January 21, 2026
“A new kind of cartel pushes pills designed to kill, and precious lives in South Carolina are being lost,” said Students for Life’s Kristan Hawkins. “Legislators can protect preborn babies and their mothers by passing the ‘Abortion Inducing Drugs Act,’ which so far Speaker of the House Rep. G. Murrell Smith Jr has failed to advance, ignoring the deadly consequences of Chemical Abortion Pills. The Pro-Life Generation is prepared to engage in the next election cycle, against those who are abandoning women and the preborn to deadly Chemical Abortion Pill traffickers.”
Contact [email protected] to set up interviews.
COLUMBIA S.C. (01-21-2025) – Students for Life Action (SFLAction) President Kristan Hawkins called on Speaker of the House Rep. G. Murrell Smith, Jr. to hold an immediate vote on the “Abortion Inducing Drugs Act” (HB4760), introduced by Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Rep. Wes Newton and co-sponsored by SFLAction Pro-Life Champion Rep. John McCravy, along with many other Pro-Life allies in the state. This bill is based off of SFLAction’s model legislation, the “Anti-Chemical Abortion Pill Trafficking Act.” If signed into law, the “Abortion Inducing Drugs Act” would reinforce South Carolina’s limit of abortions at six weeks gestation by imposing criminal and civil penalties on Chemical Abortion Pill vendors mailing deadly drugs designed to end precious lives in the womb.
“Smith’s inaction on some key pro-life legislation has frustrated pro-life voters and activists in South Carolina in recent sessions,” said Hawkins. “With this bill, legislators can begin holding Chemical Abortion Pill traffickers accountable for the devastation of life-ending drugs.”
By margins of more than 9 in 10, registered Youth Voters support protections that address the deadly harms and risks of Chemical Abortion Pills, as reported in Students for Life’s 2026 Demetree Institute for Pro-Life Advancement Survey USA poll.
Here’s what the “Abortion Inducing Drugs Act” will do in South Carolina:
- Prohibits mailing, shipping, or prescribing abortifacients, including out-of-state sources.
- Classifies committing or attempting to commit an abortion using an abortifacient as a felony punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to $100,000. Mothers would not be criminalized.
- Reinforces state sovereignty over medical regulation.
- Provides remedies including injunctive relief, of $10,000 in damages per violation, and recovery of court costs and attorney’s fees. Excludes convicted abusers, traffickers, and rapists from bringing such civil actions.
- Allows civil actions to be filed against Chemical Abortion Pill vendors up to three years after the cause of action or one year after any legal stay is lifted.
SFLAction is encouraging South Carolina voters to join the fight by telling their Representatives to VOTE YES on the “Abortion Inducing Drugs Act.”
SFLAction’s push to get the “Abortion Inducing Drugs Act” introduced and passed is part of our larger Make America Pro-Life Again Roadmap. Launched last November, this legislative package built upon the Gonzales v. Carhart case will help take down abortion at the state and federal level.
TO LEARN ABOUT STUDENTS FOR LIFE ACTION’S MAKE AMERICA PRO-LIFE AGAIN ROADMAP, CLICK HERE.
SFLAction has been extremely active in South Carolina throughout the past several years, educating voters and engaging lawmakers:
- Introduced H. 3457, “Human Life Protection Act.”
- SFLAction President Kristan Hawkins joined former South Carolina Lt. Gov. Ken Ard on “Wake Up Carolina” and Corey Allen on “Palmetto Talk Live” to discuss the “Human Life Protection Act,” emphasizing the urgent need for GOP leadership to act on the bill and calling out Speaker Smith and Rep. Newton for stalling life-saving protections for the preborn.
- SFLAction launched coordinated efforts in the Palmetto State urging Rep. Newton and Speaker Smith to bring the “Human Life Protection Act” to a floor vote.
- Former Planned Parenthood director and now pro-life advocate Abby Johnson, along with Hawkins, sent a letter to both Speaker Smith and Rep. Newton urging them to hold a vote for the “Human Life Protection Act.”
- Kristan Hawkins joined FITS News and ABC Columbia during a news conference, calling on Speaker Smith and Rep. Newton to pass the “Human Life Protection Act.”
- Students for Life of America Regional Coordinator for the Carolinas, Alicia Foreman, joined FITSNews for one of our Lobby Days.
- Kristan Hawkins held a townhall with Jason Rapert — Clock’s Ticking for Republicans in South Carolina to Act on Pro-Life Legislation.
- Kristan Hawkins wrote an op-ed with Frances Floresca for FITSNews — South Carolina Is Pro-Life, House GOP Leadership Isn’t.
For interviews, contact [email protected]
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The Pro-Life Generation (PLG) is an umbrella organization encompassing the most-cutting edge engagement opportunities for a Vote Pro-Life First Community. PLG includes Students for Life Action (SFLAction), a 501c4, along with its 501c3 sister organization, Students for Life of America (SFLA), that together make up the nation’s largest, pro-life youth organization, managing a grassroots political and policy operation engaging Americans of all ages but with a special emphasis on the largest segment of voters — the Youth Vote. Headquartered in Fredericksburg, VA, PLG/SFLA/SFLAction serves more than 1,400 groups on middle, high school, college, medical, and law school campuses in all 50 states. Our team has more conversations with this generation targeted by the abortion lobby than any other pro-life operation in the world, each week reaching more than 4 million across social media platforms and averaging 1.3 million video views. In addition to SFLA/SFLAction, PLG leads multiple initiatives to lead and serve the future of the pro-life movement including the Campaign for Abortion Free Cities, Standing With You, and the Demetree Institute for Pro-Life Advancement . Over more than 17 years, PLG CEO Kristan Hawkins has grown the operation into a nearly $20M organization, now preparing for an abortion-free America.