( CNN ) -- Mississippi lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday that would require any physician performing abortions in the state to be a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and to have admitting privileges at an area hospital . The bill `` should effectively close the only abortion clinic in Mississippi , '' said Lt. Gov . Tate Reeves in a statement . `` This is a strong bill that will effectively end abortion in Mississippi . '' If the state 's only abortion facility , Jackson Women 's Health Organization , closes , Mississippi women seeking abortions would have to leave the state . The clinic 's owner , Diane Derzis , said in a telephone interview that all her doctors are obstetrician-gynecologists , but only one has admitting privileges at an area hospital . She vowed to fight to remain open . `` We are going to do everything we can to remain there ... we are not going to let the women of Mississippi down , '' said Derzis . Wednesday 's vote by the state Senate is the latest in a string of attempts by lawmakers to close her facility , she said . Last year , the state introduced a bill known as the Personhood Amendment , which would have defined life as beginning at the moment of conception . The bill was defeated by voters in November . The bill is in a period for comment before it will be sent to Republican Gov . Phil Bryant , who has said he wants Mississippi to become `` abortion-free . '' `` This legislation is an important step in strengthening abortion regulations and protecting the health and safety of women , '' he said after Wednesday 's vote , in a statement . `` I am sick about this , '' said Felicia Brown-Williams , regional director of public policy for Planned Parenthood in Hattiesburg , Mississippi . The bill `` puts in place requirements that intentionally try to make it impossible for physicians to provide abortion services . ... Voters have already said that they want the government to stay out of decisions that should be made by a woman , her family and her physician . '' She expressed hope the bill might not be sent to the governor . `` We are asking Mississippians to reach out to their senators and ask them to reconsider their vote on this , '' she said . Still , she acknowledged , the bill is likely to be tabled Thursday and then sent to Bryant . There is no medical reason to require physicians performing abortions be board-certified OB/GYNs or that they have admitting privileges , Brown-Williams said . If the clinic stops offering abortion services because it is unable to find providers with those qualifications , the bill `` would be a backdoor ban on abortion . '' The Center for Reproductive Rights ' state advocacy counsel , Jordan Goldberg , said that , if the goal of the legislation is to impose restrictions on abortion providers that are not imposed on other medical providers offering similar care , then `` that would raise serious constitutional problems and a legal challenge would certainly be possible . '' `` It 's not about medicine , '' she said . `` It 's just about politics . '' Seven other states require abortion providers to have hospital privileges , but no other state requires that an abortion provider be an OB/GYN , said Elizabeth Nash , state issues manager for the Guttmacher Institute in Washington . `` This bill is an attempt to make it so difficult to become an abortion provider that no one will do it . '' Though the 1973 Supreme Court landmark decision in Roe v. Wade made abortion legal in all 50 states , Mississippi 's bill could make the state the first where no abortions could be performed , she said . `` It 's an attempt to eliminate access without taking on Roe directly . '' In 2008 , the last year for which data are available , 2,770 abortions were performed in the state , according to Guttmacher .
Mississippi lawmakers : Abortion providers must be OB / GYNs , have admitting privileges . They say it could force the state 's lone abortion clinic to shut . Bill ` ` could effectively ban abortion in Mississippi , '' says Lt . Gov . Tate Reeves . ` ` I am sick about this , '' says Planned Parenthood regional director for public policy .