Contentious legislation targeting same-sex marriage is set for a public hearing in an Alabama Senate committee on Wednesday.

House Bill 56, the Freedom of Religion in Marriage Protection Act, gives judges, ministers and other officiants the right to refuse to perform marriage ceremonies for any reason.

Rep. Jim Hill's bill already passed in the Alabama House of Representatives in mid-March after about four hours of debate on the floor. A Senate Health and Human Services sub-committee also gave the bill a favorable report after a public hearing last month.

Hill, R- Moody, said he sponsored the legislation after he started receiving phone calls from judges and ministers concerned they would be required to perform marriages ceremonies they didn't want to perform.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing on the bill Wednesday at 1 p.m. in room 325 of the Alabama State House.

When questioned about the legislation on the House floor, Hill never said the bill was designed to give probate judges the right to refuse marriage ceremonies for gay couples.

But the bill came shortly after gay marriage was temporarily legal in Alabama; numerous probate judges denied issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples then.

Hill's bill is a lighter version of similar legislation from Indiana, Arkansas and Louisiana.

The ACLU of Alabama, the Human Rights Campaign of Alabama, Equality Alabama and other groups have spoken out against HB56. They are concerned the legislation will prevent access for gay couples at religiously affiliated hospitals, schools and other social organizations.

Rep. Patricia Todd, the only openly gay legislator in the state, said the bill was drafted to discriminate against gay couples who want to marry.

"This is very hurtful to me as an openly gay person," the Democrat from Birmingham said.

Sen. Greg Albritton has filed legislation that would do away with the state marriage license. Under the legislation, the probate's office wouldn't issue a marriage license, but instead couples would enter into a marriage contract. Marriage ceremonies wouldn't be required.

Albritton's bill received a favorable report in the Senate Judiciary Committee.