HB 1259 South Dakota House · 2025 Regular Session

prohibit unauthorized access to certain multi-occupancy rooms.

HB 1259 prohibits unauthorized access to certain multi-occupancy rooms in South Dakota. The bill directly affects building owners, property managers, and tenants by establishing rules about who may enter shared living spaces. Key provisions require landlords to obtain consent before entering rooms occupied by multiple tenants, ensuring privacy rights are protected. The law aims to prevent unlawful intrusions while allowing necessary access for maintenance or emergencies when proper notice is given. This policy change strengthens tenant protections without altering existing landlord responsibilities for property upkeep.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2025
House Passage
Mar 2025
Senate Passage
Mar 2025
Signed into Law
Mar 2025
Introduced Feb 20, 2025 Signed Mar 31, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

Senate Engrossed Enrolled · 5 edits · Mar 12, 2025
MODERATE
This bill adds new sections to South Dakota law requiring public schools to designate multi-occupancy changing rooms, restrooms, and sleeping quarters exclusively by biological sex. It defines specific terms related to sex and accommodations, establishes prohibitions on cross-gender access, and creates legal remedies for individuals who encounter violations.
Scope change
The bill expands South Dakota's existing privacy laws by adding new sections to chapters 13-32 and 20-13, specifically targeting public school facilities and events.
DEFINITION

Added detailed definitions for terms including 'changing room,' 'female,' 'male,' 'public school,' 'reasonable accommodation,' 'restroom,' 'sleeping quarters,' 'sex,' and 'unisex or family room' with specific criteria for each.

REQUIREMENT

Requires public schools to designate multi-occupancy changing rooms, restrooms, and sleeping quarters exclusively for females or males based on biological sex.

Establishes that males cannot enter female-only facilities and females cannot enter male-only facilities, with limited exceptions for disabilities, age-related assistance, law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, and maintenance staff.

ENFORCEMENT

Creates a private cause of action allowing individuals to sue school districts for declaratory and injunctive relief if they encounter opposite-sex individuals in designated facilities, with a two-year statute of limitations and potential attorney fee recovery.

ELIGIBILITY

Provides for reasonable accommodations including access to unisex/family rooms or single-occupancy rooms for students unable or unwilling to use sex-designated facilities, limited to the school year and cannot include opposite-sex facilities.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 10, 2025 · House Mar 11, 2025

How they voted

276
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 35
Mar 10, 2025
D Democratic3
2 Nay 1
66% Nay
R Republican32
27 Yea 4 Nay 1
84% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
19
Key actions
10
Committee
5
Amendments
3
Mar 31, 2025
Signed into law
Signed by the Governor on 2025-03-31 H.J. 552
executive
Mar 13, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed by the President S.J. 528
upper
Mar 12, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed by the Speaker H.J. 539
upper
Mar 11, 2025
Upper · Passed
House of Representatives Concurred in amendments , Passed, YEAS 58, NAYS 9 H.J. 521
upper
Mar 10, 2025
Upper · Passed
Senate Do Pass Amended , Passed, YEAS 27, NAYS 6 S.J. 496
upper
Mar 10, 2025
Introduced
Senate Motion to amend , Passed, S.J. 495 Amendment 1259K
upper
Mar 10, 2025
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (27-6-2)
senate
Mar 6, 2025
Upper · Passed
Senate Deferred to another day , Passed, S.J. 468
upper
Mar 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
State Affairs Do Pass Amended , Passed, YEAS 7, NAYS 2
upper
Mar 3, 2025
Introduced
State Affairs Motion to amend , Passed, Amendment 1259B
upper
Feb 20, 2025
Introduced
First read in Senate and referred to S.J. 321
upper
Feb 19, 2025
Lower · Passed
House of Representatives Do Pass Amended , Passed, YEAS 49, NAYS 21 H.J. 328
lower
Feb 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
State Affairs Do Pass Amended , Passed, YEAS 11, NAYS 2
lower
Feb 12, 2025
Introduced
State Affairs Motion to amend , Passed, Amendment 1259A
lower
Feb 6, 2025
Committee
Referred to H.J. 213
lower
17 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors