Overview
- On Nov. 18, the Senate Medical Affairs subcommittee declined to advance S.323 after four Republicans refused to vote, resulting in a 2–3 outcome that blocked it at that stage.
- The proposal would repeal exceptions for rape, incest, and fatal fetal anomalies and define abortion as an offense comparable to homicide.
- Penalties outlined in the bill include felony charges carrying sentences of up to 30 years, along with new civil liability and aiding‑and‑abetting provisions.
- The measure also targets possession of abortion pills, the sharing of abortion information, and transporting a minor out of state for an abortion.
- South Carolina currently enforces a six‑week ban with limited exceptions, and the bill drew extensive public testimony and opposition from across ideological lines.