Statement on Senate Bill 323 – The Unborn Child Protection Act
September 19th, 2025 – Columbia, SC. Earlier this month, the Senate Medical Affairs Committee scheduled a subcommittee hearing on October 1st, for S.323, the Unborn Child Protection Act, filed by Senator Richard Cash. We are encouraged by the sentiment of the bill and the bill author’s passion to end abortion. The imposition of a criminal penalty on 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 preborn children.
However, we believe that there are two ways in which S.323 must be strengthened for us to give this bill our full support: (1) S.323 should be amended to provide equal protection to all preborn children under the SC Homicide code and (2) the bill should be amended to protect all preborn children at the moment of fertilization, irrespective of their gestation or location.
The mission of EPSC is to “Mobilize Christians to influence lawmakers to establish equal protection and equal justice for the pre-born.” One of our core beliefs is “Legislation that does not provide equal protection of the laws for the pre-born is unjust, unconstitutional, and should be opposed.” Even though S.323, if enacted, would become America’s strongest anti-abortion law, it will not provide preborn babies equal legal protection of the laws. God says, “You shall not show partiality in judgement” (Dt. 1:17). Failing to treat the murder of preborn children as homicide, in the same way we treat the homicide of a born person, violates God’s Law, the U.S., and S.C. Constitutions.
In addition, S. 323 does NOT actually ban abortion from the moment of conception (e.g., fertilization) but from the moment of a “clinically diagnosable pregnancy of a woman.” This generally happens 7-10 days AFTER fertilization. This language will make it legal to kill preborn babies before implantation in a mother’s womb. Preborn babies conceived outside the womb through In-vitro fertilization (IVF) will also be left unprotected. The value of a human-being should not be determined by the location in which that person was conceived. S.323 must be amended to protect preborn children who are losing their lives to the negligent and homicidal practices of the IVF industry every day in SC.
Equally protecting ALL preborn babies beginning at fertilization follows God’s command to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt. 22:39) and establishes justice for the fatherless (Ps. 82:3, Is. 1:17, Is. 10:2, and Jer. 5:28). Our state legislators have a duty before God to immediately end the legal killing of ALL preborn babies in our state.
We urge the Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee to amend S.323 to grant ALL preborn babies (from fertilization) the equal protection of the laws, like H.3537, the South Carolina Prenatal Equal Protection Act.
We also urge all Christians to contact the following Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee members and urge them to amend S.323 to make it Equal Protection from fertilization!
Richard Cash
RichardCash@scsenate.gov
(864) 505-2130
Shane R. Martin
ShaneMartin@scsenate.gov
(864) 804-8499
Tom Corbin
TomCorbin@scsenate.gov
(803) 212-6100
Billy Garrett
BillyGarrett@scsenate.gov
(864) 229-8000
Tom Fernandez
TomFernandez@scsenate.gov
(803) 212-6024
Jeff Zell
JeffZell@scsenate.gov
(803) 212-6040
In Christ,
Mark Corral
President
Equal Protection SC
EqualProtectionSC.org
However, we believe that there are two ways in which S.323 must be strengthened for us to give this bill our full support: (1) S.323 should be amended to provide equal protection to all preborn children under the SC Homicide code and (2) the bill should be amended to protect all preborn children at the moment of fertilization, irrespective of their gestation or location.
The mission of EPSC is to “Mobilize Christians to influence lawmakers to establish equal protection and equal justice for the pre-born.” One of our core beliefs is “Legislation that does not provide equal protection of the laws for the pre-born is unjust, unconstitutional, and should be opposed.” Even though S.323, if enacted, would become America’s strongest anti-abortion law, it will not provide preborn babies equal legal protection of the laws. God says, “You shall not show partiality in judgement” (Dt. 1:17). Failing to treat the murder of preborn children as homicide, in the same way we treat the homicide of a born person, violates God’s Law, the U.S., and S.C. Constitutions.
In addition, S. 323 does NOT actually ban abortion from the moment of conception (e.g., fertilization) but from the moment of a “clinically diagnosable pregnancy of a woman.” This generally happens 7-10 days AFTER fertilization. This language will make it legal to kill preborn babies before implantation in a mother’s womb. Preborn babies conceived outside the womb through In-vitro fertilization (IVF) will also be left unprotected. The value of a human-being should not be determined by the location in which that person was conceived. S.323 must be amended to protect preborn children who are losing their lives to the negligent and homicidal practices of the IVF industry every day in SC.
Equally protecting ALL preborn babies beginning at fertilization follows God’s command to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt. 22:39) and establishes justice for the fatherless (Ps. 82:3, Is. 1:17, Is. 10:2, and Jer. 5:28). Our state legislators have a duty before God to immediately end the legal killing of ALL preborn babies in our state.
We urge the Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee to amend S.323 to grant ALL preborn babies (from fertilization) the equal protection of the laws, like H.3537, the South Carolina Prenatal Equal Protection Act.
We also urge all Christians to contact the following Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee members and urge them to amend S.323 to make it Equal Protection from fertilization!
Richard Cash
RichardCash@scsenate.gov
(864) 505-2130
Shane R. Martin
ShaneMartin@scsenate.gov
(864) 804-8499
Tom Corbin
TomCorbin@scsenate.gov
(803) 212-6100
Billy Garrett
BillyGarrett@scsenate.gov
(864) 229-8000
Tom Fernandez
TomFernandez@scsenate.gov
(803) 212-6024
Jeff Zell
JeffZell@scsenate.gov
(803) 212-6040
In Christ,
Mark Corral
President
Equal Protection SC
EqualProtectionSC.org
News Source: Columbia Christians for Life