Legislation would allow mothers to get child support while they are still pregnant

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - New legislation co-sponsored by a Mississippi senator would allow mothers to get child support while they are still pregnant.

According to a press release by Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R, Miss.), the Unborn Child Support Act would allow a court to award child support payments while the child is still in the womb and, retroactively, up to the point of conception.

“I hope good legislation, like the Unborn Child Support Act, gets more support now that the Dobbs decision encourages us to look more seriously at supporting mothers and their unborn children,” Hyde-Smith said. 

The Unborn Child Support Act would also:

• Provide flexibility for mothers, who do not want involvement of the father, by not requiring those mothers to receive child support.
• Require judges to consult with mothers on payment plans and gives mothers discretion as to whether or not child support payments will be awarded retroactively.
• Mandate that all paternity tests be at the discretion of the mother and not be conducted if the test would put the child at risk.

This nearly a month after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which could potentially lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states.

Mississippi’s only abortion provider, located in Jackson, has now closed as a result of the ruling.

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