Environment

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.

HB 1157 creates a 12-member task force to study ecological damage and costs from aquatic invasive species in South Dakota. The task force includes representatives from state agencies (Game, Fish and Parks; Agriculture; Tourism), tribal organizations, water development districts, recreation industries, and environmental groups. It must submit a report by November 2026 detailing prevention strategies, cost estimates, and funding recommendations for addressing invasive species. The bill appropriates $50,000 from the general fund for task force expenses and declares an emergency to expedite implementation.

HB 1103 requires that any annual withdrawal of groundwater from a source cannot exceed the natural annual recharge rate of that source. The bill amends groundwater appropriation rules to prohibit approving new water rights if withdrawal would exceed recharge, based on available data. It directly affects applicants seeking groundwater rights, including agricultural users, municipalities, and industries. An exception allows withdrawals exceeding recharge for older groundwater formations used by public water systems.