# Understanding the Unborn Child Support Act

This bill would expand the federal child support enforcement system to include financial support obligations for pregnancies before a child is born. Currently, child support laws only apply after a baby is born. This legislation would allow a pregnant woman to request that the biological father be required to pay child support starting from the month of conception, as determined by a doctor.

Here's how it would work in practice: If a woman is pregnant and requests it, she could ask a court to establish child support payments from the biological father that begin retroactively from when she became pregnant. The father would be required to pay support for the entire pregnancy period, even before the child is born. The payment amount would be decided by a court, which would consider what's in the best interests of both the mother and the future child. These payments could continue to be collected even if paternity isn't officially established until after the baby is born.

The bill includes some protections: a mother would have to request these payments—they wouldn't be automatic—and courts couldn't force paternity testing on a pregnant woman without her consent. Additionally, no paternity testing could be done on an unborn child if it posed any risk of harm. The law would take effect two years after being signed, and states would have to include this requirement in their child support enforcement programs. However, states couldn't use experimental programs or pilot projects to get around these new requirements.

This is a significant change to how child support works, as it extends financial obligations to the pregnancy period rather than waiting until birth. The practical effect would mean pregnant women could potentially receive financial support from biological fathers during pregnancy for expenses related to the pregnancy and preparing for the child's birth.

Unborn Child Support Act

Johnson, Mike

Unborn Child Support Act This bill requires states to apply child support obligations to the time period during pregnancy. This requirement is applicable retroactively based on a court order at the request of the pregnant parent and a determination by a physician of the month during which the child was conceived. Existing state requirements are applicable to these obligations, such as proof of parenthood.