(CNSNews.com) – On Wednesday, June 19, the Pennsylvania Senate passed House Bill 315, which would classify Female Genital Mutilation as a first-degree felony in the Keystone State.

The Pennsylvania House passed the legislation on April 9, and the bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Thomas P. Murt, told CNSNews.com he is “very confident” that Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf will sign the legislation into law.

Commenting on the bill’s passage in the Senate on Facebook, Rep. Murt wrote, “This is a major victory for the women of Pennsylvania. I want to thank my colleagues in both the House and Senate for taking this strong and unified stand for the right to be safe from this kind of abuse.”

PA Senate Passes Bill to Make Female Genital Mutilation a Felony in Pennsylvania – CNS News