Fetal Heartbeat bill now in effect in South Carolina to ban most abortions
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As of Monday, the Fetal Heartbeat Law went into effect in South Carolina after a ruling from the United States District Court of South Carolina.
South Carolina's Fetal Heartbeat Law went into effect after Roe v. Wade was overturned on Friday, giving states the power to restrict abortion. The bill had been signed into law in February 2021.
The U.S. District Court of South Carolina stayed the injunction that had previously stopped the implementation of the law.
Related: With Roe v. Wade overturned, what are abortion laws in SC's neighboring states?
More: South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed the Fetal Heartbeat Bill. Here's what's next.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said after the decision of Roe v. Wade, there was no longer any basis for blocking the Heartbeat Law.
“Our state is now carrying out a government’s most sacred and fundamental duty, protecting life," Wilson said in an emailed statement.
The law outlaws abortions after the point at which a fetal heartbeat is detected. Those providing abortions will also be required to give the mother an opportunity to view an ultrasound, hear the child’s heartbeat and receive information about her child's development, according to the emailed statement from Wilson.
The law has exceptions to allow abortions in cases of rape or incest, as long as the fetus is fewer than 20 weeks along, and in cases in which an abortion is necessary to save the life of the mother, Wilson said in his statement Tuesday.
Tamia Boyd is a Michigan native who covers breaking news in Greenville. Email her at tboyd@gannett.com, and follow her on Twitter @tamiamb.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Roe v. Wade: South Carolina fetal heartbeat law now in effect
