The Republican-controlled Pennsylvania Senate has given the green light to a bill that would ban nonemergency abortions after the 20-week mark, hit doctors who perform them with third-degree-felony charges, and make no exceptions for rape, incest, or serious fetal abnormalities. It would also restrict how most second-trimester abortions are carried out. Now the bill, which lacks input from medical doctors and has never had a public hearing, is pending what will likely be an affirming vote in the House.

If it does clear the House (a similar bill passed through it last year), it will move on to the desk of Democratic Governor Tom Wolf, where it's pretty much guaranteed to be vetoed. In that case, the Senate could override him, but its Wednesday vote of 32-18 in favor of the bill wouldn't be enough of a majority for that to happen—the Senate would need two more votes for the two-thirds majority required to override a veto.

Based on "model legislation" from the National Right to Life Committee, the Pennsylvania bill and others like it touch nerves on both sides of the abortion debate: Supporters argue that fetuses carried to 20 weeks are viable outside the womb, while opponents say it can take that long to detect severe fetal deformities. They also assert that abortions performed after 20 weeks are some of the safest for the mother.

One of three Republicans to vote against the bill, Senator Lisa Baker came forward to passionately oppose it with a story about her own child, who suffered from a serious genetic defect that wasn't detected until past the 20-week mark. The child, a daughter, was delivered stillborn. Such a bill, Baker testified, would "compound the suffering" of women who had to make the choice to end a wanted pregnancy due to complications like hers.

Currently legislation in Pennsylvania bans elective abortions after 24 weeks. If passed, the state would join at least 16 others with similar 20-week abortion bans. However, it likely wouldn't limit the vast majority of abortions: Procedures performed after 20 weeks are comparatively rare. In 2015 they made up 1.2 percent of total abortions, but at least the 380 women who had the procedure past those 20 weeks had the right to choose.

For women who feel strongly about the legislation, now is the time to act: The Pennsylvania House is currently on recess and won't vote on the bill until it returns, so now's a good time to be contacting House representatives and voice your opinion.