New bills: restricting abortion medications and bathrooms; burdensome parental rights requirements

New bills: restricting abortion medications and bathrooms; burdensome parental rights requirements

Time Range For Action Alert: 
Jan 19 2026 to Jan 31 2026

your voice matters

The 2026 session of the South Carolina General Assembly has started with a bang. We've issued an  alert asking you to speak out on bills restricting abortion medication. That bill remains active. There are new bills on bathroom issues and parental rights in schools.

 

Abortion Medication: H.4760

Last week a draconian abortion ban failed to achieve passage in subcommittee but H.4760, which would severely limit access to abortion-inducing medications, was forwarded to the House Judiciary Committee with a favorable recommendation. It is on their agenda for Tuesday January 20 continuing Wednesday, January 21.

Take action 

1. You can email the Judiciary Committee at HJudComm [at] schouse.gov. 

2. If you are the constituent of a House Judiciary Committee member, please call their office to tell them to vote no on this harmful bill. 

Weston Newton (Chairman); Wallace Jordan, Jr.; William Bailey; Justin Bamberg; Beth Bernstein; Thomas Brittain, Jr.; Paula Calhoon; Jerry Govan; Thomas Guest, Jr.; Christopher Hart; Rosalyn Henderson-Myers, Ph.D.; Jeffrey Johnson; John King; Kathy Landing; Jason Luck; David Martin; Donald McCabe, Jr.; John McCravy, III; Cody Mitchell; Travis Moore; Robby Robbins; Seth Rose; Tiffany Spann-Wilder; Elizabeth Wetmore; Paul Wickensimer. Their contact information is here. 

Talking points:

  • This is a back-door abortion ban. Anti-abortion organizations want to ban abortion medication because it is safe, convenient, affordable and can be taken in the comfort of one’s own home. 

  • Abortion medication has been safely used in the United States for 25 years and in Europe for 40 years. It has a better safety record than many over-the-counter drugs like Tylenol and other drugs like Viagra. 

  • Abortion medications are prescribed frequently for non-abortion purposes.These medications are used for numerous health reasons other than to complete an abortion, including important uses in miscarriage management, to stop bleeding after childbirth, to stop bleeding during pregnancy, controlling gastrointestinal issues, cancer, ectopic pregnancy, and IUD insertion.

The “Bathroom Bill:” H.4756

H.4756 would require students at any level in public schools to use restrooms and changing facilities consistent with their gender assigned at birth. 

Talking points:

  • Schools have made reasonable accommodations to ensure that the privacy of all students is protected and can continue to do so. This bill is not needed. 

  • Transgender individuals usually do not conform in appearance with expectations based on the gender assigned on their birth certificates. Forcing them to use facilities designated for their assigned gender at birth puts them at risk of bullying and harassment, while creating unnecessary concern for cisgender students in that space. 

  • This bill would also expose cisgender individuals to increased harassment if they do not conform to gender expectations.

Parental Rights: H.4757

H.4757 is a bill that would require the State Board of Education and local school boards to establish policies and procedures to give parents a broad range of opportunities to direct and control specific aspects of the public education and health care of their children. It would also establish opportunities for administrative appeal and a private right of action in circuit court should they not be satisfied with administrative responses.

Parental rights are important, but H.4757 presents concerning elements. In practice, the requirements of this bill would be a significant burden on teachers and schools. 

Take action:

The deadline for submitting written testimony to the subcommittee has passed (January 16) but it still possible to email or call subcommittee members: Chair Heath Session, representatives Thomas Beach, Sylleste Davis, Scott Montgomery, J.A. Moore, and Courtney Waters. 

Talking points:

  • The bill would create substantial work for teachers, administrators, and school board members while failing to acknowledge the efforts that schools are already making to cooperate with parents to resolve concerns. 

  • There is a robust and inclusive curriculum and materials review and selection process for all subjects at both the state and local level. In addition, parents are provided with information about the courses and materials at the beginning of each semester.

  • Teachers might have 90-120 students per day and would need to receive permission from the parents of each student before taking up certain subject matter. This is an unreasonable requirement. 

  • Parents may have very broad beliefs about what could be harmful to their child including ideas in social studies, nutrition, the arts, math, or science. Attempting to accommodate them all is simply not feasible. 

  • Most parents try to act in the best interest of their children but sadly we know that there are exceptions. Vulnerable children often rely on relationships with trusted adults and requiring disclosure to parents could have very harmful consequences.