A House of Delegates committee has endorsed legislation to toughen state regulation of abortion clinics.

The Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee voted 15-6 Thursday for the bill, which would require clinics to provide the same emergency equipment as outpatient surgical centers. The bill also would require the state to regulate, license and inspect abortion clinics, which now operate like doctors' offices.

A vote on the House floor is likely next week. The legislation faces long odds in the Senate, which has rejected similar House-passed measures several times in recent years.

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said in an advisory opinion last year that the governor has authority to impose the tougher standards. But Gov. Bob McDonnell says the matter should be decided by the legislature.

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