Bill > H4760

This bill establishes new criminal offenses and penalties related to the use of abortion-inducing drugs, defining "abortion-inducing drug" to include substances like RU-486, Mifeprex, misoprostol, and methotrexate, while excluding contraceptives and emergency contraceptives, and also exempting the use of methotrexate for ectopic pregnancies. It makes it unlawful for any person to knowingly cause an abortion by delivering, dispensing, distributing, or providing an abortion-inducing drug to a pregnant woman, with penalties ranging from imprisonment and fines for violations, and significantly harsher penalties if the abortion results in great bodily injury or death to the pregnant woman or a minor. The bill also creates a felony for knowingly using an abortion-inducing drug on a pregnant woman without her knowledge or consent, with increased penalties if the unborn child is over three months gestational age, and establishes strict liability for damages caused by manufacturing, distributing, or aiding in the provision of these drugs, allowing civil actions by specified family members and guardians. Furthermore, it designates mifepristone and misoprostol as Schedule IV controlled substances, making their unlawful possession a felony, though it exempts pregnant women possessing these drugs for their own consumption, and prohibits soliciting or providing funding for unlawful distribution of abortion-inducing drugs in South Carolina, authorizing the Attorney General to pursue civil forfeiture and injunctive relief. The bill includes provisions for notifying pharmacists and healthcare providers about the law and clarifies that it does not apply to lawful medical care, actions by the pregnant woman herself, bona fide medical reasons not intended to cause abortion, or when administered in person by a licensed physician under specific lawful conditions, and also exempts certain entities like hospitals, internet service providers, and those acting under federal law from liability.

Health and Social Services, Justice

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=4760&session=126&summary=B