Oklahoma passes bill to make abortion a criminal offense

Women who receive the procedure could spend up to three years in prison

Pro-choice campaigners hold up coat hangers to show the dangers of pushing abortions underground (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

Women who get an abortion could spend up to three years in prison after Oklahoma politicians passed a bill which would make the procedure a criminal offense.

The bill, named as the first of its kind by the Center for Reproductive Rights, would also restrict any doctor or physician from obtaining or renewing their licence to practice medicine if they perform an abortion.

Without discussion or debate, as reported by the Associated Press, the Oklahoma senate passed the bill by 33-12.

The law was first proposed by Republican senator Nathan Dahm, and will be handed over to Republican governor Mary Fallin.

Ms Fallin's spokesperson told the AP that she needed time for her and her staff to review the bill before giving a comment.

According to her website, Ms Fallin describes one of her accomplishments as believing in the "sanctity of life" and pursuing pro-life policies throughout her career.

She has five days to sign the bill before it automatically becomes law.

During her time as governor since 2011, she has passed 18 bills which act to restict abortions, including the closure of clinics, banning second trimester abortions and forcing doctors to give women an ultrasound and display and describe the image of the foetus to patients.

The house bill in Oklahoma has been passed the same week that South Carolina has banned abortion after 19 weeks.

Mr Dahm, who proposed the bill, said he was hopeful that the law could overturn Roe V Wade, a landmark case in the 1970s which legalized abortion nationwide.

Oklahoma’s House also demanded that its Department of Health produce informational material to “achieve an abortion-free society”, but did not approve funding for the measure.

It will now go to the state senate.

A previous version of the bill, requiring schools to teach students that life begins at conception, was amended by the senate.

Utah recently passed a new law forcing abortion doctors to render their patients unconscious to ensure the foetus does not feel “pain” under the “Protecting Unborn Children Amendment”.