Pregnancy Costs Bill Passes State Legislature – WOWO 1190 AM

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (WOWO): The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday approved a bill that would allow courts to make fathers pay for a wide range of pregnancy and childbirth costs, but committee members said they were open to changes. The Pregnancy Costs Bill came about as a proposal to allow expectant mothers to claim child support from the time of conception in the wake of Indiana’s litigious abortion ban.

However, Rep. Elizabeth Rowray of R-Yorktown previously introduced changes to curtail it amid legal concerns. Indiana law already allows court orders to include half the cost of prenatal and postnatal care, labor and hospitalization. Amended House Bill 1009 adds two more options for her. These are “Other Necessary Expenses” related to childbirth and “Postpartum” Expenses. Experts had previously testified before the House Committee that they feared broad language would lead to “creative defenses” and legal battles.

Indianapolis Republican Senator Aaron Freeman told Inside Indiana Business that he wants to work on a second reading amendment that limits costs. “Dad should pay half,” said Freeman. “But when they don’t have a say in whether a $1,000 crib or he buys a $500 crib, I start having some challenges.”

Rowray is concerned about which parent might get a windfall from reselling that car seats, cribs and other items have expiration dates and shouldn’t be used for long periods of time. And for resellable clothing, Loray herself says she made “a lot of money equal to what I paid” at the garage sale.

The Commission still unanimously introduced the bill.