LANSING, MI - A broad bill aimed at putting more regulations on abortion providers has been approved in the Republican-led Michigan Senate as the 2011-12 legislative session enters its final days.

The legislation sparked protests that got national attention after it passed the House in June – complete with a rendition of The Vagina Monologues performed on the Capitol steps. "Vaginagate" got the most attention after Republicans, who also hold the majority in the House, issued a one-day speaking ban against two Democratic lawmakers for their statements and behavior during a floor debate on the bill.

The Senate approved the bill by a 27-10 vote Wednesday – with changes from the version that passed the House earlier this year. That means the bill would have to return to the House and be voted on again before it could be sent to Gov. Rick Snyder’s desk.

Two other bills related to the coercion issue passed the Senate by 29-8 and 29-9 votes.

House Bill 5711 would add regulatory requirements for some facilities that perform abortions. It also would include some screening requirements aimed at making sure women aren't forced into having abortions. The bill also deals with provisions for disposing of fetal remains.

Opponents, such as Planned Parenthood, say the bill is aimed at making abortions more expensive and difficult to get by driving some providers out of business. Supporters, such as the Michigan Catholic Conference, say it’s a measure aimed at protecting the health and safety of women who get abortions.

“Women want clinics to be licensed, inspected and safe,” said Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge.

“It will not stop abortions in the state of Michigan, but it will make them a heckuva lot safer,” Jones said.

“It is regrettable for a woman to seek an abortion; the least that can be done is to make sure abortion facilities in Michigan are clean and meet basic standards of care, and that’s what this legislation accomplishes,” Rebecca Mastee, a Michigan Catholic Conference policy advocate, said in a statement.

Jones called the bill "pro-woman." Sen. Gretchen Whitmer of East Lansing, leader of Senate Democrats, called the Republican Party "anti-woman."

Sen. Coleman Young II, D-Detroit, called the bill a continuation of a “war on women.” Opponents have said they consider the bill part of an ongoing effort to chip away at the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion.

“Please – can we deal with the issues we were sent up to deal with, and not this nonsense?” Young said.

Sen Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, said the bill is an attempt to keep “chipping away at fundamental right to choose.” She called it a "shameless" and "backdoor" attempt to restrict access to abortions.

“Women in Michigan, I hope you’re paying attention," Warren said.

The bill would require more abortion providers to become licensed as freestanding outpatient surgical facilities with the state. That would add inspection and licensing requirements for the facilities, including an annual licensing fee that is now $238 annually and go could higher. But opponents of the bill say the real costs would come with physical changes to buildings that would be required at some clinics.

Facilities that perform at least 120 abortions per year would require licensing under the Senate version of the bill.

A House Fiscal Agency analysis from this summer says that four abortion providers are currently licensed as freestanding outpatient surgical facilities in the state. An additional 16 abortion providers in the state would require that type of licensing under the House-approved bill, according to estimates from the state’s Bureau of Health Systems. It was not immediately clear how many clinics the Senate version of the bill might affect.

Republicans say they have dropped some provisions from the House bill aimed at making the bill more palatable to opponents. Some insurance requirements called for in the House version, for example, are not in the revised bill. But many critics of the bill had said the most restrictive portion of the legislation was the licensing requirements called for under the legislation.

Warren said the bill bans the use of "telemedicine" related to abortions, which she said is “absolutely offensive” and restricts access. She also unsuccessfully fought to add measures aimed at reducing the number of unplanned pregnancies, including access to birth control.

Warren tried unsuccessfully to pass several other amendments – including a few she said were aimed at making a point about gender parity. They would have required a man seeking a vasectomy to be examined to see if the procedure was medically necessary to prevent death. Another would have required rectal exams before prescribing erectile dysfunction medicine.

“What’s good for the goose is good for the gander,” Warren said.

The issue drew national attention this summer after two Democratic lawmakers, Reps. Lisa Brown of West Bloomfield and Barb Byrum of Onondaga, were banned from speaking on the House floor for one day by Republican leaders.

Wednesday's vote was mostly along party lines with a few exceptions. Democrats John Gleason of Flushing and Tupac Hunter of Detroit joined Republicans in support. Sen. Roger Kahn, R-Saginaw Township, did not vote.

Email Tim Martin at tmartin4@mlive.com. Follow him on Twitter: @TimMartinMI