New Utah law puts fathers on the hook for mother's pregnancy expenses
Biological fathers in Utah must pay half of a woman’s out-of-pocket pregnancy expenses, as well as health insurance premiums.
Biological fathers in Utah must pay half of a woman’s out-of-pocket pregnancy expenses under a new law. Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, recently signed the legislation.
The bill’s sponsor presented the measure as an effort to decrease the burden of pregnancy on women and increase responsibility for men who have children. However, some critics argue the new legislation won’t help women who are most vulnerable and could make abusive situations even more dangerous for pregnant women.
Utah appears to be the first state to mandate prenatal child support, according to the state’s Planned Parenthood association and the bill’s sponsor. But a few states, including Wisconsin and New York, have provisions that can result in fathers being financially responsible for pre-birth expenses.
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“We want to help people and actually be pro-life in how we do it as opposed to anti-abortion,” said Rep. Brady Brammer, who sponsored the measure. “One of the ways to help with that was to help the burden of pregnancy be decreased.”
The law applies to a pregnant woman’s health insurance premiums and any pregnancy-related medical costs, he said. If the paternity of the child is disputed, fathers won’t be required to pay until after paternity is established.
In Utah, mothers already have the option to seek support related to birth expenses through the courts, but few do, said Liesa Stockdale, director of the state’s Office of Recovery Services, which typically collects child support. She said mothers now have the option to also seek pregnancy-related payments through the legal system, but it’s unclear how often they will pursue it.
“I don’t know how often it will be used,” Stockdale said. “That’s yet to be seen, how often parents will choose to pursue these costs. But certainly if they do, we’re here to collect.” The average cost of raising a child is $233,610, excluding the cost of college, for a middle-income family, according to a 2015 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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