WASHINGTON - Republican senators from Louisiana and Mississippi are among those signing on to a bill that they say would prohibit the use of federal funds for abortion services.

Branded the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act," the legislation does not prohibit any "individual, entity, or State or locality from purchasing separate abortion coverage or health benefits that includes abortion."

It would enhance the existing "Hyde Amendment," enacted in 1980, which put severe restrictions on public funds for abortion-related medical procedures. The Hyde Amendment has been revised several times, but those backing the new legislation say it would protect those restrictions and go further.

“Politicians and bureaucrats have no business directing American tax dollars to fund abortion on demand," Sen. John Kennedy said on Wednesday. "This bill offers a simple, lasting way to respect American taxpayers and protect unborn children.”

The bill is one of several filed in Congress that would curtail abortion services. Across the nation, state legislatures are also considering a slew of proposals introduced following last year's Supreme Court reversal of the landmark ruling, Roe v. Wade.