South Carolina General Assembly

120th Session, 2013-2014

S.618

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill

Sponsors: Senators Bright, Hutto, Bryant, Verdin, Fair, L.Martin, Massey, S.Martin, Davis, Shealy and Campsen

Document Path: l:\s-res\lb\050pubf.kmm.lb.docx

Introduced in the Senate on April 16, 2013

Last Amended on May 1, 2013

Currently residing in the Senate

Summary: Abortion

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

DateBodyAction Description with journal page number

4/16/2013SenateIntroduced and read first time (Senate Journalpage9)

4/16/2013SenateReferred to Committee on Finance(Senate Journalpage9)

4/25/2013SenatePolled out of committee Finance(Senate Journalpage13)

4/25/2013SenateCommittee report: Favorable Finance(Senate Journalpage13)

4/25/2013SenateRead second time (Senate Journalpage13)

4/25/2013SenateRoll call Ayes41 Nays0 (Senate Journalpage13)

5/1/2013SenateAmended (Senate Journalpage78)

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

4/16/2013

4/25/2013

5/1/2013

AMENDED

May 1, 2013

S.618

Introduced by Senators Bright, Hutto, Bryant, Verdin, Fair, L.Martin, Grooms, Massey, S.Martin, Davis, Shealy and Campsen

S. Printed 5/1/13--S.

Read the first time April 16, 2013.

[618-1]

A BILL

TO AMEND ARTICLE 5, CHAPTER 11, TITLE 1 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO STATE EMPLOYEES AND RETIREES INSURANCE, TO PROHIBIT EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STATE HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN FROM BEING USED TO PAY FOR ABORTIONS AND ANCILLARY SERVICES, TO PROVIDE THAT EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS MAY BE USED TO REIMBURSE EXPENSES AND ANCILLARY SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH ABORTIONS PERFORMED IN CASES OF RAPE, INCEST, OR WHERE THE HEALTH OF THE MOTHER IS ENDANGERED, TO PROVIDE THAT REIMBURSEMENT MUST COME FROM A FUND CREATED SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT PURPOSE, TO ALLOW FOR SUBSCRIBERS TO OPT OUT OF PERMITTING A PORTION OF THEIR EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM BEING TRANSFERRED TO THE FUND, TO PROVIDE FOR THE MEANS TO OPT OUT, AND TO ESTABLISH THE FUND AND TO PROVIDE FOR ITS PURPOSES.

Amend Title To Conform

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION1.Article 5, Chapter 11, Title 1 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

“Section 111790.(A)No funds appropriated for employer contributions to the State Health Insurance Plan may be expended to reimburse the expenses of an abortion, including ancillary services provided contemporaneously with abortion services, except as otherwise provided in this section.

(B)(1)There is created a separate and distinct subaccount within the State Health Insurance Plan to be known as the Woman’s Services Fund. The fund is comprised of employee contributions by subscribers who do not opt out of permitting a portion of his employee contributions from being transferred to the fund. Monies deposited in the fund must be used to reimburse the expenses of an abortion, including ancillary services, performed in cases of rape, incest, or where the mother’s medical condition is one which, in the opinion of her physician within a reasonable degree of medical certainty, so complicates the pregnancy as to necessitate an immediate abortion to avert the risk of her death.

(2)(a)A portion of each subscriber’s employee contribution to the State Health Insurance Plan must be transferred to the fund to carry out the purposes of the fund. A subscriber may opt out of permitting a portion of his employee contributions from being transferred to the fund.

(b)During annual enrollment, the State Health Insurance Plan must include on its enrollment form a section that allows a subscriber of the plan to optout of permitting a portion of the subscriber’s employee contributions from being transferred to the fund. The section of the enrollment form relating to optingout shall state: ‘By checking the box, I am declaring that I do not want any portion of my premium to be used to reimburse the expenses of an abortion, including ancillary services, performed in cases of rape, incest, or where the mother’s medical condition is one which, in the opinion of her physician within a reasonable degree of medical certainty, so complicates the pregnancy as to necessitate an immediate abortion to avert the risk of her death.’

(3)A subscriber’s decision to optout or not optout does not affect the subscriber’s premium or any participant’s access to coverage under the plan or the fund created by this section.”

SECTION2.This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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