Topeka ? A bill protecting health care providers from being fired or sued for refusing to perform abortions or some other services won first-round approval Tuesday in the House.

The proposed “Health Care Providers’ Rights of Conscience Act” bans discrimination against doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health workers who refuse to participate in a limited list of service to which they object, including abortion and dispensing contraceptives.

Rep. Tony Powell, left, R-Wichita, and Rep. Rick Rehorn, D-Kansas City, debate a bill that would prevent employers of health care providers from firing employees who refuse to perform abortions, fill birth control prescriptions or take part in some other services. The legislation gained tentative approval Tuesday in the House. Final passage would send it to the Senate for debate.

More than two hours of debate preceded the 67-45 vote advancing the bill to final action, scheduled for today. If passed, it goes to the Senate.

Some medical providers joined abortion opponents and the state’s four Roman Catholic dioceses in supporting the bill. Proponents noted it applies to procedures beyond abortion.

“This bill is about civil rights,” said Rep. Tony Powell, R-Wichita. “Our nation was founded on religious freedom and the right to dissent.”

But abortion rights advocates called the bill an attempt to limit access to abortion by making it easier for doctors to refuse to perform the procedure.

“What other excuse do you have?” Rep. Ralph Tanner, R-Baldwin City, asked backers of the bill.

Supporters said the bill is designed to prevent any punitive action including firing against doctors, pharmacists and other health workers.

The measure would also bar lawsuits against hospitals, clinics and health plans for failing to provide any of a specific list of services.

On the list are abortion, birth control, cloning, embryonic stem cell research, euthanasia, assisted suicide, artificial insemination, “assisted reproduction,” infanticide and fetal experimentation.

Opponents noted that euthanasia, assisted suicide and infanticide already are crimes, but Powell said, “This is going to protect everyday people.”

The bill was amended on 63-55 vote to require that prospective health care workers disclose moral objections to any medical procedures before being hired.

But critics still suggested the bill could have unintended consequences.

Rep. Dale Swenson, R-Wichita, wondered whether a hospital would be able to fire a doctor who decided to start performing abortions, if that hospital had a policy of not performing such procedures.

“We have to be careful about what we’re doing,” Swenson said. “It could backfire on us, and very harshly so.”