Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed a bill Monday prohibiting most abortions once embryonic cardiac activity is detected, typically around six weeks of pregnancy, making Wyoming the fifth state to enact a restriction at that stage.

The measure bars abortions after cardiac activity can be identified, a point in pregnancy that often occurs before some women realize they are pregnant. Florida, Georgia, Iowa, and South Carolina have enacted similar laws. An additional 13 states currently prohibit abortion throughout pregnancy with limited exceptions.

Gordon, a Republican, said in a letter to lawmakers that while he supports pro-life policies, he has concerns about the legislation because it does not include exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.

“Where the act does not align to my pro-life stance is in the concern for specific vulnerable populations,” Gordon wrote.

The law does include an exception allowing abortion when necessary to protect a woman from an imminent medical threat that substantially endangers her life or health, based on medical judgment.

Gordon also warned the legislation will likely lead to further legal challenges in the state. The Wyoming Supreme Court struck down a previous ban on abortion throughout pregnancy in January, returning the issue to lawmakers.

Abortion providers signaled they intend to challenge the new restriction. Julie Burkhart, president of Wellspring Health Access, the state’s only clinic offering both surgical and medication abortions, said the organization is prepared to contest the law in court.

Abortion access in Wyoming has shifted in recent years. The state’s lone abortion clinic was set on fire in 2022, delaying its opening, and at times only medication abortions have been available. According to the Wyoming Department of Health, 625 abortions were recorded statewide in 2024. The clinic in Casper reported performing 303 abortions in 2025.

Katie Knutter, the clinic’s executive director, said staff began referring patients farther along in pregnancy to providers in other states following the bill’s signing.

State abortion laws across the country have changed significantly since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which returned authority over abortion regulations to the states.