一些南卡罗来纳州议员周二举行听证会，讨论一项近乎全面的堕胎禁令，该禁令取消了例外情况，可能会让任何参与终止妊娠的人入狱几十年。
目前，该州有一项为期六周的堕胎禁令，于2023年5月签署成为法律，但强奸和乱伦除外，最长12周，胎儿畸形和拯救孕妇的生命。
然而，第323条也被称为“未出生儿童保护行动”，目前正在一个州小组委员会进行辩论，将废除强奸、乱伦和胎儿异常的例外情况，并使堕胎成为类似于“谋杀活产婴儿”的重罪，如果这扫清了一系列立法障碍，会把堕胎的人送进监狱长达30年。
如果该法案获得委员会通过，在州立法机关的例行会议上进行辩论之前，还会有一些其他的立法步骤。
那些帮助、教唆或实施堕胎的人也可能面临长达30年的监禁。
此外，该法案将使拥有堕胎药丸或提供堕胎信息成为非法行为，将运送未成年人出国堕胎定为重罪，改变合法避孕药的定义，并将胚胎重新定义为完全的法人，该法案的反对者表示，这可能威胁到体外受精的机会。
反对者认为，该法案将是美国限制获得生殖保健的最严格的立法之一，可能会产生深远的影响。
“如果人们认为这里有例外，我想重申，没有例外，”非营利倡导组织妇女权利和赋权网络(WREN)的首席执行官阿马莉亚·卢克萨多告诉美国广播公司新闻。“这里一个也没有。...历史上，像这样的立法也有例外。因此，从字面上来看，这确实是我们在这个国家的[生殖健康保健]领域看到的最极端的立法。”
Luxardo说，WREN将是周二在州议会大厦示威的团体之一，因为该法案将在南卡罗来纳州参议院医疗事务小组委员会的第二次听证会上讨论。
10月份的第一次听证会持续了几个小时，数十人在公众意见征询期间作证。周二的听证会不会对公众开放，但人们可以看一条小溪.
生殖权利中心的高级州立法委员会成员Nimra Chowdhry告诉ABC新闻，由于听证会没有公开评论，反对者很难权衡为什么该法案是“有问题的”。
然而，她说，倡导者正在继续向立法者施加压力，让选民打电话给他们的代表，分享人们在悲惨的情况下努力获得堕胎护理的个人故事，以及一些人认为该法案违宪的法律理由。
Chowdhry补充说，她担心，如果该法案通过，其他州的立法者可能会以类似的语言和惩罚来复制该立法。
她说:“我们一次又一次地看到，当非常严格的立法公开时，如果它有可能在立法机构获得通过，并得到签署和实施，其他敌对国家经常会效仿。”“一旦我们看到一项法案获得通过，我们就会看到这种势头得到推动。它真的为其他州做类似的事情打开了大门。”
Luxardo同意，并补充说，如果立法通过，她相信这可以阻止供应商在南卡罗来纳州执业。
该法案也在反堕胎权利团体中引起了摩擦，一些人认为S.323走得太远了。
南卡罗来纳州公民生命组织表示，虽然它支持目前的六周禁令，但它反对将接受堕胎的人定罪。
声明写道:“对堕胎妇女定罪与我们几十年来在法律上保护胎儿和母亲的工作不一致。”“反堕胎者比任何人都更了解惩罚堕胎者的愿望，这些堕胎者冷酷无情，无视人类生命的尊严。但是像S.323那样把堕胎的妇女变成罪犯，不是办法。”
其他团体，如EPSC平等保护组织，也支持该法案。EPSC表示，希望该法案中的法律平等保护能够扩大到“从受精开始的所有早产儿”
当被问及评论时，EPSC向美国广播公司新闻指出九月声明.
该组织写道:“我们对该法案的观点以及法案作者结束堕胎的热情感到鼓舞。”。“对参与堕胎的所有各方实施刑事处罚是一种值得称赞的做法，这种做法背离了反堕胎机构传统上采取的做法，反堕胎机构主张通过立法为蓄意谋杀其早产婴儿的母亲提供完全的法律豁免权。”
该法案的共同提案人，包括州参议员理查德·卡什、比利·加勒特和雷克斯·赖斯，没有立即回复ABC新闻的置评请求。
South Carolina lawmakers debate abortion bill that could imprison people who receive the procedure
A few South Carolina lawmakers are holding a hearing on Tuesday to discuss a near-total abortion ban that removes exceptions and could send anyone involved with termination of a pregnancy to prison for decades.
