Oklahoma passes its own version of Texas' 6-week abortion ban

• Oklahoma just passed its own version of Texas' six-week abortion ban.
• The "Oklahoma Heartbeat Bill" prohibits abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected.

Oklahoma lawmakers on Thursday passed a bill that would ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, mimicking Texas' strict abortion law and adding to a slew of GOP-led statutes that aim to restrict abortion.

The bill, dubbed by proponents as the "Oklahoma Heartbeat Act," would prohibit any pregnant woman from getting an abortion once a physician can detect a fetal heartbeat, which can occur as early as six weeks into pregnancy — a time usually before many women know they are pregnant. There are no exceptions to the bill for cases of rape or incest, only if the mother's life is at risk.

The bill, which cleared the Oklahoma Senate in March, was approved in the House on Thursday in a 68-12 vote. The legislation now makes its way to the desk of Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican who's previously vowed to sign every bill that limits abortion in the state. If approved, the six-week ban would immediately go into effect, as it has been designated an "emergency" bill.

The bill — styled after a Texas law that has sparked controversy since it was enacted last September — also allows private citizens to sue anyone they know to be performing abortions or who induces an abortion in any way. The defendant could have to pay up to $10,000 for each abortion they performed.

Laws that restrict abortion so early in a pregnancy have been consistently struck down as they violate Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court's landmark 1973 ruling that guaranteed the right to an abortion until around 24 weeks of pregnancy. Yet Texas' six-week ban has survived legal challenges because of its unique enforcement mechanism that's placed on private citizens rather than state officials. The law has pushed women who want an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy to travel out of state for medical care, or to carry their unwanted pregnancy to term.

Earlier this month, Stitt signed a different abortion bill into law that prohibits physicians from giving abortions except in the case of a medical emergency. Anyone convicted of doing so would face up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

The new wave of abortion restrictions comes as the Supreme Court is due to release a landmark decision this spring concerning a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy. The state has called on the nation's high court to overturn Roe v. Wade.