The Arizona House on Thursday voted to approve a bill that would effectively ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Why it matters: The bill, approved by Arizona's Senate last month, resembles a Mississippi abortion ban under review by the Supreme Court, which could overturn Roe v. Wade.
Details: Arizona's SB 1164 states that any health professional who performs an abortion after the 15th week of pregnancy could lose their medical license or face imprisonment.
- The bill does not contain exceptions for cases of rape or incest, only for medical emergencies that could result in the pregnant person's death or "substantial impairment of a major bodily function."
What's next: The bill now heads to the desk of Gov. Doug Ducey (R), who is expected to sign it.
- Ducey has signed "every piece of anti-abortion legislation" that has come before him since entering office in 2015, AP notes.
What they're saying: "It's a cowardly path to a cruel end — denying Arizonians the right to make their own health care decisions," Brittany Fonteno, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Arizona, said in a statement.
- "Make no mistake — the legislators who voted in favor of this law in the House and Senate will not stop at a 15-week ban. They will continue to chip away at abortion care until abortion is illegal in Arizona," Fonteno added in another statement.
The big picture: Arizona joins a slew of other states that have recently passed restrictive abortion laws.
- Last year, Texas passed what critics labeled the country's most restrictive abortion ban, prohibiting the procedure after six weeks, before many people know they are pregnant.
- On Wednesday, Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) also signed into law a Texas copycat bill that outlaws abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
- A bill banning nearly all abortions, modeled after Texas' law, is currently making its way through Oklahoma's legislature, as well.
Go deeper: What abortion access would look like if Roe v. Wade is overturned