Subcommittee advances fentanyl- and drug-induced homicide bills after victims, law enforcement testify

The South Carolina Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on (date not specified) voted to give favorable reports to two measures aimed at making it a felony to provide drugs that cause a user's death, after family members, solicitors and law enforcement urged lawmakers to move quickly.

Senator Alexander, who brought the bills before the panel, told members he was “so proud of the Senate for its commitment” and said he looked forward to getting the legislation to the governor's desk this year.

The proposals considered were Senate Bill 156, described to the committee as a fentanyl‑induced homicide offense, and Senate Bill 183, described as a broader drug‑induced homicide measure covering multiple synthetic substances. Both bills would create felony penalties when a person knowingly delivers a controlled substance in exchange for value and that delivery is the proximate cause of the recipient's death; the drug‑induced draft also includes language intended to capture analogs and newly appearing synthetics.

Why this matters: family members of overdose victims said current criminal law leaves a gap that often prevents prosecutors from holding…