Senate Amendment RFH-19
S 474 - Session 125 (2023-2024)
Abortion - Fetal Heartbeat

Senators Hutto and Shealy propose the following amendment (SR-474.JG1204S):

Amend the bill, by striking all after the enacting words and inserting:

SECTION 1. Section 44-41-10 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 44-41-10.As used in this chapter: 

 (a)(1) "Abortion" means the use of an instrument, medicine, drug, or other substance or device with intent to terminate the pregnancy of a woman known to be pregnant for reasons other than to increase the probability of a live birth, to preserve the life or health of the child after live birth, or to remove a dead fetus.

 (b)(2) "Physician" means a person licensed to practice medicine in this State.

 (c)(3) "Department" means the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

 (d)(4) "Hospital" means those institutions licensed for hospital operation by the department in accordance with Article 3, Chapter 7 of this title and which have also been certified by the department to be suitable facilities for the performance of abortions.

 (e)(5) "Clinic" shall mean any facility other than a hospital as defined in subsection (d) which has been licensed by the Department, and which has also been certified by the Department to be suitable for the performance of abortions.

 (f)(6) "Pregnancy" means the condition of a woman carrying a fetus or embryo within her body as the result of conception.

 (g)(7) "Conception" means the fecundation of the ovum by the spermatozoa.

 (h)(8) "Consent" means a signed and witnessed voluntary agreement to the performance of an abortion.

 (i)(9) "First trimester of pregnancy" means the first twelve weeks of pregnancy commencing with conception rather than computed on the basis of the menstrual cycle.

 (j) "Second trimester of pregnancy" means that portion of a pregnancy following the twelfth week and extending through the twenty-fourth week of gestation.

 (k) "Third trimester of pregnancy" means that portion of a pregnancy beginning with the twenty-fifth week of gestation.

 (l)(10) "Viability" means that stage of human development when the fetus is potentially able to live outside of the mother''s womb with or without the aid of artificial life support systems. For the purposes of this chapter, a legal presumption is hereby created that viability occurs no sooner than the twenty-fourth week of pregnancy.

 (m)(11) "Minor" means a female under the age of seventeen.

 (n)(12) "Emancipated minor" means a minor who is or has been married or has by court order been freed from the care, custody, and control of her parents.

 (o)(13) "In loco parentis" means any person over the age of eighteen who has placed himself or herself in the position of a lawful parent by assuming obligations which are incidental to the parental relationship and has so served for a period of sixty days.

 (14) "Medical Emergency" means a condition that, in reasonable medical judgment, a condition exists that has complicated the pregnant woman's medical condition and necessitates an abortion to prevent death or a serious risk of a substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function, not including psychological or emotional conditions. A condition must not be considered a medical emergency if based on a claim or diagnosis that a woman will engage in conduct that she intends to result in her death or in a substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function.

 (15) "Fatal fetal anomaly" means that, in reasonable medical judgment, the unborn child has a profound and irremediable congenital or chromosomal anomaly that, with or without the provision of life-preserving treatment, would be incompatible with sustaining life after birth.

 (16) "Gestational Age" means the age of an unborn child as calculated from the first day of the last menstrual period of a pregnant woman.

 (17) "Spontaneous miscarriage" means the natural or accidental termination of pregnancy and the expulsion of the human fetus, typically caused by genetic defects in the human fetus or physical abnormalities in the pregnant woman.

SECTION 2. Section 44-41-20 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 44-41-20. (A)Abortion shall be a criminal act except when performed under the following circumstances:It is unlawful to perform or induce an abortion if the probable gestational age of the child is more than twelve weeks.

 (a) During the first trimester of pregnancy the abortion is performed with the pregnant woman's consent by her attending physician pursuant to his professional medical judgment.

 (b) During the second trimester of pregnancy the abortion is performed with the pregnant woman's consent by her attending physician in a hospital or clinic certified by the Department.(B) The prohibition on abortions performed or induced on a pregnant woman after the probable gestational age of the child is more than twelve weeks contained in subsection (A) do not apply if:

  (1) the pregnancy is the result of an act of criminal sexual conduct, regardless of the degree of criminal sexual conduct, and the probable gestational age of the child is not more than twenty weeks;

  (2) the pregnancy is the result of incest, and the probable gestational age of the child is not more than twenty weeks;

  (3) there exists a fatal fetal anomaly; or

  (4) there exists a medical emergency.

 (c) During the third trimester of pregnancy, the abortion is performed with the pregnant woman's consent, and if married and living with her husband the consent of her husband, in a certified hospital, and only if the attending physician and one additional consulting physician, who shall not be related to or engaged in private practice with the attending physician, certify in writing to the hospital in which the abortion is to be performed that the abortion is necessary based upon their best medical judgment to preserve the life or health of the woman. In the event that the preservation of the woman's mental health is certified as the reason for the abortion, an additional certification shall be required from a consulting psychiatrist who shall not be related to or engaged in private practice with the attending physician. All facts and reasons supporting such certification shall be set forth by the attending physician in writing and attached to such certificate.

SECTION 3. Section 44-41-30(D) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 (D) In cases of incest or criminal sexual conduct that result in pregnancy, the physician performing the abortion shall report the alleged incest or criminal sexual conduct to the local county department of social services or to a law enforcement agency in the county where the child resides or is found pursuant to Section 63-7-410. Failure to report is a violation punishable under the child abuse laws of this State.

SECTION 4. Section 44-41-80 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 44-41-80. (a) Any person, except as permitted by this chapter, who provides, supplies, prescribes or administers any drug, medicine, prescription or substance to any woman or uses or employs any device, instrument or other means upon any woman, with the intent to produceperform or induce an abortion shall be deemed guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of not less than two nor more than five years or fined not more than five thousand dollars, or both. Provided, that the provisions of this item shall not apply to any woman upon whom an abortion has been attempted or performed.

 (b) Except as otherwise permitted by this chapter, any woman who solicits of any person or otherwise procures any drug, medicine, prescription or substance and administers it to herself or who submits to any operation or procedure or who uses or employs any device or instrument or other means with intent to produce an abortion, unless it is necessary to preserve her life, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of not more than two years or fined not more than one thousand dollars, or both.

 (c) Any woman upon whom an abortion has been performed or attempted in violation of the provisions of this chapter may be compelled to testify in any criminal prosecution initiated pursuant to subsection (a) of this section; provided, however, that such testimony shall not be admissible in any civil or criminal action against such woman and she shall be forever immune from any prosecution for having solicited or otherwise procured the performance of the abortion or the attempted performance of the abortion upon her.

SECTION 5.Article (5), Chapter 41, Title 44 of the S.C. Code is repealed. 

SECTION 6.Article (6), Chapter 41, Title 44 of the S.C. Code is repealed. 

SECTION 7. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.