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On paper, the 32-27 party-line vote in the Republican-led House for would repeal an existing provision in Arizona law that says those who have had sexual reassignment surgery are entitled to ask the state health department for a new birth certificate, one that matches their gender.

But Rep. Rachel Keshel, the Tucson Republican who wrote the bill, acknowledged there’s another agenda.

She noted that a federal judge in Tucson ruled last year that any transgender person can seek a similar amendment, regardless of whether they have undergone surgery. Judge James Soto said that making reassignment surgery a prerequisite is discriminatory because not everyone who does not identify with the gender of their birth needs, or wants, surgery.

Repealing the existing law, Keshel told colleagues, undermines the reasoning behind Soto’s ruling and overturns its conclusion, a move she said “protects the integrity of government-issued documents with true biological fact.’’

Under the bill, only if there is evidence an original birth certificate was “factually inaccurate at the time of recordation’’ could a birth certificate be amended.

The measure, already approved by the Republican-led Senate, now goes to Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.

During committee debate on the measure, Aven Kelley, representing Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, told lawmakers that denying the ability to amend a birth certificate has real implications. She said one reason people need and use birth certificates is to get other documents such as a driver’s license or registration for college.

“So if a person’s gender identity doesn’t match these documents then they could be forcibly ‘outed’ when applying for these other forms of documents, Kelly said. “And that could result in violations of their privacy.’’

Paul Bixler presented a more personal view.

“I am a transgender woman,’’ she told the House Judiciary Committee when the measure was debated there. “I exist, we exist.’’

Bixler, who says she was the first transgender individual elected to a school board in Arizona, said she didn’t choose to be transgender.

“Nobody does,’’ she said.

Bixler said she takes offense at bills like this.

“The unnecessary, unceasing effort by the Arizona State Legislature to deny and eradicate our existence is genocide at its worst and bigotry at its best,’’ she said. “Please stop this injustice.’’

But Republican lawmakers said they don’t see it that way. Rep. Alexander Kolodin said the birth certificate is simply a historical record that should not be subject to alteration.

“I was born on a certain day,’’ said the Scottsdale Republican. “I don’t have a constitutional right to have a different birth date on my birth certificate.’’

Rep. Khyl Powell, a Phoenix-area Republican, said the issue to him is even simpler. He said it’s a matter of “natural law.’’

“When we are born under the natural law of procreation, we are given either one or the other of the biological sex,’’ Powell said, which he said is reflected in a birth certificate and should not be subject to alteration.

But Rep. Alma Hernandez, a Tucson Democrat, lashed out at colleagues for repeated efforts targeting the transgender community. Those include not just this bill but others this legislative session including whether teachers can call students by their preferred pronouns, and restrictions on who can use which bathrooms.

Hernandez said Republicans seem interested in protecting individual freedom, but “only when it’s convenient and fits your ideals.’’