State Rep. Stephanie Dietz is the lead cosponsor of a bill that would allow pregnant women to seek child support for their unborn child.
The legislation is called House Bill 243. Rep. Amy Neighbors (R-Edmonton) filed it in the Kentucky House on Jan. 11.
“Pregnancy is expensive and it makes sense to have fathers share the costs associated with a life they helped create,” Dietz (R-Edgewood) told LINK nky in an email regarding HB 243 on Thursday. “This is a commonsense approach that harnesses an existing program to help expectant mothers get the support they need.”
Should it become law, HB 243 would allow pregnant mothers filing for child support to start receiving payments immediately from the man who admits he is the father. Men who dispute paternity would have to submit to genetic testing to prove or disprove the claim.
If paternity is proven, the father would be required to pay any back child support owed.
The state Cabinet for Health and Family Services would notify women who receive public assistance of the law, if it passes, to “ensure that the responsible party pays their fair share” according to a press release from the Kentucky House Republican caucus on Thursday.
The nonpartisan Kaiser Foundation reported recently that an average US pregnancy costs over $18,000, including out-of-pocket payments of approximately $3,000 for health care alone. Neighbors says fathers should help shoulder those costs.
“There are significant costs attached to pregnancy,” Neighbors said in a press statement Thursday. “Kentucky already ensures that fathers pay their fair share after the birth, but it is only fair that they be responsible for their share of the prenatal costs as well.”
HB 243 has not yet been assigned to a committee. The bill can be read here.
