(RALEIGH) -- Members of a House judiciary committee are considering a bill that would require a 24-hour waiting period before getting an abortion.

The measure would also require doctors to perform an ultrasound no more than four hours prior to the abortion procedure. The woman would not have to view images or listen to the sounds captured during the ultrasound.

“It is not intended to make it more difficult for a woman to obtain an abortion,” said Rep. Ruth Samuelson, R-Mecklenburg. “It’s to make sure that when she goes in, she has all the information she needs to make an informed decision.”

Christian Action League of North Carolina executive director Rev. Mark Creech questioned what type of information pregnant woman would receive when calling abortion clinics for information. “They sell abortions,” he added. “They don’t sell keeping the baby or giving the baby up for adoption.”

But opponents argued the legislation imposed requirements that are much more stringent than other medical procedures. “The bill places substantial burdens on a woman already in a difficult situation and second-guesses decisions that ought to be made by a woman and her doctor,” said Sarah Preston, a lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina.

Dr. David Grimes, a physician who studied birth outcomes with the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, said the bill is bad because it implies doctors are depriving women of information. Grimes insisted that physicians go to great lengths to get full, informed and uniform consent from women seeking an abortion. “We don’t need help in having these discussions – especially by persons who are not medically knowledgeable,” he said.

House Majority Leader Paul Stam, R-Wake, said he expects the committee will vote on the legislation at the next meeting.