Healthcare (Hospitals)

HB 1127 revises South Dakota's regulations for birth centers and certified professional midwives. It requires birth centers to obtain a license from the Department of Health (with a $500 fee), mandates risk assessments to confirm low-risk pregnancies before admission, and requires written care plans addressing each client's medical and emotional needs. The bill also mandates that a practitioner or registered nurse be on-site during active labor and repeals the previous requirement that birth centers be within 30 minutes of a hospital. These changes directly affect birth centers, certified midwives, and patients seeking care at these facilities.

This bill (HB 1228) provides financial support to South Dakota National Guard members who donate an organ for transplantation. It requires the Department of the Military to pay a stipend based on recovery time: 50% of active-duty basic pay for two weeks or less recovery, or 150% for longer recovery, as certified by a doctor. To qualify, members must follow National Guard donation protocols, give one month's notice before surgery, and undergo the procedure at an approved transplant hospital. The stipend is only available if the member does not receive paid leave from their civilian employer for the donation. The bill directly affects National Guard members who choose to donate organs while serving.