PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — A bill introduced by Governor Kristi Noem would require both parents to pay for the pregnancy, labor and delivery of a child.

SB 75 was filed Thursday by Senator David Wheeler (R-Huron) and Representative Mike Stevens (R-Yankton) on behalf of the governor. The bill would clarify existing law that states that parents of a child born out of wedlock are “jointly severally liable to pay the reasonable expenses of the mother’s pregnancy and confinement.

The law would include pregnancy or prenatal care, labor and delivery, postpartum recovery and medical complications arising from pregnancy as reasonable expenses that a mother incurs.

“Life begins at conception. Science proves this, and its why South Dakota is a strong pro-life state,” Noem said in a release. “The responsibility to equally pay expenses related to pregnancy should also begin at conception. The gift of a child often comes with financial burden, and a mother should not have to take that on alone.”

The bill would also clarify the legal process for mothers who wish to seek reimbursement for pregnancy expenses.