All of this and more is why I submitted testimony in opposition to S323 during its first subcommittee hearing in September. What I said then still holds: if this bill becomes law, it will cause deep harm to South Carolinians.

www.guttmacher.org/news-release...

S323 would also implement new, purposefully confusing definitions of fertilization and contraception that would lay the foundation for future attacks on IVF and birth control.

These efforts to restrict reproductive health will not end with abortion care.

The six-week ban has forced over 8,000 people to leave their homes in South Carolina to obtain the abortion care that they need out of state.

Some have been forced to travel hundreds of miles, as far as Washington, DC and Florida to access care.

S323 would magnify the public health crisis created by the existing ban and restrictions in South Carolina.

@guttmacher.org data show a big drop in the number of abortions in the state after the ban: 2,700 fewer abortions were provided in 2024 vs. 2023.

www.guttmacher.org/monthly-abor...

S323 also prevents people from even providing information about abortion care.

The bill criminalizes actions such as referring someone to an abortion provider, providing abortion doula services, or hosting a website that includes information about abortion.

Let’s talk about the other harmful provisions in this bill.

It would make it a crime to help young people travel for abortion care, something that South Carolinians do not want—they want to look out for their communities, family, and friends without the threat of going to jail.

I worked with my colleagues @anna-berns.bsky.social & @emmas-e.bsky.social to highlight the recent attacks on shield laws & why defending them is essential to repro freedom.
Learn more from our latest @guttmacher.org analysis:
www.guttmacher.org/2025/09/atta...

Unsurprisingly, anti-abortion policymakers are using all levels of government to target shield laws and go after abortion patients, providers and support networks.
And recent cases in Louisiana and Texas have the anti-abortion movement’s weaponization of the US legal system on full display.

Currently, 22 states and Washington, DC have shield laws in place.
8 states extend these protections to care via telehealth, allowing clinicians to provide care to patients in states with total bans and/or other severe restrictions, typically by mailing them abortion pills.

Shield laws are designed to minimize legal risks for patients, providers and others assisting those seeking abortion care by preventing state officials from cooperating with out-of-state prosecutions and extraditions.