South Dakota Bills | MyRepTracker

signed · South Dakota · House Mar 30, 2026

HB 1017: permit the board of a school district to require that certain students receive instruction in alternative settings.

HB 1017 allows South Dakota school boards to require students exhibiting aggressive or violent behaviors that disrupt school safety or operations to receive instruction in alternative learning environments. This policy directly affects students whose conduct poses a threat to school safety, providing school districts with a formal mechanism to address such disruptions. The bill explicitly states it does not override existing enrollment options under state law or conflict with federal special education protections (IDEA and Section 504). It focuses solely on school safety responses, with no changes to special education eligibility or placement procedures.

Topics ✓ Education

signed · South Dakota · Senate Mar 30, 2026

SB 3: limit the types of residential improvements for which counties, municipalities, and townships may require a permit.

SB 3 limits local governments in South Dakota from requiring building permits for specific minor residential repairs and renovations on owner-occupied homes. It prohibits counties, municipalities, and townships from mandating permits for exterior repairs like replacing doors, windows, siding, gutters, or roof shingles, as well as interior work that doesn’t affect structural elements like foundations, load-bearing walls, or major utility systems. The bill directly affects homeowners performing these routine maintenance tasks without needing local permit approval. This is a procedural change focused on reducing bureaucratic hurdles for small-scale home improvements.

signed · South Dakota · House Mar 30, 2026

HB 1006: create a taskforce to study the creation of Indian medicaid managed care entities in the state.

This bill creates a taskforce to study how South Dakota could establish Medicaid managed care entities specifically serving tribal communities, as defined under federal law. The taskforce includes representatives from all federally recognized South Dakota tribes, state health and social services agencies, healthcare providers, insurance companies, and tribal relations officials. It must gather input from stakeholders and submit findings and potential legislation to the Governor by December 2028. The bill does not implement new programs but sets a process for evaluating this option.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · South Dakota · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 228: modify provisions for a tax increment financing district.

SB 228 modifies South Dakota's rules for creating tax increment financing (TIF) districts, which are areas where property tax growth funds redevelopment projects. It updates the requirement that at least 50% of a district's area must be blighted or serve economic development goals (replacing a confusing "25 fifty percent" phrasing), and adds new consent rules: counties need municipal approval to create TIF districts within cities, and municipalities need county approval for districts within counties. These changes directly affect local governments (counties and municipalities) seeking to establish TIF districts for redevelopment. The bill focuses on clarifying eligibility criteria and intergovernmental coordination, not on funding amounts or project specifics.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

signed · South Dakota · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 237: require that counties provide written notice to township supervisors of conditional use applications and appeals.

SB 237 requires developers seeking conditional use permits for projects that would significantly strain public infrastructure or rights-of-way to send certified mail notice to county or municipal authorities at least 45 days before applying. Authorities must then schedule a public hearing within 30 days to determine if a "haul road agreement" (a contract for using public roads to transport heavy materials) or other conditions are needed. Within 14 days after the hearing, authorities must provide a written decision to the applicant about required agreements or conditions. This bill directly affects developers, counties, and municipalities by adding procedural steps to review infrastructure impacts before granting permits.

signed · South Dakota · House Mar 12, 2026

HB 1280: increase penalties for the operation of drones over certain facilities and to provide for mitigation techniques and countermeasures.

HB 1280 prohibits drone use for surveillance, recording, or interference at South Dakota state military installations, facilities, aircraft, vehicles, or weapons systems without prior written consent from the facility commander. Violating this prohibition is classified as a Class 6 felony. The bill authorizes law enforcement to intercept or disable such drones using jamming, hacking, or physical capture - excluding firearms - if there is reasonable suspicion of an imminent threat to public safety. Drones used in violations may be forfeited, destroyed, or otherwise disposed of by court order.

