Select Page South Carolina Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Bill to End Civil Asset Forfeiture and Opt Out of Federal Program COLUMBIA, S.C. (Jan. 29, 2021) – On Thursday, a South Carolina House subcommittee held a hearing on a bill that would reform the state’s asset forfeiture laws and prohibit the state from taking a person’s property without a criminal conviction. The proposed law would also opt South Carolina out of a federal program that allows police to bypass more strict state asset forfeiture laws. A bipartisan coalition of 19 representatives introduced House Bill 3619 (H3619) on Jan 12. The legislation would end civil asset forfeiture in the state and replace it with a criminal process requiring a conviction before prosecutors could proceed with forfeiture proceedings.