HB 1007 amends South Dakota's legal definition of "law enforcement officer" to explicitly include tribal law enforcement officers. This change directly affects tribal law enforcement personnel by ensuring they are recognized under the same legal definitions as state and local officers. The bill modifies Section 22-1-2 of state law to add tribal officers to the definition, aligning their status with other law enforcement roles. This is a technical definitional update with no new requirements or funding impacts.
HB 1279 permits technical college employees in South Dakota to join the state health plan, directly affecting permanent staff working 20+ hours weekly at least six months yearly. The bill requires the technical college’s local education agency (LEA) to pay equivalent monthly contributions instead of the state, and removes previous restrictions preventing these employees from enrolling. Key provisions include defining "technical college employee" and ensuring LEAs cover the same cost as the state does for other plan-eligible employees. The law takes effect July 1, 2027, and applies only to technical college staff, not other state workers.
HB 1040 revises South Dakota's child support calculation schedule to adjust the percentage of a noncustodial parent's net income required for child support based on income levels and number of children. It introduces a $871 monthly self-support reserve, protecting low-income parents from excessive payments by comparing their obligation to a proportional share calculated using both parents' incomes. The bill also requires incarcerated parents serving over 180 days to pay at least the minimum base amount specified in the schedule. This directly affects noncustodial parents across all income brackets, particularly those with lower earnings or who are incarcerated.
SB 114 requires South Dakota election officials to make ballot images (digital copies of paper ballots) and cast vote records (electronic records showing how votes were counted) publicly available as public records. However, it prohibits releasing these records if they include voter-identifying details like names, timing of votes, or incomplete precinct data. Specifically, records from precincts with fewer than 100 ballots must be redacted to remove ballot style identifiers and combined with records from other precincts before public release. This law applies directly to local election officials responsible for managing and releasing election data.
SB 30 restricts the reasons a voter's eligibility can be challenged to only one specific issue: whether the voter has already voted or registered to vote in another state. The bill deletes existing provisions allowing challenges based on residency (per §12-1-4) or U.S. citizenship status. This change directly affects voters whose eligibility might be challenged, county auditors who process such challenges, and the Secretary of State who can file them. The policy change narrows the grounds for filing eligibility challenges, making it harder to contest a voter's registration on residency or citizenship grounds.
SB 31 allows South Dakota voters to use a confirmation letter (instead of just a postcard) to verify their registration status. The letter must include the voter's current information, instructions for confirming details or updating an address within 30 days, and a warning that failure to respond will make their registration inactive. This directly affects voters who receive these notices from county auditors due to potential address changes or undeliverable mailings. The bill updates existing voter registration maintenance procedures to clarify the required content and purpose of these verification notices.
SB 138 revises South Dakota's school board election recount process by requiring recounts to be completed before the annual board meeting. It affects candidates who lose by a margin of two percent or less, allowing them to request a recount within five days of the official vote count. The bill clarifies that recounts must be finished prior to the annual board meeting specified in §13-8-10, rather than relying on prior ambiguous timing. This change ensures recounts conclude in time for the board's regular meeting schedule without altering the request window or recount board composition rules.
SB 198 restricts student cell phone use during instructional time in South Dakota public schools. The bill prohibits students from using cell phones unless they have an approved medical or educational accommodation, or during an emergency affecting health/safety. School districts must create policies outlining disciplinary actions for violations. This directly affects all K-12 students in South Dakota public schools during the school day as defined by each district.
SB 32 modifies ballot requirements for South Dakota primary elections. It removes party designations for judicial candidates on primary ballots (replacing "nonpolitical judiciary ballot" with standardized candidate lists) and changes how constitutional amendments and initiated measures are printed on ballots. The bill repeals an existing section specifying the form of the nonpolitical judiciary ballot. These changes directly affect county auditors and election officials who print and distribute ballots. The bill also declares an emergency to expedite its implementation.
SB 101 is a procedural bill that clarifies South Dakota's requirements for presidential electors. It updates timing deadlines (changing references from "nine a.m." to "11 a.m. central time") for electors to notify the Governor of their presence and readiness, and refines procedures for filling vacancies if electors fail to appear. This directly affects South Dakota's presidential electors and state officials handling election logistics. The bill makes technical adjustments to existing election code without altering voting outcomes or elector qualifications.
SB 224 creates a legal presumption that joint physical custody (where a child spends roughly equal time with both parents) is in the best interest of a child during custody disputes in South Dakota. It directly affects parents involved in custody cases by requiring courts to start with this presumption unless evidence shows joint custody would harm the child. The bill specifies that courts must consider factors like safety or stability to rebut the presumption, and defines joint physical custody as time split approximately equally between parents. This change applies to all custody determinations under South Dakota law, replacing prior standards.
SJR 508 proposes amending South Dakota's constitution to remove the lieutenant governor's role as presiding officer of the Senate. If approved by voters, the lieutenant governor would no longer serve as Senate president (currently outlined in Article IV, Section 5), though they would retain other duties delegated by the governor. The bill also repeals a related constitutional provision (Article XVI, Section 6) regarding the lieutenant governor's role in gubernatorial impeachment trials. This change would require voters to approve the constitutional amendment at the next general election. The amendment directly affects the lieutenant governor's official duties and Senate procedural rules.
