South Carolina state House passes 'heartbeat' bill to ban abortions after six weeks

Despite their increasing popularity, heartbeat bills are hard to enforce due to questions on the constitutionality of abortion restrictions beyond those outlined in Roe V. Wade

Local pro-choice activist Lisa King holds a sign in front of the U.S. Supreme Court as a pro-life activist holds a rose nearby during the annual 'March for Life' event (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The South Carolina state House passed a bill which prohibits abortion when a heartbeat is detectable.

Current law in South Carolina permits abortion up to 20 weeks. This bill, called the “South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat Protection from Abortion Act” reduces that to a mere six weeks, before many women know that they are pregnant, with exceptions for rape, incest, and if the pregnancy endangers the life or health of the woman.

This bill is not the first of its kind, heartbeat abortion bills are becoming more popular in states like Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Georgia, Oklahoma, and now, South Carolina where the bill passed along party lines.

Despite their increasing popularity, heartbeat bills are hard to enforce due to questions on the constitutionality of abortion restrictions beyond those outlined in Roe V. Wade.

Anti-choice bills similar to this one have been introduced in the South Carolina state legislature previously, but died before making it to the floor.

Despite this bill passing in one chamber of the state legislature, as the 2019 legislative session is ending, it is unlikely the state Senate will have the opportunity to take it up for a vote.

Republican governor Henry McMaster has pledged to sign the heartbeat abortion bill into law if it crosses his desk.

“What is making its way through suits me fine- it’s pro-life. This is a pro-life state and I will be glad to sign that bill,” Mr McMaster said.

South Carolina Democrat David Mack, who serves as a state representative, said. “This waste of time is sickening to me.”

Mack continues, “We go through this every year and the bottom line is, it’s a woman’s body and it’s her right to choose.”