Lifestyle Health Idaho Legislature Passes Ban on Abortions After 6 Weeks of Pregnancy, a 'Copycat' of Texas Law The bill also allows the father, sibling, grandparent, aunt or uncle of the fetus to sue a medical provider who grants an abortion after six weeks By Julie Mazziotta Julie Mazziotta Twitter Julie Mazziotta is the Sports Editor at PEOPLE, covering everything from the NFL to tennis to Simone Biles and Tom Brady. She was previously an Associate Editor for the Health vertical for six years, and prior to joining PEOPLE worked at Health Magazine. When not covering professional athletes, Julie spends her time as a (very) amateur athlete, training for marathons, long bike trips and hikes. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 15, 2022 01:13 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Pro-choice and anti-abortion protestors face off outside the Supreme Court. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Idaho's legislature approved a bill that would ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, before many women are aware they're pregnant, a "copycat" of Texas' previous ban. The bill, which the GOP-led legislature called the "Fetal Heartbeat, Preborn Child Protection Act," passed in Idaho's state Senate earlier this month and on Monday moved through the House by a vote of 51-14. It will now go to Republican Gov. Brad Little, who has previously approved similar abortion restrictions but has not commented on this bill, for the final sign-off. Highly Restrictive Texas Law Now Bans Abortions Before Many Women Know They're Pregnant The bill is modeled off of Texas' ban on abortions after six weeks, when a fetal heartbeat can be detected, with exceptions for medical emergencies, rape or incest. While it has a similar setup to Texas' law, which allows any citizen to act as a whistleblower and sue anyone who helps facilitate an abortion — down to an Uber driver who drives them to the appointment — Idaho has limited the ability to sue to just the abortion provider, and only the father, sibling, grandparent, aunt or uncle of the fetus can sue. They are able to bring the lawsuit for up to four years after the abortion, and anyone who successfully sues earns $20,000. Idaho State Rep. Barbara Ehardt, a Republican who co-sponsored the legislation, claimed that "the Supreme Court in 1973 did something that was never allowed in the first place" with the passage of Roe v. Wade, and that "abortion is not a constitutional right," the Washington Post reported. Missouri Bill Seeks to Make Abortions for Ectopic Pregnancies Illegal in Restrictive Legislation Another co-sponsor, Republican Rep. Steven Harris, called Texas' bill "clever" as he argued for Idaho's version. In response, Democratic Rep. Lauren Necochea said that "this bill is not clever, it's absurd." "Its impacts are cruel and it is blatantly unconstitutional," she said. RELATED VIDEO: 'I Pray for All ... Who Will Suffer': Many Stars Are Outraged at Sweeping Alabama Abortion Ban Planned Parenthood called the bill a "copycat" ban and also emphasized that it violates the right to abortion established by Roe v. Wade. "Idaho's anti-abortion lawmakers ignored public opinion and rushed through this legislation, looking to capitalize on the U.S. Supreme Court's failure to block Texas's ban," the health care non-profit said in a statement. "The reality is that some pregnant people in Idaho will be forced to carry unwanted or dangerous pregnancies to term against their will." 31 Celebrities Who Have Shared Their Abortion Stories to Help Women Feel Less Alone If Little signs the bill into law, it could take effect as early as April. The ban is expected to be challenged in court, however Texas' near-identical ban has been able to withstand multiple lawsuits against it so far.