Abortion Clinic Protection Measure Passed by House : Legislation: Bill must be reconciled with slightly weaker Senate version. It would outlaw blockades and impose stiff penalties for acts of violence.

The House adopted legislation Thursday that would outlaw abortion clinic blockades and impose stiff fines and prison sentences for acts of violence against clinic staff members or patients.

After an emotional debate that split congressional anti-abortion forces, the House passed the bill by voice vote.

On Tuesday, the Senate approved a slightly weaker version on a 69 to 30 vote. Supporters said they hoped a conference committee could quickly reconcile the differences between the two pieces of legislation so that a final bill could be sent to President Clinton for his signature before Congress adjourns next week. Otherwise, final action will be delayed until lawmakers return in January.

As in the Senate, alarm over a rising wave of violence against abortion clinics, coupled with revulsion over the slaying of a Florida abortion clinic physician last March, propelled the bill to passage. Anti-abortion forces in Congress were divided over the issue, which was seen by many as more a debate about crime than about abortion rights.

“This bill is good for those who are pro-life and good for those who are pro-choice. This bill is bad only for those who seek to take the law into their own hands,” said Rep. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), the legislation’s chief sponsor.

While a number of anti-abortion lawmakers agreed with that assessment, others argued that the bill was unfair to anti-abortion activists because it singled out the movement’s members for criminal penalties. They also contended that the legislation drew no distinction between protesters who simply block access to abortion clinics and extremists who commit violent acts.

The House bill would make it a federal crime to obstruct access to an abortion clinic and impose penalties of up to $100,000 and a year’s imprisonment for the first offense. Repeat offenders would be subject to prison terms of up to three years. Anyone committing acts of violence resulting in injury or death would face prison terms ranging from 10 years to life.

The Senate version would impose weaker penalties for nonviolent, first-time offenders.

“This bill totally trashes the idea that the penalty should fit the crime” and is “unconscionably harsh,” said Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.), who led an unsuccessful effort to delete the penalties as they would apply to protesters who block clinics without resorting to violence.

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Supporters of the bill argued, however, that the courts were unlikely to treat peaceful protesters as harshly as a violent offenders.

They also noted that the bill does not prohibit peaceful protests outside abortion clinics and would apply only to persons trying to deny access.

“The right to free speech does not include the right to threaten, harm or deny anyone his or her right to enter a clinic,” said Rep. Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky (D-Pa.).

Noting that Congress last year passed a law aimed at discouraging animal rights activists from vandalizing laboratories, Rep. Pat Schroeder (D-Colo.) said: “If you did it for bunny rabbits, can’t you give women at least equal rights?”