Legislative Session Weekly Update, March 31-April 2
The Week in Review (March 31-April 2):
Here’s what happened during week twelve of legislative session, what’s at stake, and how you can take action to help build a better South Carolina for women and girls.
Paid Family Leave Eligible State Employee and Stillbirth Paid Parental Leave
First, some good news!
Two important bills to expand paid leave in South Carolina are moving forward.
Senate Bill 11 (Paid Family Leave Eligible State Employee) was discussed on Tuesday in a Ways and Means subcommittee and was approved to move forward. The original goal of the bill was to expand access to paid leave so more state employees can use the benefit. After changes were made, the bill now also increases paid leave from six weeks to 12 weeks under the current policy. It also adds support for families who experience a stillbirth.
House Bill 4611 (Stillbirth Paid Parental Leave) was also approved by a full committee and is now headed to the House floor. This bill makes it clear that paid parental leave is available after a stillbirth, so families don’t have to deal with confusing rules during a very difficult time. We are grateful to lawmakers for working to support families in South Carolina.
Please use our action links below to thank members for their support and ask them to keep these bills moving forward so more families can get the care they need.
Total Abortion Ban
On Wednesday, Senator Richard Cash introduced Senate Bill 1095. This bill is very similar to Senate Bill 323 that failed to advance out of subcommittee last fall after strong opposition. Despite that, lawmakers have brought it back and it is just as harmful. Senate Bill 1095 would ban abortion in almost all cases, including for rape and incest. It would also limit access to medication abortion and could punish people who help someone get care. South Carolina already has some of the strictest abortion laws in the country. This bill would go even further and allow the government to interfere in deeply personal medical decisions.
WREN believes people, not politicians, should make decisions about pregnancy, their health, and their futures. This bill does not reflect the needs of our communities and would cause real harm.
The good news is that we’ve been here before, and we know how to speak up. We expect this bill to be taken up soon and will share updates as we learn more. In the meantime, please use our action link to tell lawmakers to vote no on Senate Bill 1095.
SNAP Restriction Bill
A House Ways and Means subcommittee heard House Bill 4061, a bill that would limit how people can use SNAP benefits. This bill is part of a larger group of proposals that try to restrict certain foods and drinks. WREN is proud to work with Wholespire, which leads efforts to improve nutrition and reduce hunger in South Carolina. We join them in opposing this bill, along with similar bills like Senate Bill 777. While improving health is important, limiting food choices for families with low incomes can increase stigma and make it harder for people to get what they need. Food insecurity affects many women and children, and SNAP is meant to help families buy food in a way that works best for them. WREN opposes bills that limit choice instead of addressing the real causes of hunger.
Please share our recent social post to help spread accurate information about SNAP benefits.
Immigration Enforcement Mandate
House Bill 4764 was taken up on the House floor and has now advanced to the Senate. This bill would require local jails to work closely with federal immigration officials, using local staff and resources to carry out federal immigration enforcement. If passed, this bill could make people feel afraid to seek help or report crimes in their communities. It could also shift attention and funding away from key priorities like maternal health, childcare, and economic opportunity.
Anti-Transgender Bathroom Bill
As we shared in our last update, the Senate passed House Bill 4756, a harmful anti-transgender bathroom bill, after adding several changes. Because of these changes, the bill must now go back to the House for another vote. The House will decide whether to accept the Senate’s version. If they do, the bill will move to the Governor’s desk. The House has paused debate on this bill until April 14. This bill is harmful in any form. However, the version first passed by the House would limit some of that harm and better protect people than the version changed by the Senate. We need the House to stand firm and reject these changes.
Attack on Same-Sex Marriage
A concurrent resolution was introduced in the South Carolina House that directly targets marriage equality by calling for the reversal of Obergefell v. Hodges and promoting a definition of marriage that excludes same-sex couples. While it does not change law on its own, it signals a broader effort to roll back long-established rights and test how far policymakers can go without opposition. Early moments like this are critical because they shape what comes next, and we need advocates to speak up now by contacting their legislators, sharing accurate information within their networks, and staying engaged with WREN’s action alerts as we mobilize to ensure that South Carolinians’ values of freedom, dignity, and equal protection under the law are clearly and consistently represented.
This Week (April 7-9):
The House will be on furlough, so there will be no floor debates or committee hearings. The Senate will meet in a perfunctory session, which means there will be no floor debates, but the Senate Finance Committee will still meet to work on the state budget. Full Senate budget week begins the week of April 20th.
Thank you for staying engaged and taking action. We’ll continue to share updates and ways to get involved as the session moves forward. WREN will remain active at the State House and keep monitoring these issues in the week ahead.