Restrictions

South Carolina is enforcing a 6-week abortion ban^[1]S. 474, 125th Gen. Assemb., Spec. Sess. (S.C. 2023). after the South Carolina Supreme Court declared the ban to be constitutional.^[2]Planned Parenthood S. Atl. v. South Carolina, No. 2023-000896 (S.C. Aug. 23, 2023) (order vacating the preliminary injunction and declaring the act constitutional).

In 2022, the state began enforcing an earlier 6-week ban^[3]S.C. Code Ann. §§ 44-41-610 et seq.; Planned Parenthood S. Atl. v. Wilson, No. 3:18-02078-MGL (D.S.C. Jun. 27, 2022) (lifting preliminary injunction); Planned Parenthood S. Atl. v. South Carolina, … Continue reading following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.^[4]Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Org., 597 U.S (June 24, 2022), rev’d Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Org., 945 F.3d 265, 274 (5th Cir. 2019).On January 5, 2023, the South Carolina Supreme Court held that the earlier 6-week ban violated the right to privacy protected by the state constitution and struck it down.^[5]Planned Parenthood S. Atl. v. South Carolina, No. 28127 (S.C. Jan. 5, 2023). In August of 2023, the court vacated the preliminary injunction preventing enforcement of the new 6-week ban enacted in May 2023, and allowed it to take effect.^[6]Planned Parenthood S. Atl. v. South Carolina, No. 2023-000896 (S.C. Aug. 23, 2023) (order vacating the preliminary injunction and declaring the act constitutional).

South Carolina also prohibits abortion at twenty weeks post-fertilization^[7]S.C. CODE ANN. § 44-41-450(A). and in the third trimester.^[8]Id. § 44-41-20(c). It prohibits D&X procedures.^[9]Id. § 44-41-85. Pregnant people who seek abortion care must undergo a mandatory twenty-four-hour waiting period,^[10]Id.§ 44-41-330(C). be offered biased counseling,^[11]Id. § 44-41-330(A)(2). and be given the offer of viewing the ultrasound images if they have an ultrasound.^[12]Id.§ 44-41-330(A)(1)(a). See also, S. 1, § 3 (adding S.C. Code Ann. § 44-41-630(1), -650); Planned Parenthood S. Atl., 527 F.Supp.3d 801, 814-815 (temporarily enjoining the entire Act). South Carolina also limits public funding for abortion^[13]S.C. CODE ANN. § 1-1-1035. and private insurance coverage of abortion.^[14]Id. § 38-71-238. South Carolina criminalizes people who self-manage their abortions.^[15]Id.§ 44-41-80(b). South Carolina law generally requires that a parent, grandparent, legal guardian,^[16]Id.§ 44-41-31. or judge consent to a minor’s abortion.^[17]Id.

South Carolina’s targeted regulation of abortion providers (TRAP) laws include requirements related to facilities,^[18]S.C. CODE ANN. REGS. Ch. 61-12. licensure^[19]S.B. 164, 125th Gen. Assemb., Reg. Sess. (S.C. 2023) to be codified at S.C. Code Ann. § 44-7-130(12)., admitting privileges agreements,^[20]Id. 61-12.205(C)(2). and reporting.^[21]S.C. CODE ANN. § 44-41-60; S.C. CODE REGS. 61-12.403; S. 1, § 4 (adding S.C. CODE ANN. § 44-41-460(A)); id. § 6 (amending S.C. CODE ANN. § 44-41-60). South Carolina law restricts the provision of abortion care to physicians and explicitly prohibits nurse midwives from the provision of abortion care,^[22]S.C. CODE ANN. § 44-41-20, S.C. CODE REGS. 61-24(N)(4) and restricts providers from using telemedicine for the provision of abortion care.^[23]S.C. CODE ANN. § 40-47-37(C)(6). Providers who violate South Carolina’s abortion restrictions may face civil and criminal penalties.^[24]See, e.g., S.C. CODE ANN. §§ 44-41-35-85, -350; S. 1, § 3 (adding S.C. CODE ANN. § 44-41-680(D)).

State Protections

In January 2023, the South Carolina Supreme Court found that the state constitution includes protections for abortion as part of the state’s right to privacy.^[25]S.C. Const. art. I, § 10; Planned Parenthood S. Atl. v. South Carolina, No. 28127 (S.C. Jan. 5, 2023) (“We hold that the decision to terminate a pregnancy rests upon the utmost personal and … Continue reading In August 2023, the court allowed a six-week ban to stand, despite the acknowledgement that this ban infringes on the right to privacy and bodily autonomy, holding that a pregnant person’s interest in their bodily autonomy is outweighed by the state’s interest in fetal life.^[26]Planned Parenthood S. Atl. v. South Carolina, No. 2023-000896 (S.C. Aug. 23, 2023).

Post-Roe Prohibitions

South Carolina repealed its pre-Roe bans in 1974.^[27]S.C. CODE ANN. §§ 16-87 through 16-89 (Supp.1971), repealed by 1974 S.C. Acts 2837, 2841, Act No. 1215, § 8.

Conclusion

Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe, South Carolina is enforcing a six-week abortion ban after the state Supreme Court declared the ban constitutional on August 23, 2023.