HB1149

This bill sets minimum qualifications for who can conduct child custody evaluations in South Dakota court cases—requiring evaluators to be psychiatrists, licensed psychologists, marriage and family therapists, or licensed social workers, or alternatively, to have nationally recognized training and experience in custody evaluation. If no qualified evaluator is available, both parents can agree on someone the court approves. The bill also clarifies that courts must split the costs of custody evaluations between the parents.