Sexual Offenses; clergy members to be charged with certain improper sexual contact offenses; permit

New specific definitions for 'clergy member' and 'pastoral counseling or spiritual authority relationship' were added to clarify exactly who and what situations are covered.

Definitions for general categories like 'employee,' 'agent,' and 'foster parent' were removed because they are no longer relevant to this specific new clergy-only offense.

The legislative approach changed from amending an existing section (16-6-5.1) to adding a brand new section (16-6-5.2) dedicated solely to clergy misconduct.

A new provision was added to extend the time limit for filing criminal charges to 15 years, acknowledging the difficulty victims face in coming forward.

Stricter sentencing guidelines were introduced, including life imprisonment for clergy members with prior sexual felony convictions.

The bill number and legislative citation were updated to indicate the version passed by the Senate.