Missouri House unanimously approves bill allowing pregnant women to divorce
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A law on the books in Missouri states a woman can’t get a divorce if she’s pregnant. The Missouri House of Representatives took a significant step in getting that overturned.
House lawmakers unanimously overturned the decades-old law on Thursday that allows pregnant women only to file for a divorce — not finalize them.
The bill would prevent courts from using pregnancy status as a reason to not dissolve a marriage.
KCTV5 first reported on this issue in August 2024 when it became clear there were many women stuck in marriages because of the 50-year-old law.
One domestic violence survivor who endured years of abuse from her husband said she filed for divorce, but learned legally that she couldn’t escape.
“At that point, I was told in Missouri, you cannot get a divorce when you’re pregnant,” recalled the survivor. “It was just crushing because I didn’t know that was the case.”
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House Bills 243 and 280, approved on Thursday, read:
“This bill prohibits pregnancy status from preventing the court from entering a judgment of dissolution of marriage or legal separation.”
It passed with 155 state representatives voting Yes.
Sara Brammer with Synergy Services, a Kansas City-based domestic violence housing program, told KCTV5 she often sees similar cases with women essentially being trapped.
“So very often, offenders keep their partners pregnant or use pregnancy or reproductive coercion as a way of controlling their partner,” said Brammer. “It’s not lost to offenders that a pregnant woman can’t get divorced.
This law was established in 1973, requiring a divorcing couple to state whether the wife is pregnant. The idea behind it was to hold men financially accountable for the children they fathered.
Similar legislation also exists in Texas, Arkansas, Arizona and California.
Back at the Missouri House on Thursday, the bill to overturn the old law passed with much celebration. Rep. Cecelie Williams (R-Dittmer), one of the sponsors of the bill received a standing ovation and several hugs.
The bill now moves to the Missouri Senate.
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