Currently, the state has a six-week abortion ban, signed into law in May 2023, with limited exceptions for rape and incest up to 12 weeks, for fetal anomalies and to save the life of the pregnant person.
However,S.323, also called the "Unborn Child Protection Action," which is currently being debated in a state subcommittee,would repeal the rape, incest and fetal anomalies exceptions as well as make abortion a felony comparable to "the homicide of a person born alive," which, if it clears a series of legislative hurdles,could send people who have an abortion to prison for up to 30 years.
If the bill clears the committee, there will be a few other legislative steps before it's debated during the state legislature's regular session.
Those who aid, abet or perform an abortion could also face up to three decades in prison.
Additionally, the bill would make it unlawful to possess abortion pills or provide information about an abortion, make it a felony to transport a minor out of state to obtain an abortion, change the definition of legal contraceptive, and redefine embryos as full legal persons, which opponents of the bill say could threaten IVF access.
Opponents argue the bill would be one of the strictest pieces of legislation limiting access to reproductive health care seen in the U.S. and could have far-reaching effects.
"If people think that there are exceptions here, I want to reiterate that there are none," Amalia Luxardo, CEO of the nonprofit advocacy organization Women's Rights and Empowerment Network (WREN), told ABC News. "There are none here. ... Historically there have been exceptions when legislation like this comes down. And so, it really is, quite literally, the most extreme piece of legislation that we've seen in the [reproductive health care] space ever in this country. "
Luxardo said that WREN will be among the groups demonstrating at the state capitol on Tuesday as the bill is discussed during a second hearing of the South Carolina Senate Medical Affairs subcommittee.
The first hearing in October lasted several hours with dozens of people testifying during public comment. The hearing on Tuesday will not be open to the public, but people are able towatch a stream.
Nimra Chowdhry, senior state legislative council with the Center for Reproductive Rights, told ABC News that because the hearing is without public comment, it's difficult for opponents to weigh in on why the bill is "problematic."
However, she said advocates are continuing to put pressure on lawmakers by having constituents call up their representatives, sharing personal stories of people who have struggled to get abortion care in harrowing situations and legal reasonings behind why some consider the bill unconstitutional.
Chowdhry added that she is concerned that, if the bill passes, lawmakers in other states could replicate the legislation with similar language and penalties.
"We have seen time and time again, when very restrictive legislation sees the light of day, and if it potentially has a chance of moving through the legislature and getting signed and getting enacted, other hostile states very often follow suit," she said. "Once we see a bill get enacted, we see that kind of momentum get pushed forward. It really opens the door for other states to do something similar."
Luxardo agreed, adding that if the legislation passes, she believes it could deter providers from practicing in South Carolina.
The bill has also caused friction among anti-abortion rights groups, with some saying S.323 goes too far.
South Carolina Citizens for Life said that while it supports the current six-week ban, it opposes the criminalization of those who receive an abortion.
"Criminalizing women who have an abortion is inconsistent with our decades of work to legally protect both the unborn and the mother," the statement reads. "Pro-lifers understand better than anyone else the desire to punish the purveyors of abortion who act callously and without regard to the dignity of human life. But turning women who have abortions into criminals, as S.323 does, is not the way."
Other groups, such as Equal Protection South Carolina (EPSC), have supported the bill. EPSC stated it hopes legal equal protection in the bill can be expanded "for all pre-born babies beginning at fertilization."
When asked for comment, EPSC pointed ABC News to aSeptember statement.
"We are encouraged by the sentiment of the bill and the bill author's passion to end abortion," the group wrote. "The imposition of a criminal penalty in all parties involved in an abortion is a laudable departure from the approach traditionally taken by the Pro-Life establishment, which advocates for legislation providing total legal immunity to mothers who willfully murder their pre-born children."
Co-sponsors of the bill, including state Sens. Richard Cash, Billy Garrett and Rex Rice, did not immediately return ABC News' requests for comment.
