South Carolina S 27: Narcotics and controlled substances

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 27 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 11, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 27

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 
44-140-10 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A WOMAN MAY HAVE AN ABORTION PRIOR TO THE 
VIABILITY OF HER EMBRYO OR FETUS, TO PROVIDE FOR THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH A 
WOMAN MAY HAVE AN ABORTION AFTER THE VIABILITY OF HER FETUS, TO PROVIDE FOR THE 
PROCESS THROUGH WHICH A MINOR MAY HAVE AN ABORTION, TO PROVIDE THAT ASSISTIVE 
REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND CONTRACEPTIVES SHALL BE AVAILABLE IN SOUTH 
CAROLINA, TO PROVIDE THAT PREGNANT WOMEN ARE ENTITLED TO QUALITY PRENATAL AND 
POSTNATAL HEALTHCARE, AND TO EXPAND MEDICAID TO FACILITATE THE DELIVERY OF 
QUALITY PRENATAL AND POSTNATAL HEALTHCARE; BY AMENDING SECTION 40-47-37, 
RELATING TO THE PRACTICE OF TELEMEDICINE, SO AS TO PERMIT DOCTORS TO PRESCRIBE 
ABORTION INDUCING DRUGS VIA TELEMEDICINE; BY ADDING SECTION 38-71-48 SO AS TO 
PROVIDE THAT HEALTH INSURANCE POLICIES THAT PROVIDE PREGNANCY AND CHILD BIRTH 
COVERAGE MUST ALSO OFFER COVERAGE FOR ABORTIONS AND RELATED SERVICES AND 
MEDICAL PROCEDURES INTENDED TO PERMANENTLY PREVENT PREGNANCY INCLUDING, BUT NOT 
LIMITED TO, TUBAL LIGATION, HYSTERECTOMY, AND VASECTOMY; BY ADDING SECTION 
38-71-49 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT HEALTH INSURANCE POLICIES MUST OFFER COVERAGE 
FOR ASSISTIVE REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-32-10, RELATING 
TO DEFINITIONS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EDUCATION MEANS AGE 
APPROPRIATE, UNBIASED, COMPREHENSIVE, AND MEDICALLY ACCURATE INSTRUCTION, AND 
TO FURTHER PROVIDE THAT ABSTINENCE EDUCATION CAN BE TAUGHT BUT NOT TAUGHT AS 
THE PRIMARY OR ONLY WAY TO PREVENT PREGNANCY; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-32-10, 
RELATING TO DEFINITIONS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT ABSTINENCE FROM SEX BEFORE 
MARRIAGE CAN BE ENCOURAGED AS A WAY TO PREVENT PREGNANCY; AND TO REPEAL CHAPTER 
41, TITLE 44 OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE, RELATING TO ABORTION.

Be it enacted by the 
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Title 44 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

CHAPTER 140

Reproductive 
Health Rights

 Section 44-140-10. For 
the purposes of this chapter:

 (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.

 (2) 
"Abortion-inducing drugs" means a medicine, drug, or any other substance 
prescribed or dispensed with the intent of terminating the clinically 
diagnosable pregnancy of a woman, with knowledge that the termination will with 
reasonable likelihood cause the death of the unborn child. This includes 
off-label use of drugs known to have abortion-inducing properties, which are 
prescribed specifically with the intent of causing an abortion, such as 
misoprostol (Cytotec) and methotrexate. This definition does not apply to drugs 
that may be known to cause an abortion, but which are prescribed for other 
medical indications, including, but not limited to, chemotherapeutic agents or 
diagnostic drugs. Use of such drugs to induce abortion is also known as "medical" 
or "drug-induced."

 (3) 
"Assistive reproductive technologies" means treatments or procedures that 
involve the handling of human egg, sperm, and embryo outside the body with the 
intent of facilitating a pregnancy. Assistive reproductive technologies 
include, but are not limited to, in vitro fertilization, egg, embryo, or sperm 
cryopreservation, egg or embryo donation, and gestational surrogacy.

 (4) 
"Contraceptive" means any drug, device, medication, or method used to prevent 
pregnancy. A contraceptive may prevent ovulation, fertilization, or 
implantation in the uterus.

 (5) 
"Department" means the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

 (6) 
"Emergency contraception" means a form of contraception that is effective if 
administered within a specified period of time after sexual intercourse.

 (7) 
"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.

 (8) 
"Infertility" means the inability to establish pregnancy after twelve months of 
regular, unprotected sexual intercourse; or a person's incapacity for 
reproduction either as an individual or with the person's partner, which may be 
determined after a period of less than twelve months of regular, unprotected 
sexual intercourse, or based on medical, sexual, and reproductive history, age, 
physical findings, or di