A newly proposed Ohio bill would allow parents to claim miscarried fetuses as dependents on state income taxes, but it explicitly excludes aborted fetuses.
State Reps. Gary Click and Roy Klopfenstein, who are both Republicans, introduced House Bill 87, known as the Strategic Tax Options for Raising Kids (STORK) Act, which would permit Ohioans to claim embryos or fetuses conceived during the taxable year as dependents, starting in 2026, WCMH reported.
A previous version of the bill was introduced by Click in 2023 but failed to pass before the legislative session ended. The updated version includes provisions allowing fetuses lost to miscarriage to be claimed, while specifying that those lost due to abortion cannot.
The bill also extends eligibility to children conceived via assisted reproductive technologies, such as IVF.
The legislation is inspired by Click's 2022 Personhood Act, which sought to grant full legal recognition to fetuses from the moment of conception. That bill did not pass, but the tax-based approach represents a new strategy by anti-abortion lawmakers to expand fetal rights.
The STORK Act, currently awaiting its first hearing in the Ohio House Ways and Means Committee, has gained support from 11 Republican cosponsors.
Supporters argue that the bill provides financial relief for families, acknowledging the substantial costs associated with pregnancy and childbirth. Click pointed to statistics from the Peterson-Kaiser Family Foundation, which found that the average cost of pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum care in the U.S. was $18,865 in 2022, with insured families paying an average of $2,854 out of pocket.
Critics, however, view the bill as an underhanded attempt to grant fetuses legal personhood and restrict abortion rights. Jaime Miracle, deputy director of Abortion Forward, called the bill a "sneak attack" on reproductive rights.
The bill's progression through the Ohio legislature will likely be met with heated debate.
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