NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Two Tennessee lawmakers introduced a new bill this week that would aban abortions in Tennessee if the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturns Roe v. Wade or amends the Constitution to allow states to prohibit abortion.
According to WKRN News 2, the “Human Life Protection Act” will likely get a lot of attention in the halls of the state legislature.
Roe v. Wade is the landmark legislation that legalized abortion in the US in 1973.
One exception to the Tennessee bill is if giving birth endangers the mother’s life in some way.
RELATED: Nashville’s only abortion clinic suspends abortion services
“It will restore the pre-Roe v. Wade Tennessee law that made an exception for the life of a mother, so we are going to be working on this in the coming weeks and are prepared for its great success,” Sen. Delores Gresham, who co-sponsored the bill with Rep. Susan Lynn, told News 2.
Several states have already passed similar measures. In Kentucky, lawmakers have also started advancing a bill that would ban most abortions in the state in the event that Roe v. Wade is overturned.
The measure easily cleared the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. The bill next goes to the full House.
The new bill would ban abortions in Kentucky, except when the procedure is necessary to save the mother’s life, similar to the bill in Tennessee. The measure would become part of Kentucky law if the Roe v. Wade decision is overturned or the U.S. Constitution is amended to restore states’ authority to prohibit abortion.
The bill’s opponents said such measures would increase risks to women who would still choose to undergo the procedure.
*The Associated Press contributed to this report.