When I was researching South Carolina law for purposes of these posts about the video-rental case, I came across this act and thought, you know, the title of that thing could use a little editing:

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, SO AS TO ENACT THE "OMNIBUS CRIME REDUCTION AND SENTENCING REFORM ACT OF 2010"; TO AMEND SECTION 16-11-110, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO ARSON, SO AS TO RESTRUCTURE THE VARIOUS DEGREES OF ARSON AND THE PENALTIES; TO AMEND SECTION 16-3-210, RELATING TO LYNCHING IN THE FIRST DEGREE, SO AS TO RESTRUCTURE THE OFFENSE INTO VARYING DEGREES OF ASSAULT AND BATTERY BY MOB AND PROVIDE PENALTIES; TO REPEAL SECTIONS 16-3-220, 16-3-230, 16-3-240, 16-3-250, 16-3-260, AND 16-3-270 ALL RELATING TO LYNCHING AND MOB VIOLENCE; BY ADDING SECTION 16-3-29 SO AS TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF ATTEMPTED MURDER AND PROVIDE A PENALTY; BY ADDING SECTION 16-3-600 SO AS TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS, CREATE VARIOUS LEVELS AND DEGREES OF ASSAULT AND BATTERY OFFENSES, AND TO PROVIDE PENALTIES; TO AMEND SECTION 16-3-610, RELATING TO ASSAULT WITH A CONCEALED WEAPON, SO AS TO REFERENCE THE NEW OFFENSES OF ATTEMPTED MURDER AND ASSAULT AND BATTERY AND MAKE TECHNICAL CHANGES; TO REPEAL SECTIONS 16-3-612, 16-3-620, 16-3-630, AND 16-3-635 ALL DEALING WITH VARIOUS ASSAULT AND BATTERY OFFENSES; TO REPEAL CERTAIN COMMON LAW ASSAULT AND BATTERY OFFENSES; TO AMEND SECTION 22-3-560, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO ASSAULT AND BATTERY OFFENSES IN MAGISTRATES COURT AND ASSAULT AND BATTERY AGAINST SPORTS OFFICIALS AND COACHES, SO AS TO REMOVE THE SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO ASSAULT AND BATTERY OFFENSES; TO AMEND SECTION 17-15-30, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED IN DETERMINING CONDITIONS OF RELEASE ON BAIL, SO AS TO REQUIRE CERTAIN INFORMATION BE PROVIDED TO THE COURT BEFORE A BAIL OR BOND HEARING BY LAW ENFORCEMENT; TO AMEND SECTION 22-5-510, RELATING TO BAIL AND BOND HEARINGS IN MAGISTRATES COURT, SO AS TO REQUIRE CERTAIN INFORMATION BE PROVIDED TO THE COURT BEFORE A BAIL OR BOND HEARING BY LAW ENFORCEMENT; TO AMEND SECTION 16-11-312, RELATING TO BURGLARY IN THE SECOND DEGREE, SO AS TO CREATE TWO TIERS OF BURGLARY IN THE SECOND DEGREE AND PROVIDE A PENALTY FOR THE FIRST; TO AMEND SECTION 16-17-420, RELATING TO DISTURBING SCHOOLS, SO AS TO VEST JURISDICTION WITH THE SUMMARY COURTS UNLESS THE PERSON IS A CHILD …; BY ADDING SECTION 24-21-110 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SANCTIONS FOR VIOLATORS OF SPECIAL CONDITIONS AND TO PROVIDE FOR A PROCEDURE TO ADMINISTER THESE ADMINISTRATIVE SANCTIONS; TO AMEND SECTION 24-21-490, RELATING TO COLLECTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF RESTITUTION, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS COLLECTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PROBATION, PAROLE AND PARDON SERVICES; BY ADDING SECTION 24-21-715 SO AS TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS, TO PROVIDE FOR PAROLE FOR THE TERMINALLY ILL, GERIATRIC, OR PERMANENTLY DISABLED INMATE, AND TO PROVIDE PROCEDURES FOR PAROLE ON THESE GROUNDS; BY ADDING ARTICLE 11 TO CHAPTER 22, TITLE 17 SO AS TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS, CREATE THE OFFICE OF PRETRIAL COORDINATOR, AND REQUIRE CERTAIN DATA AND REPORTING OF DIVERSION PROGRAMS; TO AMEND SECTION 24-13-2130, RELATING TO MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN VARIOUS CORRECTIONAL AND EMPLOYMENT AND JOB SKILLS AGENCIES, SO AS TO INCLUDE THE REQUIREMENT THAT LIFE SKILLS ASSESSMENTS BE BASED ON EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES AND CRIMINAL RISK FACTOR ANALYSIS AND TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES TO PROVIDE A PHOTO IDENTIFICATION CARD FOR INMATES WHO ARE RELEASED FROM A CORRECTIONAL FACILITY; TO AMEND SECTION 24-21-645, RELATING TO PAROLE, SO AS TO MAKE TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS; TO AMEND SECTION 16-1-130, RELATING TO PERSONS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR DIVERSION PROGRAMS, SO AS TO ALLOW PERSONS CURRENTLY ON PAROLE OR PROBATION TO PARTICIPATE AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT ON PAROLE OR PROBATION FOR A VIOLENT OFFENSE AND TO CLARIFY THAT CONSENT OF THE VICTIM IS NOT NECESSARY IF REASONABLE ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE VICTIM HAVE BEEN MADE UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; BY ADDING SECTION 2-7-74 SO AS TO DEFINE THE TERM "STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT" AND TO REQUIRE STATEMENTS OF ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT UNDER CERTAIN PARAMETERS FOR LEGISLATION WHICH CREATES OR AMENDS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE; AND BY ADDING CHAPTER 28 TO TITLE 24 SO AS TO CREATE THE SENTENCING REFORM OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AND PROVIDE FOR THE MEMBERSHIP AND DUTIES OF THE COMMITTEE.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Act citation

SECTION 1.  This bill may be cited as the "Omnibus Crime Reduction and Sentencing Reform Act of 2010."

So the title of the bill is over 2000 words long (oh, I cut about 1400 words to save some space—figured you would still get the point) and then the first section gives it a shorter name. Why didn't they just use the short name as the title? Probably because Section 17 of the state constitution says this:

SECTION 17. One subject.

Every Act or resolution having the force of law shall relate to but one subject, and that shall be expressed in the title.

In the legislature's defense, it would probably be inconvenient to actually comply with Section 17 as written. It might even require them to limit the number of laws they pass, although it occurs to me that this might be part of what Section 17 was for in the first place. But jamming everything in the title and calling it all "one subject" certainly does streamline things.