summary
Introduced
01/14/2025
01/14/2025
In Committee
01/14/2025
01/14/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
126th General Assembly
Bill Summary
Amend The South Carolina Code Of Laws So As To Enact The "medical Informed Consent Act"; By Adding Section 16-17-780 So As To Provide That It Is Unlawful For Any Person, Corporation, Higher Learning Institution, Or The State To Implement A Vaccine Mandate And To Provide Penalties; By Adding Section 41-1-55 So As To Prohibit Employers From Taking Adverse Action Against Individuals Who Decline To Receive A Vaccine And To Provide Penalties; By Amending Section 40-43-86, Relating To Facility Requirements For Pharmacies And Prescription Drug Orders, So As To Provide Conditions Under Which A Pharmacist May Refuse To Fill A Prescription; By Amending Section 44-1-100, Relating To Assistance From Peace And Health Officers, So As To Remove The Provision That The Public Safety Authority May Request Assistance From The State National Guard In Enforcing Quarantine Measures; By Amending Section 44-4-130, Relating To Public Health Definitions, So As To Provide Definitions Of "gene Therapy" And "vaccine" And To Make Conforming Changes; By Amending Section 44-4-510, Relating To Physical Examinations And Isolation Or Quarantine Of Persons Refusing Examination, So As To Provide That The Department May Isolate A Symptomatic Person Or Person Who Has Been Exposed To The Contagious Disease For Which A Public Health Emergency Has Been Declared; By Amending Section 44-4-520, Relating To Vaccinations And Treatment, So As To Provide That The Department Must Monitor The Safety And Efficacy Of Vaccines, Tests, And Treatments; By Amending Section 44-4-530, Relating To Isolation And Quarantine Of Individuals Or Groups, As Well As Penalties For Noncompliance, So As To Provide A Time Limit Of Twenty-one Days For A Quarantined Asymptomatic Person; By Amending Section 44-4-540, Relating To Isolation And Quarantine Procedures, So As To Change Procedures; And By Amending Section 44-4-570, Relating To Emergency Powers Regarding Licensing Of Health Personnel, So As To Remove The Requirement That State Health Care Providers Assist In The Performance Of Vaccinations As A Condition Of Licensure.
AI Summary
This bill establishes the "Medical Informed Consent Act" in South Carolina, which creates significant new restrictions and protections related to vaccines, medical treatments, and employment practices during public health emergencies. The bill makes it unlawful for any person, corporation, institution, or government entity to mandate vaccines, gene therapies, or "indemnified products" as a condition of employment, entry, attendance, or service, with escalating criminal penalties for violations ranging from misdemeanors to felonies. For employers, the bill prohibits taking adverse employment actions against individuals who decline vaccines, and provides employees with rights to unemployment benefits, back pay, and potential punitive damages if discriminated against. The legislation also modifies existing public health laws by adding new definitions for terms like "gene therapy" and "vaccine", limiting quarantine periods to 21 days for asymptomatic individuals, requiring the Department of Public Health to monitor vaccine safety and efficacy, and removing previous requirements that healthcare providers assist with vaccinations as a condition of licensure. Additionally, the bill introduces more stringent informed consent requirements, stipulating that consent must include clear explanations of potential risks and benefits, and must be obtained without coercion. The overall intent appears to be protecting individual medical autonomy and preventing mandatory medical interventions during public health emergencies.
Committee Categories
Health and Social Services
Sponsors (7)
Shane Martin (R)*,
Tom Corbin (R),
Carlisle Kennedy (R),
Josh Kimbrell (R),
Matthew Leber (R),
Roger Nutt (R),
Rex Rice (R),
Last Action
Scrivener's error corrected (on 04/22/2025)
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=54&session=126&summary=B |
| BillText | https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/54_20250422.htm |
| BillText | https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/54_20250415.htm |
| Fiscal Note - S0054 2025-03-26 Updated | https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/fiscalimpactstatements/S0054%202025-03-26%20updated.pdf |
| Fiscal Note - S0054 2025-01-14 Introduced | https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/fiscalimpactstatements/S0054%202025-01-14%20introduced.pdf |
| BillText | https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/54_20241211.htm |
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