Gov. Kevin Stitt will decide on a Texas-style anti-abortion bill that would go into effect immediately after it is signed.

On Thursday, the Oklahoma House passed Senate Bill 1503 that copies a restrictive anti-abortion law that went into effect in Texas in September.

The law forced thousands of Texans to have abortions in neighboring states, including Oklahoma.

Saying SB 1503 could cause ‘irreparable harm’ to patients and healthcare workers, abortion providers asked Oklahoma Supreme Court to block bill from taking effect if it became law.

Although similar legal challenges have failed in Texas, the providers have expressed optimism there is enough precedent for the Oklahoma high court to support their request for an emergency order.

“The Oklahoma Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that the state legislature’s extreme attempts to restrict abortion are unconstitutional, and these bans are among the most extreme to date,” said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights. “We call on the state courts to respect the state constitution and apply Oklahoma’s precedent to block these insidious abortion bans before they go into effect.”

The lawsuit is supported by Planned Parenthood, the Tulsa Women’s Reproductive Clinic, the Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice and abortion provider Dr. Alan Braid.

The groups also filed a lawsuit in district court against a new law due to take effect in August that would classify performing an abortion as a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. .

Related: Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signs near-total abortion ban to go into effect in August

Using legislative maneuvers to stifle debate, the GOP supermajority pushed through SB 1503 in minutes without any questions or discussion. In a silent protest, House Democrats walked out of the chamber after voting on the bill which passed the House on a 68-12 vote.

SB 1503 by Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, and Rep. Todd Russ, R-Cordell, would ban most abortions after a “fetal heartbeat” is detected. This can happen about six weeks into pregnancy, often before a woman knows she is pregnant.

The bill would effectively implement a near-total ban on abortion by allowing private citizens to sue anyone who “aids or abets” a woman seeking an abortion. Winning plaintiffs could receive at least $10,000.

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“Texas law has already saved the lives of many unborn children,” Daniels said in an earlier statement. “We can achieve the same result in Oklahoma with SB 1503.”

The law provides exceptions for women who have an abortion due to a medical emergency, rape or incest. Women seeking abortions could not be prosecuted under the proposed law.

Stitt said he would sign any anti-abortion bills that came to his desk.

Rep. Forrest Bennett, D-Oklahoma City, took issue with how House leaders rushed the bill through the chamber without giving the minority a chance to voice their concerns.

“I think it’s wrong to use taxpayers’ time so aggressively,” he said.

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He also said the bill is misleading because it contains scientifically inaccurate information that implies an embryo has a heart and a cardiovascular system at six weeks.

Due to an emergency clause on SB 1503, the measure could take effect immediately upon Stitt’s signing, which could happen anytime in the coming days.

Oklahoma Senate proposes tougher abortion ban

The state Senate on Thursday advanced an even more restrictive ban on Texas-style abortion.

In a 35-10 vote, the Senate approved House Bill 4327 which also allows citizens to sue anyone who “aids or abets” a woman seeking an abortion. The woman seeking an abortion could not be prosecuted.

However, this bill would apply at any time during a woman’s pregnancy, as opposed to after a “fetal heartbeat” is detected around the sixth week.

HB 4327 includes an exception for abortions necessary to save a woman’s life and pregnancies due to rape or incest, but only if the crime is reported to law enforcement.

Senate Minority Leader Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City, said the bill requires a woman to relieve the most traumatic event of her life to law enforcement before she has the right to make their own health care decisions.

Daniels, the Senate author of HB 4327, said the beauty of Texas-style abortion bans is that the law acts as a deterrent without any state enforcement.

“It won’t save a single life,” she said. “It will save many, many lives. It’s been proven in Texas.”

Daniels called Roe v. Wade – the US Supreme Court decision that established a woman’s constitutional right to seek an abortion – a dark stain in the nation’s history.

Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, said providing comprehensive sex education, access to contraception, and economic and financial independence for women are key to reducing abortions.

She also said women should have the freedom and access to make their own health decisions without government interference.

“We should live in a world where we can respect everyone’s personal decisions about if, when and how to have children, including decisions about abortion,” she said.

Because HB 4327 was amended in the Senate, the bill now returns to the House.