-- Voting 73 to 23, the Alabama House today passed a bill that supporters say will improve patient safety at abortion clinics, and critics say is a backdoor attempt to close the state's five remaining clinics.

The decision comes after more than

. The Women's Health and Safety Act now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Within moments of the passage, the bill's sponsor, Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin, R-Indian Springs, released a statement praising the decision.

"Though I am a committed opponent of legalized abortion, the U.S. Supreme Court has sadly allowed it to remain the law of the land," she said. "So we must do everything possible to ensure the procedure is performed in a safe and healthy environment."

During discussion, McClurkin denied her intent was to close abortion clinics by installing burdensome regulations.

"To me, this truly is a women's rights bill. It protects the right of a woman having abortion to have it in a safe and healthy environment," she said.

Voting 22-66, the House rejected a proposed amendment from Rep. John Rogers Jr. that would encourage mothers to notify fathers before having an abortion.

It also voted 29-64 to reject an amendment proposed by Rep. Joe Hubbard, D-Montgomery, that would prohibit hospitals from denying abortion doctors admitting privileges based solely on the fact they provide abortions.

The bill would mandate the personal presence of an Alabama-licensed physician during every abortion procedure. That physician would be required to have admitting privileges at a hospital within the metropolitan area.

Hubbard said many hospitals will refuse to grant admitting privileges to doctors who provide abortions based on the procedures they provide.

"I think their vote on this amendment showed the real intent of the bill," he said.

Currently, clinics are permitted to use out-of-state doctors and contract with local on-call doctors to provide follow-up care in the event of complications.

The bill would also declare abortion a surgical procedure that "involves the taking of a human life" and declare abortion clinics ambulatory health facilities, requiring them to meet the same building codes.

And the bill would require abortion providers to report the name of any abortion recipient less than 14 years of age to the Department of Human Resources.

If the recipient is less than 16, the clinic would be required to solicit the name of the father and report both to law enforcement and the county department of human resources if the father is two or more years older than the mother.

In response to the passage, Bill Armistead, chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, issued a statement applauding the bill.

"I am encouraged that dangerous and unregulated fly-by-night abortion clinics will cease to exist in Alabama and women will receive the same standard of care they would receive in a hospital or emergency room during such a tumultuous and emotionally scarring time," he said.

Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood condemned the vote, alleging it would put women's health at risk.

"This legislation is based upon false assertions and bad information. Abortion already is one of the safest medical procedures for women," said Planned Parenthood Southeast Vice President of Public Policy Nikema Williams. "The people behind House Bill 57 really want to make all abortion illegal and unavailable in Alabama."

During more than four hours of debate dominated by Democratic opponents, critics alleged the real intent of the bill was to deny access to legal abortions, that it overstepped the Legislature's authority and that it would result in less safety for women by forcing them to seek abortions elsewhere.

"I'm pro-life, but I don't think it's my responsibility to tell people what to do with their own personal lives. That's just now who I am," said Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa.

"At the end of the day, what this bill will do is send young girls and ladies to the back rooms for them to butchered when they want to have an abortion and they're going to get it through any means necessary," said Rep. Mary Moore, D-Birmingham.

"This kind of legislation is making its way all across the United State. The reality is ever since we legalized abortion in 1973, there have been all these attempts to restrict access for women by over regulation," said Rep. Patricia Todd, D-Montgomery.

Even some supporters took that view of the legislation, despite McClurkin's statement to the contrary.

However, even some supporters said the bill would deny women access to abortions.

"I agree with Rep. Todd, I think that it will truly limit abortions that are done in Alabama, and I'm pleased with that," said Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur.

See the full House vote below:

Representative Vote Representative Vote House District 11, Vacant Pass * House District 97, Vacant Pass Baker, Alan, (R) Yes Ball, Mike (R) Yes Bandy, George C. (D) Pass Barton, Jim (R) Yes Baughn, Richard (R) Yes Beckman, Paul (R) Yes Beech, Elaine (D) Yes Black, Marcel (D) No Boman, Daniel Yes Boothe, Alan C. (R) Yes Boyd, Barbar B. (D) No Bracy, Napoleon Jr. (D) No Bridges, Duwayne (R) Yes Brown, K.L. (R) Yes Burdine, Greg (D) Yes Buskey, James E. (D) No Butler, Mack (R) Yes Buttram, Mac (R) Yes Carns, Jim (R) Yes Chesteen, Donnie (R) Yes Clouse, Steve (R) Yes Coleman-Evans, Merika (D) No Collins, Terri (R) Yes Colston, David (D) No Davis, Randy (R) Yes DeMarco, Paul (R) Yes Drake, Dickie (R) Yes England, Chris (D) No Farley, Allen (R) Yes Faust, Joe (R) Yes Fincher, Chad (R) Yes Ford, Craig (D) Yes Forte, Berry (D) No Gaston, Victor (R) Yes Givan, Juandalynn (D) No Greer, Lynn (R) Yes Greeson, Todd (R) Yes Grimsley, Dexter (D) Pass Hall, Laura (D) No Hammon, Micky (R) Yes Harper, Alan (R) Yes Henry, Ed (R) Yes Hill, Mike (R) Yes Holmes, Alvin (D) No Howard, Ralph (D) No Hubbard, Joe (D) Yes Hubbard, Mike (R) Yes Hurst, Steve (R) Yes Ison, Jamie (R) Yes Jackson, Thomas E. (D) No Johnson, Ken (R) Yes Johnson, Ronald G. (R) Yes Johnson, Wayne (R) Yes Jones, Mike (R) Yes Knight, John F. (D) No Laird, Richard J. (I) Yes Lee, Paul (R) Yes Lindsey, Richard J. (D) Pass Long, Wes (R) Yes Love, Jay (R) Yes Mask, Barry (R) Yes McAdory, Lawrence (D) No McCampbell, A.J. (D) Pass McClammy, Thad (D) No McClendon, Jim (R) Yes McClurkin, Mary Sue (R) Yes McCutcheon, Mac (R) Yes McMillan, Steve (R) Yes Melton, Darrio (D) No Merrill, John (R) Yes Millican, Mike (R) Yes Mitchell, Joseph C. (D) Pass Moore, Barry (R) Yes Moore, Mary (D) No Morrow, Johnny M. (D) Yes Newton, Charles O. (D) Pass Newton, Demetrius C. (D) Pass Nordgren, Becky (R) Yes Patterson, Jim (R) Yes Payne, Arthur (R) Yes Poole, Bill (R) Yes Rich, Kerry (R) Yes Roberts, Bill (R) Yes Robinson, John (D) Yes Robinson, Oliver (D) No Rogers, John W. Jr. (D) No Sanderford, Howard (R) Yes Scott, Rod (D) No Sessions, David (R) Yes Shiver, Harry (R) Yes Standridge, David (R) Yes Todd, Patricia (D) No Treadaway, Allen (R) Yes Tuggle, Mark (R) Yes Vance, Lesley (R) Yes Wallace, Kurt (R) Yes Warren, Pebblin (D) No Weaver, April (R) Yes Williams, Dan (R) Yes Williams, Jack (R) Yes Williams, Phil (R) Yes Wood, Randy (R) Yes Wren, Greg (R) Yes

Updated at 11:16 p.m. Feb. 21, 2013 to add table.