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

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Republican-led Kentucky Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to grant the right to collect child support for unborn children, advancing a bill that garnered bipartisan support.

The measure would allow a parent to seek child support up to a year after giving birth to retroactively cover pregnancy expenses. The legislation — Senate Bill 110 — won Senate passage on a 36-2 vote with little discussion to advance to the House. Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers.

Republican state Sen. Whitney Westerfield said afterward that the broad support reflects a recognition that pregnancy carries with it an obligation for the other parent to help cover the expenses incurred during those nine months. Westerfield is a staunch abortion opponent and sponsor of the bill.

“I believe that life begins at conception,” Westerfield said while presenting the measure to his colleagues. “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 measure sets a strict time limit, allowing a parent to retroactively seek child support for pregnancy expenses up to a year after giving birth.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«READ MORE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> READ MORE </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Kentucky Senate passes bill to allow local districts to hire armed ‘guardians’ in schools </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Kentucky governor marks civil rights event by condemning limits on diversity, equity and inclusion