HB 1272 South Dakota House · 2026 Regular Session

require that a snow bear be titled and licensed.

HB 1272, introduced by Representative DeGroot, proposes amending South Dakota's vehicle title laws to require "a snow bear" to be titled and licensed. The bill attempts to add "snow bear" to the definitions in vehicle code (§ 32-3-1), treating it as a vehicle subject to title and licensing requirements. This appears to be an error or non-sequitur, as "snow bear" is not a recognized vehicle type and bears are living animals, not vehicles. The bill does not describe any actual policy mechanism or affect any real-world entity, as it conflates biological animals with vehicle regulations. This appears to be a drafting mistake rather than a substantive legislative proposal.
Bill status in committee 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
House Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 4, 2026 Last action Feb 18, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced House Transportation Engrossed · 3 edits · Feb 12, 2026
MINOR
This document appears to be a legislative bill draft for South Dakota's HB 1272 that was introduced in the 101st Legislative Session. The bill aims to require snow bears to be titled and licensed. The document shows formatting changes from a browser compatibility notice to the actual legislative text, including the bill title, sponsor information, and the beginning of Section 1 which defines terms used in vehicle-related chapters. The substantive content shows the bill is being amended to add new definitions related to vehicle registration and title systems.
Scope change
The bill scope appears to be focused on vehicle title and registration requirements, specifically adding definitions for various vehicle-related terms in the state's vehicle code chapters.
DEFINITION

Added new definitions including 'ERT provider' (Electronic Title and Registration provider), 'Gross vehicle weight rating', 'Junking certificate', 'Low-speed vehicle', 'Manufactured home', 'Manufacturer', and 'Mobile home' to the existing vehicle code definitions.

REQUIREMENT

The bill introduces a requirement that snow bears must be titled and licensed, though the specific provisions for this requirement appear to be in later sections not shown in this excerpt.

TECHNICAL

Changed from browser compatibility warning text to actual legislative bill formatting, indicating this is the transition from the website interface to the bill document itself.

Floor votes · House Feb 18, 2026

How they voted

4324
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 70
Feb 18, 2026
D Democratic5
5 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican65
38 Yea 24 Nay 3
58% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
7
Key actions
3
Committee
2
Amendments
2
Feb 18, 2026
Lower · Passed
House of Representatives Do Pass Amended , Passed, YEAS 43, NAYS 24 H.J. 360
lower
Feb 18, 2026
Introduced
House of Representatives Motion to amend , Passed, H.J. 359 Amendment 1272D
lower
Feb 18, 2026
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (43-24-3)
house
Feb 12, 2026
Lower · Passed
Transportation Do Pass Amended , Passed, YEAS 9, NAYS 1
lower
Feb 12, 2026
Introduced
Transportation Motion to amend , Passed, Amendment 1272A
lower
Feb 4, 2026
Introduced
First read in House and referred to House Transportation H.J. 220
lower
5 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors