A Florida House panel passed a sweeping anti-abortion measure Tuesday, the latest such legislation to sail through the committee process en route to a floor vote.

The House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee voted 9-4 to send the Republican bill, HB 1411, to the House Health and Human Services Committee.

If it receives an up vote there, as expected, it will be eligible to be debated by the full House.

The bill would effectively cut off state funding for women's health organizations such as Planned Parenthood by barring public money from flowing to facilities that perform abortions.

It would also ban the donation of fetal tissue obtained from abortions, a practice undertaken by a limited number of Planned Parenthood chapters and recognized as legal under federal law.

As one might expect, Democrats lined up to voice their opposition to the bill.

"We have now in Florida the highest number of HIV diagnoses in the nation - the highest number of HIV diagnoses in the nation - yet we want to provide and put forward a bill that reduces access to HIV testing," Rep. Janet Cruz (D-Tampa) said during an impassioned debate. "I mean, this bill is much more than barriers to abortion."

The legislation's supporters call it critical to reducing the frequency and safety of abortions, pointing to a provision that would require abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at local hospitals.

"We're going to defend life," said Rep. Jason Brodeur (R-Sanford).