The long-awaited Dodd-Frank financial reform bill is headed for a Senate vote, and likely passage, on Thursday now that three Republicans have agreed to support the legislation.

Republicans Scott Brown of Massachusetts and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both of Maine, are expected to provide Democrats with the crucial votes needed to pass the two thousand page bill.

The legislation includes measures to force banks to spin off their money-spinning swaps dealing activities and derivatives arms into separately capitalized institutions and curb the amount of money banks can put into hedge funds and private equity. The idea of preventing banks from such proprietary activity is to prevent, lawmakers hope, a repeat of the sort of risk-taking associated with the recent financial crisis.

However, the legislation has been softened, as banks can still make some investments into hedge funds and private equity, for example. The bill also includes new scrutiny of consumer loans from a new authority.

The House of Representatives approved the legislation on June 30, five days after lawmakers completed a 20-hour marathon session to merge versions approved separately by the House and Senate.

President Obama praised the three Republicans for supporting the bill and said the legislation would help prevent another financial crisis. “I urge the Senate to act quickly so I can sign it into law next week,” he said.