With some last-minute maneuvering on Wednesday, Florida lawmakers approved a bill that prohibits transgender athletes from competing on girls' or women's sports teams.

The bill, stuck in the Senate, appeared likely to die as lawmakers were preparing to end the legislative session.

The Miami Herald reported that Republican leadership on Wednesday “unexpectedly rammed a ban on transgender athletes in women's and girls' sports through the legislative process amid an outcry from Democrats who called foul on the last-minute procedural moves.”

GOP leaders approved Senate Bill 1028 by attaching it to a charter schools bill. Democrats looked on as Republicans approved the bill in both chambers on the same day.

The legislation now heads to the desk of Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, who is likely to sign the bill into law.

The measure approved Wednesday does not include controversial language that would have forced transgender athletes to undergo a medical inspection of their genitals.

Supporters of such bans say they are needed to protect cisgender girls and women.

“To think about my daughters competing against biological males rubs me the wrong way,” said Senator Keith Perry, a Republican from Gainesville. “It's just wrong.”

According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest LGBT rights advocate, more than 250 anti-LGBT bills have been introduced in state legislatures this session, including 66 measures similar to Florida's bill.

“Under the guise of an education bill, the Florida House and Senate rushed to pass SB 1028. Ultimately, this bill will not just hurt transgender kids; it will hurt all Floridians because the consequences of this law – economic harm, expensive taxpayer-funded legal battles, and a tarnished reputation – will ripple across the state,” said HRC President Alphonso David, possibly referring to the NCAA recently saying that it would not hold championship games in states with such laws.

(Related: NCAA backs transgender athletes; says it will pull events from states with anti-trans laws.)

“Let’s be clear here: transgender children exist and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. Legislators across the country have neglected to name any examples of the sky falling based on transgender athletes' participation in youth sports. That is because those examples simply don't exist, and athletic organizations have welcomed transgender athletes' participation for years without incident. We strongly urge Florida legislators to put an end to these hateful bills,” he said.

Senator Jason Pizzo, a Democrat from North Miami Beach, called the legislation “unnecessary” and “stupid.”