Is a Drastic Change to Child Support Coming for Indiana Parents?

When Alabama made such drastic changes to its IVF laws, many argued the precedent could lead to a slippery slope in how unborn babies and fetuses would be categorized legally.

One prominent hyperbolic argument was that there was nothing stopping pregnant mothers from claiming their unborn child, whether as a frozen embryo or in the womb, as dependent on their taxes. In Georgia, this is already the case, so some states don't appear worried about that aspect.

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Adjacent to that entire situation is a proposed change to child support for pregnant women in at least six states that would follow the Georgia law. The Kentucky Senate advanced legislation Tuesday, bringing the state one step closer to bringing child support for pregnant mothers into law.

Could that same law come to Indiana? Well, if Kentucky's House of Representatives sends the bill through, Indiana could pursue its own legislation that is strikingly similar.

Indiana had a bill that would see pregnant mothers receive child support beginning at conception, but the language of the bill was a bit murky for the Indiana House Judiciary Committee. Similarly, the state also has a bill that would allow mothers to claim their unborn child as a tax dependent, but that bill has been shelved for 2024 as well.

While it certainly looks like it's only a matter of time before Indiana's lawmakers push these measures into law, the change in Kentucky could be the assist Indiana and other red states looking into similar legislation need to clarify the language and roll it out in 2025.