A Utah law holds fathers responsible for pregnancy expenses
Fathers-to-be in Utah are now legally responsible for half of the out-of-pocket expenses of a pregnancy, including the cost of a woman's health insurance premiums, according to a bill that took effect in May.
Women's health advocates point out that the bill is an effort to decrease abortions in the state, and that other public policies would have a bigger impact on women's financial well-being.
The bill amends the state's existing child support laws. It applies to fathers who accept the paternity of the fetus. If they argue that they are not responsible, they will have to pay back support after paternity has been established. Men don't have to share the expense of an abortion.
Other states, including Wisconsin and New York, have laws that can be used to hold father's responsible for pregnancy-related expenses, but the Utah law is the first to mandate that men share expenses, The Associated Press reports.
However, some people working in women's health say that the bill could have unintended consequences, including keeping women connected with abusive partners. Domestic abuse often gets worse during a pregnancy, the AP reports.
Karrie Galloway, the president of the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah, said the bill was misdirected.
"While we appreciate that this bill highlights how expensive it is to be pregnant and that many women struggle to cover the costs of their health care, we feel there are better ways to support pregnant people and families," she said in a statement reported by The New York Times. "Expanded Medicaid, better insurance coverage, equitable access to reproductive health care, and paid family leave are just a few ways policymakers could do much more."
The bill was sponsored by State Representative Brady Brammer and State Senator Daniel McCay, both Republicans.
"I wanted to try to do something that may help the situation, which is people in a really tough spot, making a really tough decision," Brammer told The New York Times. "This was not necessarily intended to be about abortion. It was the idea that abortion is happening because people are put in a really difficult situation."
Liesa Stockdale, director of Utah's Office of Recovery Services, which collects child support, told the AP she wasn't sure how useful the new measure would be. She pointed out that under existing laws women can pursue fathers for expenses related to the birth of a child, but few do. She speculated that it might be the same with the new law.
"I don't know how often it will be used. That's yet to be seen how often parents will choose to pursue these costs," she told the AP. "But certainly if they do, we're here to collect."
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