Texas lawmakers have advanced a bill to clarify medical exceptions under one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the U.S. The approval in the Texas House on Wednesday puts the GOP-backed proposal on the brink of reaching Republican Gov.

SB 31 aims to prevent maternal mortality under Texas' abortion ban after reports of preventable maternal death and increased rates of sepsis.

Doctors would not need to wait until a risk to their pregnant patient’s life is “imminent” or until the patient is physically impaired, according to the bill.