Bill > H3504

This bill establishes the Pregnancy Center Autonomy and Rights of Expression (CARE) Act in South Carolina, which provides legal protections for pregnancy centers that promote childbirth and alternatives to abortion. The legislation defines pregnancy centers as nonprofit organizations offering resources, counseling, and support for women facing unexpected pregnancies, and medical pregnancy centers as those that can provide additional medical testing and care. The bill prohibits state, county, city, and municipal officials from requiring pregnancy centers to perform, refer, or counsel in favor of abortions, abortion-inducing drugs, or contraception, and prevents them from interfering with the centers' staffing or hiring decisions based on mission alignment. Furthermore, the bill allows pregnancy centers or aggrieved parties to file civil lawsuits for damages if these protections are violated, with potential recovery of up to threefold actual damages and a minimum of $10,000, plus legal costs. The law aims to protect pregnancy centers' ability to provide life-affirming services and support for women choosing childbirth, while ensuring they cannot be penalized for not offering abortion-related services.