Rep. Ashley Hinson Unveils Bill to Require Fathers to Cover Half of Pregnancy Expenses
Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), a mother of two, has introduced the Supporting Healthy Pregnancy Act, a bill that would require biological fathers to cover at least 50% of pregnancy-related out-of-pocket costs and health insurance premiums. Under the proposal, states would be required to establish systems that assign financial responsibility to the father, explicitly excluding abortion costs.
Payments towards pregnancy expenses would be requested by the mother before the father becomes legally obligated to pay, addressing the current gap in support. Presently, most states only allow single mothers to seek legal child-support orders after birth, leaving pregnancy costs mostly unaided prior to the child's birth.
This legislation is part of a broader GOP package focused on expanding maternal care and family support. Alongside this bill, a bipartisan companion measure, co-led with Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Mich.), aims to expand access to midwives and career training in underserved areas.
Rep. Hinson is also running for Senate in Iowa.
