Utah Law Will Require Fathers to Pay Pregnancy-Related Medical Costs

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Utah Law Will Require Fathers to Pay Pregnancy-Related Medical Costs

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Under a new Utah law, biological fathers are responsible to cover half of the costs associated with any woman’s pregnancy-related medical expenses. This is the first approach of this type of law in the United States, which ignited controversy in regards to the state's abortion and health care policies. 


Supporters claim the bill would reduce the financial burden of pregnancy for women and increase accountability for fathers, while others argue it does not follow the expected maternal health care needs and could financially bind women into abusive and toxic relationships. Democratic State Representative Brian King expressed his complaint stating, "I worry that an unscrupulous and abusive male may say, 'Hey, I have this duty. You can't escape me. You may not want to collect it, but I need to be tied to you in a way that you don't want because I have to discharge my duty.” 


The bill was signed by Utah Governor Spencer Cox, a Republican, last month and will take effect on May 5. The bill was introduced by two Republicans, State Representative Brady Brammer and State Senator Daniel McCay, who argued that it would increase men's accountability in pregnancies where paternity has been established. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, when legislators passed the bill in January, Mr. Brammer said that it was intended to be seen as a kind of "pro-life" measure.


According to the New York Times, Mr. Brammer said in a phone interview that he introduced the bill in regards to fixing kinds of "very contentious" abortion bills that have passed the Legislature and been challenged in the courts.


The rule modifies the provisions of the Utah Child Support Act concerning pregnancy. It states that in cases where paternity is contested, the costs are not due before the paternity is established. If the woman has an abortion, the biological father will not be held financially liable, unless the abortion is required to save the mother's life or if the pregnancy ends in miscarriage. Overall, Mr. Brammer wanted to specifically highlight that women are in full control in regards to seeking financial aid from their partners. 


The bill could make Utah the very first state to have a separate prenatal child care requirement. According to Mr. Brammer, several states, including Wisconsin and New York, have legal paths that may result in fathers being financially liable for pregnancy costs. We could potentially see more states following the path of Utah in handling the costs for prenatal care in the future.


By Emilie Chi  

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