The fiercely-debated bill also requires doctors to tell women they
could possibly reverse the effects of a drug-induced abortion, a
claim that critics called "junk science."
The legislation was approved by an 18-11 vote in the
Republican-controlled Senate, with two Democrats voting for it.
House lawmakers on Monday approved the bill by a 33-24 margin.
It now goes to Arizona Republican Governor Doug Ducey, who has not
indicated whether he will sign or veto the bill. He has said he is
opposed to abortion.
A governor's spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment
on Wednesday.
Supporters said the bill would prevent taxpayer money from paying
for abortion services, as many individuals insured through the
federally-run exchange receive government subsidies.
The measure exempts cases of incest, rape and life-saving situations
from the coverage ban.
Opponents countered, saying there was no proof that public dollars
had been used for the elective procedures and calling the law an
overreach.
The Guttmacher Institute, a research group supporting the right to
abortion whose reports are cited by both sides in the debate, says
abortion coverage for those eligible for federal subsidies is
limited to cases of rape, incest and life-endangerment.
During debate on the Senate floor, the most heated topic was the
bill's requirement that patients be told the effects of abortion
pills may be undone by using high doses of a hormone.
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"This is junk science, this is quack medicine," said Senate Minority
Leader Katie Hobbs, a Phoenix Democrat. "There is absolutely no
evidence anywhere... that supports this as a valid medical
procedure."
Backers say there is ample evidence that the reversal is possible if
acted upon quickly, though they provided no peer-reviewed studies to
support that claim.
"This is a great day for woman in Arizona who are considering
getting an abortion to get all the facts they need and a great day
for Arizona taxpayers," said Cathi Herrod, president of the Center
for Arizona Policy, a conservative group that pushed for the
measure.
In December, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked Arizona from enforcing a
state law that restricts access to abortion-inducing drugs by
prohibiting off-label uses of RU-486, the so-called "abortion pill."
(Editing by Curtis Skinner and Ryan Woo)
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