Kentucky Senate passes bill to grant the right to collect child support for unborn children

The Republican-led Kentucky Senate passed Senate Bill 110, granting the right to collect child support for unborn children, a measure with bipartisan backing. This bill enables parents to seek child support to cover pregnancy expenses up to a year after birth, securing Senate approval with a 36-2 vote, propelled by Republican supermajorities.

Senator Whitney Westerfield, a staunch abortion opponent and sponsor of the bill, highlighted the financial responsibilities tied to pregnancy, asserting, “I believe that life begins at conception... But even if you don’t, there’s no question that there are obligations and costs involved with having a child before that child is born.”

The bill imposes a strict time frame, permitting retroactive child support claims only within a year of birth, excluding orders initiated beyond this period. Kentucky joins six states considering measures akin to Georgia’s law allowing support claims from conception. The bill underwent significant revision, originally permitting support claims from conception but amended to apply only post-birth with a time limit.

Abortion-rights advocates remain wary of attempts to establish fetal personhood through the bill. Tamarra Wieder, Kentucky State director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, emphasized vigilance, anticipating potential alterations in the House, where any changes would prompt Senate reconsideration.

This debate coincides with an Alabama Supreme Court ruling recognizing frozen embryos as legally protected children, spotlighting the anti-abortion movement’s pursuit of equal legal status and protections for embryos and fetuses.