Utah Dads Will Be Legally Required To Pay For Half Of Pregnancy Costs

Pregnant African couple looking at ultrasound pictures

Biological fathers will soon be legally obligated to pay for half of any out-of-pocket pregnancy costs in Utah, reported AP News.

The new bill is an effort to decreased the burden of pregnancy and lay more responsibility on expecting fathers.

Governor Spencer Cox signed the proposal, and it received widespread support in the GOP-controlled legislature.

Rep. Brady Brammer (R) said he is frustrated with the number of anti-abortion measures, and wants to make things more pro-life.

Brammer said, "We want to help people and actually be pro-life in how we do it as opposed to anti-abortion. One of the ways to help with that was to help the burden of pregnancy be decreased."

According to Brammer, the new law would apply to the pregnant woman's healthcare insurance premiums and any other medical costs related to the pregnancy.

Merrilee Boyack, chairman of the Abortion-Free Utah coalition, said, "Anything we can do to support women in these circumstances will help them to be able to give birth to their babies, feel good about that choice and feel supported along the way."

Not everyone is in favor of the law, however.

Some of the bill's critics are arguing that the bill won't help women who are most vulnerable, and could make abusive situations worse in some cases.

Gabriella Archuleta, a public policy analyst with YWCA Utah, said, "On the surface of it, it sounds like a good idea. But what we're here to do is look at some of the nuanced and how it impacts women, and I don't think those nuances were really explored to the extent that they should have been."

Planned Parenthood spokesperson Katrina Barker stated, "In the grand scheme of things, having a child and raising them to adulthood is going to be a lot more money."

Photo: Getty Images


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