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Subcommittee advances narrow bill to allow wireless location for life‑threatening emergencies
Summary
The General Law Subcommittee reported S.114 favorably to the full committee. The bill would add section 23‑3‑340 to the South Carolina Code to require wireless carriers to furnish location information to law enforcement when responding to incidents involving immediate death or serious bodily injury; members asked attorneys to clarify whether kidnapping should be explicitly included.
The General Law Subcommittee advanced S.114, a measure sponsored for the subcommittee that would add section 23‑3‑340 to the South Carolina Code to permit wireless service providers to furnish location information to law enforcement responding to calls involving imminent death or serious bodily injury.
Chair Kaye Britton described the proposal as a narrowly drawn emergency response tool rather than a broad surveillance bill and said its scope is deliberately limited to exigent situations. "This is not a broad surveillance bill, it is an emergency response tool," she said.
Representative John McCravy asked whether the bill’s language—"immediate death or serious bodily injury"—would cover an active kidnapping. Members agreed the statutory definitions might encompass kidnapping but recommended attorneys at the full‑committee stage review whether to add explicit kidnapping language.
The subcommittee took a roll call and reported the bill favorably to the full committee. During the roll call multiple members recorded "aye" and the chair indicated the bill will move on for further review.
Why it matters: Testimony and discussion framed S.114 as a targeted tool for time‑sensitive rescue operations—law enforcement proponents argued it could help locate victims or suspects in life‑threatening situations, while members sought legal clarity on the statute’s reach.
What’s next: Committee attorneys were suggested as a resource to clarify scope; S.114 was reported favorably and will be considered next by the full committee.
