Technology

signed · South Dakota · Senate Mar 30, 2026

SB 214: amend provisions pertaining to the publication of the statewide voter registration file.

SB 214 requires South Dakota's Secretary of State to post weekly updates to the statewide voter registration file every Monday by 11:59 p.m. Central Time. It also establishes a rolling five-year historical archive of this data on the Secretary's website, making it freely available. The bill prohibits public access to sensitive personal information like Social Security numbers, driver license numbers, and birth dates within these files. Additionally, it bans selling or using voter data for commercial purposes (with exceptions for political polling), while allowing fees for paper copies of voter lists.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill restricts access to sensitive voter data (SSNs, DOB) and bans commercial use, directly aligning with data privacy protections in technology policy.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

signed · South Dakota · House Mar 30, 2026

HB 1298: prohibit the electronic publication of certain information about a judicial officer or law enforcement officer and provide a penalty therefor.

HB 1298 prohibits publishing a judicial or law enforcement officer's home address, date of birth, or social security number online without their consent if done with the intent to cause fear for the officer's safety or their immediate family's safety. The law applies only to electronic publications and targets individuals who share such sensitive personal information under these specific conditions. Violating this prohibition is classified as a Class 6 felony. The bill directly protects officers by restricting the online dissemination of their personal details that could enable threats or harassment.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProtects law enforcement officers' safety by prohibiting unauthorized online publication of sensitive personal information, directly supporting operational security in Criminal Justice.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyProtects sensitive personal data (addresses, DOB, SSN) of officers from unauthorized online publication, directly advancing data privacy safeguards in digital contexts.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

signed · South Dakota · Senate Mar 30, 2026

SB 44: establish investigative subpoena authority to gather business records in certain investigations.

SB 44 allows South Dakota's Attorney General to obtain business records from internet and telecom providers during criminal investigations of internet crimes against children or human trafficking. It requires judicial approval based on "reasonable cause" before issuing subpoenas for specific records like IP addresses, account details, and device information. Hughes County judges have statewide authority to approve these subpoenas, which cannot notify account holders, and obtained records must be used solely for law enforcement with privacy safeguards. The bill directly affects providers (including internet and telecom companies) by mandating compliance with court-ordered requests for targeted data.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeSB 44 provides law enforcement with subpoena authority for business records in serious crimes (internet crimes against children, human trafficking), enhancing investigative capabilities within the criminal justice system.90% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill enables law enforcement to access user data without notice, weakening privacy protections for individuals in criminal investigations.80% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Technology

signed · South Dakota · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 43: address search and seizure provisions applicable to digital currency.

This bill updates South Dakota's search and seizure laws to explicitly include digital currency as "property" covered by existing warrant procedures. It defines digital currency as value recorded on blockchain or similar distributed ledger technology (e.g., Bitcoin). The change ensures law enforcement must follow standard warrant processes when seeking digital currency, aligning it with how physical property is treated under current law. This directly affects law enforcement investigations involving digital assets and individuals holding such currency.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires warrants for digital currency searches, protecting civil rights by aligning with physical property search procedures under existing law.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRequires warrants for digital currency searches, treating it as protected property under existing law to prevent warrantless seizures, aligning with digital privacy protections.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

signed · South Dakota · Senate Mar 10, 2026

SB 111: require that social media companies provide collected personal data of a user at the user's request and maintain transparent interoperability interfaces.

SB 111 requires social media companies operating in South Dakota to give users access to their collected personal data upon request and maintain transparent, publicly available technical standards (open protocols) that allow different social media platforms to share user data. It directly affects social media companies by mandating data access for users and requiring interoperability interfaces that are free from licensing fees or patent restrictions. Key provisions define "personal data" as information linked to an identifiable individual (excluding de-identified or public data) and specify that interoperability must enable data exchange between platforms via open protocols. The bill focuses on concrete policy changes: user data access and standardized data-sharing mechanisms, without specifying enforcement or penalties.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates user data access and transparent interoperability, advancing data privacy and digital rights through consumer control of personal information.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

signed · South Dakota · Senate Mar 5, 2026

SB 114: provide for the publication of ballot images and the cast vote record of automatic tabulating equipment.

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.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill mandates redaction of voter-identifying details in election records, directly protecting data privacy as specified in the topic's indicators.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

failed · South Dakota · Senate Feb 24, 2026

SB 205: revise registration fees for drones and establish a fund to support drone aviation.

SB 205 revises drone registration fees in South Dakota, charging 1.5% of purchase price for agricultural drones and 2% for all other drones. The collected fees fund a new "drone aviation fund" administered by the Board of Technical Education to support drone training grants at state technical colleges. This bill directly affects drone owners (especially agricultural users) by changing their registration tax rates and creating a dedicated funding source for drone industry workforce development. The fund will receive all drone registration fees and interest, with expenditures requiring annual budget approval. The bill does not apply to small unmanned aircraft systems covered under federal regulations.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRevises drone registration fees (tax) to fund drone training grants, directly allocating tax revenue to support workforce development programs.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationDirectly funds drone training grants at state technical colleges via new aviation fund, supporting higher education workforce development.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill creates a dedicated fund for drone training grants at technical colleges, directly advancing workforce development in a growing industry and supporting employment standards through skill-building.80% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyFunds drone training grants for industry workforce development, directly advancing drone technology sector through dedicated fee-based funding.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

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in committee · South Dakota · House Feb 23, 2026

HB 1168: provide a property tax credit for the payment of nonpublic school tuition.

HB 1168 creates a property tax credit for South Dakota homeowners who pay for qualifying K-12 education expenses for children aged 5-19. The credit covers tuition, school fees (including sports/fine arts), textbooks, tutoring, test fees, transportation, and educational technology. It limits the credit to $1,000 per year or 80% of the school district taxes owed. Homeowners must apply annually by June 1st with documentation from the school or alternative instruction provider.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides property tax credit reducing burden for K-12 education expenses, offering tax relief to homeowners per bill's tax credit structure.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides property tax credit for K-12 education expenses (tuition, fees, materials), increasing affordability and access for families per bill summary.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill explicitly includes 'educational technology' as a qualifying expense, funding tech use in K-12 education through property tax credits.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

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failed · South Dakota · House Feb 20, 2026

HB 1246: prohibit nondisclosure of certain agreements related to data centers.

HB 1246 prohibits state agencies and local governments from signing agreements with private entities that require secrecy about data center projects. It mandates that any agreement for building, developing, or locating a data center must be treated as a public record, making its terms accessible to the public. The bill defines a data center as a facility storing, processing, or managing electronic data. This ensures transparency by preventing confidential clauses in such agreements, allowing public access to project details without secrecy restrictions.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates public access to data center agreements, ensuring transparency in tech infrastructure contracts and aligning with data privacy protections by preventing secrecy around data handling terms.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

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