The bill amends Section 25-6-7 of South Dakota law to revise the venue for adoption proceedings. The previous provision stated that the circuit court for the county of the child's legal residence or the adopting parent's legal residence, where the petition is first filed, would have original jurisdiction. This language has been deleted.

The new legal language allows a petition for adoption to be filed in any of the following counties: (1) the county where the adopting parent resides, (2) the county where the authorized agency that has care, custody, or control of the child is located, or (3) the county where the child was born or currently resides. This change aims to provide more flexibility in the adoption process by expanding the options for filing petitions.

Statutes affected:
Introduced, 01/29/2026: 25-6-7