning
- **2017-02-21** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Henegan
- **2018-02-21** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2018-02-22** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Toole, King, Yow
- **2018-02-22** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2018-02-22** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2018-02-22** Roll call Yeas-103 Nays-0
- **2018-02-22** Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative day
- **2018-02-23** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2018-02-27** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2018-02-27** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2018-03-16** Referred to Subcommittee: Hutto (ch), Malloy, Shealy, Rice, Timmons
- **2018-04-25** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2018-04-26** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2018-04-26** Committee Amendment Adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2018-04-27** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2018-05-08** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2018-05-09** Read third time and returned to House with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2018-05-09** Roll call Ayes-44 Nays-0
- **2018-05-09** Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
- **2018-05-09** Roll call Yeas-113 Nays-0
- **2018-05-09** Reconsidered
- **2018-05-09** Debate adjourned until Thur., 5-10-18
- **2018-05-10** Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
- **2018-05-10** Roll call Yeas-96 Nays-0
- **2018-05-14** Ratified R 238
- **2018-05-17** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2018-05-30** Effective date 05/17/18
- **2018-05-31** Act No. 238

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/ee52da39-cba6-4cb3-abfd-cb1d5725d28e`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).