South Carolina Senate subcommittee to discuss total abortion ban bill

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) — A subcommittee of the state’s Senate Medical Affairs Committee will meet to discuss Senate Bill 323, which would completely ban abortion in South Carolina.

If signed into law, the Unborn Child Protection Act would eliminate the state’s current exceptions for abortions, including rape, incest and fatal fetal anomalies.

The bill would also make abortion a felony in South Carolina, meaning women who terminate their pregnancies could face criminal prosecution. Doctors who perform abortion procedures could face up to 30 years in prison.

In May, the South Carolina Supreme Court upheld a previous decision that determined fetal heartbeat activity can be detected at six weeks of pregnancy.

Current state law says after a heartbeat is detectable, abortion is no longer an option.

A spokesperson for the ACLU of South Carolina called the bill “unconstitutional and deadly.”

“This bill would criminalize medical care, invade our privacy, and place unconstitutional restrictions on speech, travel, and association,” said Courtney Thomas, the advocacy director for ACLU of SC. “Any lawmaker who cares about the health and safety of South Carolinians should be fighting tooth and nail to stop this bill.”

According to the agenda, the committee will meet October 1. Public testimony and expert testimony will be heard.

The meeting agenda can be read in its entirety below: