The House State Affairs Committee passed a bill Wednesday allowing individuals to establish paternity on their birth certificates even after age 18.
Rep. Roger DeGroot, R-Brookings, said establishing paternity will not create any financial responsibility.
“All this does is it allows me, or anybody else to go to court of law, prove that this is my father through DNA testing,” he said. “Then it goes to the court issues, and then the state can actually place the name on the birth certificate.”
Other proponents point out how allowing people to adjust the paternity after age eighteen aids in keeping a genetic legacy.
The bill passed with a unanimous vote.