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STORY: The Women's Right to Know Act passed the Texas Senate today. The Act requires a 24-hour reflection period that both advocates and opponents characterize as a day-long wait for the procedure. As of January 2004, women seeking an abortion will be provided with information about abortion alternatives and procedural risks. Advocates claim the bill is in the interest of women's health, since the information will cite the risk of complications and increased susceptibility to breast cancer. But opponents believe this expressed concern for women's health intentionally furthers anti-abortion goals. The link between abortion and breast cancer has never been proven. The bill also requires that women receive information on adoption agencies, the "statistical likelihood" of collecting child support and color pictures of their fetuses that "must be realistic." Doctors who fail to comply with the bill will be fined $10,000. Only 15 of the state's 254 counties currently provide abortions. Kay Maglaughlin, Executive Director of the Texas Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, says these 15 counties are in predominantly metropolitan areas. Thus, many women seeking an abortion must secure costly transportation to travel lengthy distances. As of next January, out-of-towners will also need to secure a place to stay the night before the procedure. She describes those who will be hit hardest by the bill: "Yeah, rural women, now they're going to be lookin' at increased lodging, increased food and meals and increased days off work. Many women don't get paid for being off work. They don't have sick leave. Increased childcare. Many of these women are having abortions because they already have a full family and can't afford more children." Lawmakers intensely debated the bill before passing it. Senator Gonzallo Barrientos most vocally contested the bill, asking that rape and incest victims be exempted from the 24-hour rule. The senate voted against the exemption. According to the Austin American Statesman, Senator Bob Deuell was especially critical of the proposed exemption saying it would "undermine the reflection period." Senator Deuell's Web site says he has volunteered at the Hunt Country Rape Crisis Center. When asked why the Senator opposed the exemption a spokesman said, "Because the bill had nothing to do with rape and incest." The bill also requires that abortions after 16 weeks of pregnancy be performed in ambulatory surgical centers. Maglaughlin says that although abortion is one of the safest medical procedures, it is consistently treated otherwise: "The only procedure performed in the state of Texas that has to be licensed, or a physician requires an additional licensing, is the abortion procedure. It's already so discriminated against, you can do brain surgery and not have additional licensing." According to Maglauhlin, no ambulatory surgical centers provide abortion care in Texas. Two years ago she was able to locate a total of 5 state hospitals that would perform abortions, but only under certain conditions. Usually, a woman must already be the doctor's patient. She says the 24-hour wait will encourage women to postpone their abortions, so that more and more women will wait until the 16-week deadline, making an abortion all but impossible. Karem Said, KPFT News, Houston. E-mail Karem Said at karemsaid@hotmail.com . This story was broadcast on May 21, 2003.