Rep. GATCH proposes the following Amendment No. to H. 5399 (COUNCIL\VR\5399C008.CC.VR22):

Reference is to the bill as introduced.

Amend the bill, as and if amended, by striking SECTION 2 and inserting:

/ SECTION2. The General Assembly hereby finds all of the following:

(1) All human beings are created equal, and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, the foremost of which is the right to life.

(2) Section 3, Article I of the Constitution of the State of South Carolina, 1895, guarantees that no person may be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law or be denied the equal protection of the laws, and a preborn child is deserving of that protection.

(3) In the exercise of its constitutional duties and powers, the South Carolina General Assembly has a fundamental duty to provide equal protection for the life, health, and welfare of all persons, including preborn children. /