make an appropriation for grants to support the purchase of personal protective equipment by volunteer fire departments and to declare an emergency.
This bill appropriates $5 million from the general fund to provide grants for volunteer fire departments in South Dakota to purchase safety gear (like helmets and suits) for their firefighters. It specifically targets departments where at least 70% of firefighters volunteer, prioritizing those with the greatest equipment needs. The Department of Public Safety will distribute funds based on application timing and need, with unspent funds reverting by June 2030. An emergency declaration allows the funding to take effect immediately upon passage.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
House Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Mar 2026
Introduced Jan 27, 2026
Signed Mar 30, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Introduced
→
Enrolled
·
3 edits
·
Mar 5, 2026
MINOR
This document shows the transition of Senate Bill 136 from its introduced draft to its enrolled final version ready for signing. The bill appropriates $5,000,000 to provide grants for personal protective equipment to volunteer fire departments in South Dakota. The enrolled version includes formal signatures and certification language required for the bill to become law.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains unchanged - it still provides funding for volunteer fire departments with at least 70% volunteer firefighters to purchase personal protective equipment.
TECHNICAL
Added formal enrolled language including executive office certification, governor approval, and filing documentation required for the bill to become official law.
Removed browser compatibility warnings and technical website notices that were present in the draft version.
Changed document title from '2026 South Dakota Legislature' to '2026 South Dakota Legislature' with proper enrolled formatting and bill number placement.
Floor votes · Senate Mar 2, 2026 · House Mar 4, 2026
How they voted
33–0
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 35
Mar 2, 2026
D
Democratic3
100% Yea
R
Republican32
93% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
11
Key actions
6
Committee
1
Mar 30, 2026
Signed into law
Signed by the Governor on 2026-03-30 S.J. 549
executive
Mar 9, 2026
Lower · Passed
Signed by the Speaker H.J. 543
lower
Mar 5, 2026
Lower · Passed
Signed by the President S.J. 485
lower
Mar 4, 2026
Lower · Passed
House of Representatives Do Pass , Passed, YEAS 67, NAYS 0 H.J. 511
lower
Mar 3, 2026
Introduced
First read in House and referral to committee waived pursuant to JR 6D-1 H.J. 485
lower
Mar 2, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate Do Pass , Passed, YEAS 33, NAYS 0 S.J. 428
upper
Feb 26, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee on Appropriations Do Pass , Passed, YEAS 16, NAYS 0 J.J. 38
upper
Jan 27, 2026
Introduced
First read in Senate and referred to Joint Committee on Appropriations S.J. 120
upper
14 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Brandon Wipf
RRepublican
P
Carl Perry
RRepublican
P
Curt Massie
RRepublican
P
Curt Voight
RRepublican
P
Eric Emery
DDemocratic
P
Erik Muckey
DDemocratic
P
Jim Mehlhaff
RRepublican
P
John Sjaarda
RRepublican
P
Kadyn Wittman
DDemocratic
P
Kevin Jensen
RRepublican
P
Larry Zikmund
RRepublican
P
Lauren Nelson
RRepublican
P
Steve Kolbeck
RRepublican
P
Tom Pischke
RRepublican
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