In Opposition

6-Week Abortion Ban (S.1)

S.1 was passed by the South Carolina Legislature and signed into law by Governor McMaster on February 18th, 2021. A lawsuit was immediately filed against it and as a result, a federal judge issued an order blocking S.1 from taking effect. S.1 is not currently enforceable in South Carolina, abortion is still legal, and patients can still access abortion services in our state. S.1 was intended to ban abortion as early as 6 weeks, regardless of a pregnant person’s needs and circumstances. S.1 poses a serious threat to the health, freedom, and dignity of pregnant people. This was a far-reaching bill drafted by extremist politicians whose goal is to eliminate all abortion in South Carolina.

Bill Text Fact Sheet

S.1 was passed by the South Carolina Legislature and signed into law by Governor McMaster on February 18th, 2021. A lawsuit was immediately filed against it and as a result, a federal judge issued an order blocking S.1 from taking effect. S.1 is not currently enforceable in South Carolina, abortion is still legal, and patients can still access abortion services in our state.

What S.1 does:

  • S.1 prevents most pregnant people from getting abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy; this is before many people even know that they are pregnant.
  • Many people seeking abortion face logistical obstacles like finding a provider, securing childcare and transportation, and saving funds to cover all of the costs – all of which create delays, and in some cases, stop people from getting the abortion they want.
  • The World Health Organization has concluded that restricting access to abortions does not reduce the number of abortions.
  • Any person who can get pregnant would be affected by S.1, but the worst effects would be on people who have less access to health care, including young people, people of color, people with disabilities, people with low incomes, and people in rural areas.

Abortion is still legal in South Carolina. 

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