Des Moines, Iowa — A bill that would let court-ordered child support extend to the nine months of a pregnancy has cleared an Iowa House subcommittee.
Representative John Wills, a Republican from Spirit Lake, is the bill’s lead sponsor.
If the bill becomes law, once paternity is established, a judge could order the father to retroactively provide financial support during the entire pregnancy. Wills says no other state has taken this step to force men to support their child from the moment of conception.
Wills says if the bill becomes law, a court could order the father to provide health insurance coverage to the mother during the pregnancy. Under current practice, judges consider the income both parents earn in determining child support — after the child is born.
