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South Carolina Republican lawmakers have introduced a new bill that would criminalize abortion as murder, applying existing homicide and wrongful death laws from the moment of conception.
The Prenatal Equal Protection Act, introduced in the South Carolina House of Representatives, would be the strongest anti-abortion law in state history if enacted. The legislation has been scheduled for a hearing in the South Carolina House Constitutional Laws Subcommittee on Wednesday.
Supporters argue current heartbeat laws merely regulate abortion and still allow the procedure in certain cases, prompting Republican state Sen. Lee Bright to introduce the legislation as a way to extend full legal protections to unborn children.
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The South Carolina State House is seen in Columbia, South Carolina, where lawmakers are considering the Prenatal Equal Protection Act, a bill that would treat abortion as a homicide under state law. (LOGAN CYRUS/AFP via Getty Images)
“These children deserve equal protection. I will be filing a bill of equal protection today. I know we’ve got hearts and minds to change,” Bright said Tuesday at a press conference at the South Carolina State House.
South Carolina State Representative Rob Harris said that in 2023, the Legislature and the Governor revised the heartbeat law that regulates abortion and still allows the procedure under certain circumstances.
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South Carolina Sen. Lee Bright, R-Roebuck, spoke at a news conference about an abortion bill he is sponsoring on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)
“Incredibly, in one section of that bill, it asserts that life begins at conception, but in another section, it writes into law where, when, and how someone may legally murder a baby in South Carolina,” Harris said.
The legislation would apply to all parties involved, including the pregnant woman.
Republicans hold large majorities in both chambers of the South Carolina General Assembly, meaning the bill could pass if GOP lawmakers remain unified. But similar abortion legislation has previously stalled amid divisions within the GOP, raising questions about whether the bill can advance.
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A November bill sought to further restrict abortion under existing law but stalled after some Republicans objected. The Prenatal Equal Protection Act goes much further, treating abortion as homicide from the moment of conception and applying criminal penalties, including for pregnant women — a shift supporters say is necessary to fully eliminate abortion.
Supporters argue the earlier bill failed because it regulated abortion rather than abolishing it, and say incremental restrictions have repeatedly stalled or been struck down, leaving a full equal-protection approach as the only lasting solution.
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A protester held a sign during a news conference on an abortion bill at the South Carolina Statehouse on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)
The new bill is backed by national anti-abortion activists who have warned Republican lawmakers they could face primary challenges if they do not support it.
Critics are expected to raise concerns about criminal penalties, enforcement and constitutional issues.