Phil Bryant, from Mississippi, signed House Bill 1400 that prevents women from having an abortion after 5 months, with the only exceptions being if the foetus has severe abnormalities or that 'death or substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function' in the mother is at stake.
No exception is made for rape or incest.
Nancy Northup, CEO of the Centre for Reproductive Rights said in a statement: 'Two years ago, politicians in Mississippi tried to use an underhanded law to close the only abortion clinic in the state, which is now hanging on by a federal court order.'
'Now, these very same politicians have set their sights on shutting down exceptionally rare instances of abortion care after 20 weeks, of which there were only two in 2012,' she added.
In the entire state of Mississippi, which is approximately half the size of the UK, there is only one abortion clinic. By contrast, in London alone there are at least a dozen facilities that can perform a termination, with many more around the rest of the country.
In the UK, abortion is currently legal upto the 24th week of pregnancy.