South Carolina Pre-files Abortion Legislation Ahead of Session

In South Carolina, two competing abortion bills have been pre-filed, with one, HB 3537, seeking to criminalize abortion by defining a fetus as a person from conception, aligning state law with the 14th Amendment. This proposed law could classify abortion as homicide or assault, reflecting a significant tightening of abortion regulations. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is set to hear a major religious liberty case from Wisconsin concerning church autonomy and government definitions of religious organizations, which may have wide-ranging implications for religious nonprofits and their tax statuses. Despite a lack of blockbuster rulings from the Supreme Court this year, lower courts have actively dealt with religious autonomy issues, including employment rights within religious institutions. Recent litigation highlights include the upholding of a California high school’s right to require Christian leaders in a student group and a federal appeals court's support for a Catholic school's employment policies. As 2024 progresses, various legal disputes continue to shape the landscape of religious freedom and abortion rights in the U.S.