HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania's state Senate passed a bill Wednesday to outlaw abortions because of a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome, although it faces a veto on Gov. Tom Wolf's desk. The bill is the latest volley against abortion by the state's Republican-controlled Legislature, and it would be the second abortion restriction legislation to be vetoed by Wolf, a Democrat.

The Senate voted 27-22, nearly along party lines, six months after the bill passed the state House of Representatives. Similar legislation died in the Senate last year, but the bill has a prominent champion in House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, who has continued to press for its passage.

The vote comes amid a wave of abortion restrictions advancing in conservative states. That includes efforts to ban abortion based on a diagnosis of Down syndrome, although federal courts have consistently blocked such laws in other states.

In a statement after the vote Wednesday, Wolf's office said he would veto the bill, and said it “seeks to limit health care choices for women and politicize difficult moments for vulnerable families.”

“This bill masks yet another attempt to ban abortions and put politicians between a woman and her doctor,” Wolf's office said.

The state, Wolf's office said, instead should be discussing how to help women facing complex pregnancies and people with disabilities.

Down syndrome is a genetic abnormality that causes developmental delays and medical conditions such as heart defects and respiratory and hearing problems. According to the National Down Syndrome Society, about one in every 700 babies in the United States — or about 6,000 a year — is born with the condition, which results from a chromosomal irregularity.

Supporters say the bill protects a vulnerable population and carries exceptions for rape, incest and the mother's life.

North Dakota has a broader law on genetic abnormalities in effect, but federal courts have blocked them in Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio and Missouri.