A bill requiring that doctors be present when administering a medicinal abortion cleared a Senate vote 39-25 Monday and is en route to the governor’s office.

The bill is one of two proposed restrictions on abortion providers on its way to Gov. Mark Dayton. If this bill passes, doctors who prescribe abortion-inducing medications must be present when they are administered, or else those doctors could be charged with a felony.

Under the other bill, abortion facilities would be required to pay license fees and undergo yearly inspections. The bill would have facilities performing more than 10 abortions per month pay a $3,712 annual license fee and undergo inspections up to two times per year by the commissioner of health.

“These bills are about ensuring that the facilities are safe, ensuring women’s safety,” said Rep. Rich Murray, R-Albert Lea.

Rep. Jeanne Poppe disagreed, saying the bill requiring doctors to be present during an abortion is geared to appeal to specific parts of the political spectrum. There are better ways to look out for women’s health, including improving access to health care and preventative, she added.

“There’s a much greater emphasis now in doing telemedicine,” Poppe said. Telemedicine is the practice of using technology to diagnose and treat patients remotely.

Medical abortions are often chosen over more invasive surgical abortions by women in the early stages of pregnancy. Supporters of the bill say it stems from safety concerns related to abortion medications. Supporters say doctors cannot remotely examine a woman to be sure the drug is a good fit.

Poppe also questioned the bill that required licensing for clinics.

“It’s not something that’s been found to be necessary in Minnesota,” Poppe said, noting that the bill sets abortion clinics apart from other facilities that do invasive surgery. “There are a lot of other kinds of facilities that could also be considered for [licensing].”

Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin, was not available for comment. He was not present for the Senate’s vote on the bill requiring doctors be present for abortions, but voted in favor of requiring clinics to obtain licenses.

Murray said it was hard to tell exactly how likely Dayton’s signature is for either bill.

“I’m not sure that he’ll sign either one,” Murray said, adding that he thought Dayton would be more open to the licensing and inspection bill than the one requiring doctors to be present.

Poppe said she didn’t think Dayton would sign either one.

“He has not yet said that he would veto this,” Dayton’s spokeswoman Katharine Tinucci wrote in an email. “But I would point to the governor’s long record of supporting a woman’s right to choose.”

Jennifer Aulwes, spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, said the House bill would end one program in Rochester where patients can take an abortion-inducing drug with a nurse in the room while video conferencing with a doctor in St. Paul — a practice called telemedicine.

Jim Koppel, the deputy commissioner of health, said the state Department of Health hasn’t taken a position on the House bill, but that many clinics offer different medications through telemedicine programs.

Backers of the licensing bill say it’s needed oversight of invasive procedures. Critics argue it singles out abortion facilities over other clinics and creates barriers to abortions.