By Gabriella Borter

(Reuters) – The Florida Republican-led Senate gave its final legislative approval on Thursday to a bill that would ban abortions in the 15th week of pregnancy. It moves the state one step closer towards adopting a gestational ceiling currently under review at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Last month, the state’s House of Representatives approved the measure on a party line vote. The measure will be signed by Ron DeSantis (a Republican governor).

This bill will significantly decrease access to late-term abortions across the U.S. Southeast. Women often travel hundreds of miles from their home states to have abortions performed in Florida.

The current state allows abortions in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, without any waiting periods. This means that a woman may terminate her pregnancy as soon as she visits a clinic.

Florida’s law, effective July 1, allows exceptions for the 15-week period in the following cases: if the mother is at imminent risk of death; or “irreversible medical impairment” or if there are fatal abnormalities.

On Wednesday, Republicans defeated an amend that would have allowed for exceptions to rape and incest, as well as human trafficking.