South Dakota Bills

passed · South Dakota · Senate Feb 11, 2026

SB 194: limit the potency of cannabis products sold at medical cannabis dispensaries.

SB 194 limits THC potency in medical cannabis products sold at South Dakota dispensaries. It prohibits dispensaries from selling cannabis flower with over 30% THC, liquid concentrates over 60% THC, edibles exceeding 5mg THC per serving or 100mg per container, and cannabis oil over 5% THC. These specific THC thresholds apply directly to products sold at licensed medical dispensaries. The bill aims to restrict the strength of cannabis products available through the state's medical program.

Topics ✗ Healthcare

passed · South Dakota · House Feb 11, 2026

HCR 6010: urging the Supreme Court of the United States to overturn the decision in Obergefell v. Hodges.

HCR 6010 is a non-binding resolution passed by the South Dakota legislature urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its 2015 *Obergefell v. Hodges* decision, which established same-sex marriage as a constitutional right. The resolution expresses the legislature's view that *Obergefell* conflicted with constitutional principles and state authority over marriage, citing arguments about judicial overreach and the state's 2006 voter-approved definition of marriage. This resolution has no legal effect and does not change marriage laws in South Dakota or elsewhere. It serves solely as a symbolic statement of legislative opinion.

passed · South Dakota · Senate Feb 11, 2026

SB 166: require boards of county commissioners and county planning and zoning commissions to hold meetings after certain times or provide recordings of meetings to the public for later viewing.

SB 166 requires county commissioners and planning commissions in South Dakota to either hold meetings after 6:00 p.m. on weekdays or provide recordings of meetings to the public. Recordings must be made freely available on a publicly accessible platform within 24 hours of the meeting. The bill applies directly to county-level government bodies responsible for local planning and zoning decisions, ensuring greater public access to their proceedings. It amends existing statutes governing meeting schedules for these commissions.

passed · South Dakota · House Feb 11, 2026

HB 1221: establish a post-employment restriction for employees of the Governor's Office of Economic Development and create a penalty therefor.

HB 1221 prohibits employees of South Dakota's Governor's Office of Economic Development from working for, or accepting compensation from, any entity that received financial assistance from the office during their employment. Specifically, former employees cannot work for 5 years with any recipient of grants, loans, or funds administered by the office, or with entities that received money from the "Investment in South Dakota's Future Fund." Violating this restriction is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill directly affects current and former employees of the Governor's Office of Economic Development and the organizations that received state financial support through that office.

passed · South Dakota · House Feb 10, 2026

HB 1271: prohibit weather and climate modification activities and provide a penalty therefor.

HB 1271 prohibits the intentional release of specific chemicals (like aluminum barium, sulfur dioxide, or PFAS-containing chaff) into the atmosphere for weather modification, directly affecting operators of equipment used for such activities. It establishes a $100,000 minimum civil penalty per violation (plus $10,000 daily for ongoing violations) and creates a dedicated monitoring fund to cover enforcement costs. The bill requires airports to report aircraft equipped with weather-modification devices (excluding standard agricultural sprayers) to the Department of Transportation, which forwards reports to the Agriculture Department for investigation. Key mechanisms include online violation reporting, departmental investigation rules, and airport compliance reporting starting July 2026.

Topics ✓ Environment

passed · South Dakota · House Feb 10, 2026

HB 1170: allow online access to verify registry status for organ donation.

HB 1170 requires South Dakota's Department of Public Safety to make the state's organ donation registry accessible online 24/7, allowing registered donors or authorized individuals to verify their status anytime. It directly affects South Dakotans who are organ donors or considering donation, as well as organ procurement organizations and donation agencies that need to access registry information. The bill mandates that the registry must allow online registration, amendment, revocation, and verification of donor status, while ensuring personally identifiable information is protected and only used for determining donation status near death. This change streamlines access to the registry without altering the underlying donation process or eligibility rules.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

passed · South Dakota · House Feb 10, 2026

HB 1242: require emergency personnel to use flares or emergency reflective triangles to mark stopped emergency vehicles in some circumstances.

HB 1242 requires emergency personnel (police, fire, EMTs) to place three flares or emergency reflective triangles around stopped emergency vehicles when visibility is reduced by weather, terrain, or time of day; road conditions make stopping difficult; or the emergency requires extended vehicle stops. The law specifies placement: 100 feet front and rear on two-way roads, with adjusted spacing (100 feet and 200 feet rear) on one-way roads. This applies to all emergency vehicles operating under the statute's exemptions. The policy change aims to improve safety visibility for responders and other drivers during emergency stops.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Transportation

passed · South Dakota · House Feb 10, 2026

HCR 6009: urging Congress to repeal the estate tax.

This South Dakota House Concurrent Resolution (HCR 6009) urges Congress to repeal the federal estate tax. It directly affects farm and ranch families and generational family businesses, as their assets (like land and equipment) are often hard to sell quickly to pay the tax. The resolution highlights that the tax can force heirs to downsize or sell operations to cover payments, rather than allowing them to maintain family assets. The resolution is a formal request to Congress, not a law, and does not change existing tax policy.

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes

passed · South Dakota · Senate Feb 10, 2026

SB 147: prohibit a person from refusing to identify oneself in certain circumstances and to provide a penalty therefor.

SB 147 allows merchants selling alcohol to detain individuals under 21 who appear to be illegally purchasing or attempting to purchase alcohol, or who misrepresented their age. The detained person must provide identification for verification to the merchant or law enforcement. Violating this requirement (refusing to identify) is punishable as a Class 2 misdemeanor. The bill directly affects minors attempting underage alcohol purchases and merchants enforcing age restrictions. It does not apply to general public identification requests outside of alcohol sales contexts.

passed · South Dakota · House Feb 10, 2026

HB 1203: exempt a volunteer firefighter from certain motor vehicle registration fees.

HB 1203 (South Dakota) exempts active volunteer firefighters from certain motor vehicle license fees. It allows qualifying residents to apply for a fee exemption on one noncommercial vehicle (car, truck, or van) by submitting a fire department chief’s certification confirming their active volunteer status. The exemption must be renewed annually and does not cover excise tax on vehicle purchases or specialty plate costs. This directly affects South Dakota volunteer firefighters seeking to reduce vehicle registration expenses.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

passed · South Dakota · Senate Feb 10, 2026

SB 167: amend provisions pertaining to the administration of an academic achievement assessment to students in grade eleven.

SB 167 requires South Dakota school districts to administer annual academic assessments to all 11th-grade students. It adds new provisions allowing each 11th grader, in consultation with a guidance counselor, to select from a state-approved list of assessments that measure academic progress, align with state standards, and accommodate diverse post-graduation pathways. The South Dakota Board of Education must approve these assessments annually by May 1st and provide the approved list to schools. This replaces the previous requirement that all 11th graders take a single mandated test, giving students more choice within state-approved options.

Topics ✓ Education

passed · South Dakota · House Feb 10, 2026

HB 1116: prohibit a video streaming service from transmitting certain advertising during children's programming and provide a penalty therefor.

HB 1116 prohibits video streaming services (like Netflix or Disney+) from showing ads about abortion, alcohol, drugs, gambling, gender identity, nicotine, or sexual behavior during programming designed for children under 16. The law defines "children's programming" as content for under-16s and targets streaming services directly, excluding traditional broadcasters. Violations could result in a civil penalty of up to $5,000, collected by the attorney general and deposited into the state general fund. This bill directly affects streaming platforms that offer content for young audiences and changes advertising rules during those programs.

Bill results