Technology

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.

SB 170 requires businesses to provide a clear, upfront notice when consumers interact with chatbots, AI agents, or other technologies designed to mimic human conversation, preventing deception. It directly affects businesses using such technology in commercial transactions, mandating disclosure before interaction begins. Violations could result in actual damages, $1,000 per violation, or class-action limits of $10 million, with the attorney general able to seek enforcement. The law aims to ensure transparency in digital consumer interactions without restricting legitimate business use.

HB 1054 repeals the creation and budgeting requirements for South Dakota's Digital Dakota Network. The bill removes specific statutory provisions that established the network's structure, budgeting process, and the separate Office of Digital Dakota Network within the Bureau of Information and Telecommunications. It transfers all remaining network-related functions - including management, programming, and budgeting - directly to the Bureau of Information and Telecommunications. This change eliminates the network as a distinct program and ends the requirement for the Bureau to submit separate budgets for it. The bill directly affects the Bureau of Information and Telecommunications, which will now manage all telecommunications network operations under existing authority.