Topics ✗ Technology

signed · South Dakota · House Mar 12, 2026

HB 1311: require the reporting of funding given by certain persons and governments to institutions under the control of the Board of Regents and the South Dakota Board of Technical Education.

HB 1311 requires South Dakota's Board of Technical Education and Board of Regents to annually report funding received from specified foreign sources to public institutions they oversee. The bill defines "foreign sources" as governments or entities from China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or Venezuela, or foreign-owned organizations over 10% controlled by them. Institutions must disclose the amount, source, purpose, and documentation of such funding (excluding tuition payments) in a public annual report due by August 31 each year. This transparency measure applies only to funding received on or after July 1, 2026, and does not affect existing confidential information.

signed · South Dakota · House Mar 12, 2026

HB 1265: authorize the salvage of certain bird eggs.

HB 1265 creates an "Avian Special Purpose Salvage Permit" allowing landowners or farmers to legally salvage, incubate, and release eggs from non-migratory bird nests accidentally destroyed during normal agricultural or lawful activities. The permit, valid annually until December 31, requires a $10 fee and authorizes three specific actions: salvaging eggs, incubating them, and banding/releasing the birds at an appropriate developmental stage. The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission will establish rules for release criteria, documentation, and the permit process. This bill directly affects landowners whose operations unintentionally disturb non-migratory bird nests, providing a legal pathway to salvage eggs instead of facing misdemeanor charges under existing law.

Topics ✓ Environment

signed · South Dakota · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 240: make an appropriation for county rural access infrastructure and to declare an emergency.

SB 240 appropriates $5 million from South Dakota's general fund to create a rural access infrastructure fund, directly affecting all counties by providing funding for infrastructure improvements on township and county secondary roads. Funds are distributed to counties based on their proportion of small structures (like bridges or culverts) on these roads relative to the statewide total, calculated using data reported to the Department of Transportation. The bill requires the Department of Revenue to distribute no more than one-third of the funds annually across fiscal years 2026-2028, with unspent funds reverting by June 2031. It declares an emergency to expedite implementation, focusing solely on the concrete funding mechanism and distribution rules without advocating for outcomes.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Transportation

signed · South Dakota · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 35: revise the process for requesting a veteran's certificate of discharge from a county register of deeds.

This bill revises how veterans and authorized individuals request certified copies of military discharge documents from South Dakota county registers of deeds. It allows veterans, veterans' service officers (including county and tribal representatives), Department of Veterans Affairs staff, legal representatives, accredited veterans' organizations, and next of kin (if the veteran has died) to obtain these copies without charge. Requesters must submit a form verifying their eligibility, provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill specifically excludes copies showing a veteran's discharge type (e.g., honorable or dishonorable) from free distribution.

Topics ✓ Veterans

signed · South Dakota · House Mar 12, 2026

HB 1045: revise certain provisions related to child support.

HB 1045 revises South Dakota's child support laws to update income calculation methods and modify enforcement rules. It establishes a presumption that parents can earn at least $1,820 annually (based on 1,820 hours at state minimum wage) for support calculations, replacing previous standards in § 25-7-6.4. The bill also allows automatic modification of pre-2022 child support orders without proving changed circumstances (§ 25-7-6.13) and permits crediting parents for support arrears accrued during periods they had primary custody for over four months (§ 25-7-6.19). These changes directly affect parents obligated to pay child support, courts handling support cases, and the Department of Social Services administering these provisions.

signed · South Dakota · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 60: restrict ownership of real property interests by certain prohibited entities and to provide for enforcement.

South Dakota's SB 60 restricts ownership of land within 10 miles of military bases by entities designated as "prohibited" under state law. It requires these entities to sell any existing property in the "restricted zone" within two years (or three years if inherited) and bans new ownership or control of such property. The law mandates that property buyers sign an affidavit confirming compliance, and the Attorney General can enforce violations through court actions to forfeit non-compliant property. This bill directly affects property owners and investors near military installations, with enforcement focused on compliance rather than new regulations.