Photo of John Sjaarda
R South Dakota House · District 2

Rep. John Sjaarda

Compare
Total votes
1,451
all sessions
Attendance
100%
6 missed
Near the chamber average
With party
80%
of cast votes
Lower than 82% of chamber peers
Bipartisan score
12%
some cross-party votes
Higher than 80% of chamber peers
Sponsored
224
bills & resolutions
Higher than 80% of chamber peers
Committees
2
assignments
224 bills and resolutions

Sponsored bills

Total
224
Primary
224
Co-sponsor
0
This page
224
matching current filters
Primary HB 1064
Signed into law · South Dakota House · Lead sponsor
provide for the sale of producer-raised meat and meat food products directly to consumers pending legalization under federal law.

Maddy summaryHB 1064 allows South Dakota livestock producers to sell meat they raised and processed directly to end consumers in the state, pending federal legalization of such sales. The bill requires meat to be raised, slaughtered, and processed entirely within South Dakota, sold only to final consumers (not resold), and labeled with a warning that it’s uninspected and cannot be redistributed. It becomes effective only after the attorney general certifies that federal law permits such sales, either through new federal legislation or a court ruling declaring the current federal prohibition unconstitutional. This bill does not change current federal restrictions but prepares South Dakota for future direct-to-consumer sales once federal barriers are lifted.

Signed into law Feb 17, 2026 0 co-sponsors
Primary HB 1121
died · South Dakota House · Lead sponsor
expand the locations at which raw milk may be purchased for personal use by a consumer.

Maddy summaryHB 1121 expands where South Dakota consumers can legally purchase raw milk for personal use. It adds a new allowed location: retail stores owned by the milk producer, provided these stores are not located at the farm where the milk is produced. Currently, raw milk could only be bought directly at the farm, at farmers markets, or at a producer-owned store located on the farm. The bill specifically allows producer-owned retail stores (not at the farm) to sell raw milk directly to consumers.

died Feb 17, 2026 0 co-sponsors
Primary HB 1151
Failed · South Dakota House · Lead sponsor
ban kratom and kratom products and to provide a penalty therefor.

Maddy summaryHB 1151 bans kratom and kratom products in South Dakota, making it a Class 2 misdemeanor to sell, distribute, purchase, consume, or possess them. It specifically prohibits sales or use by anyone under 21 (except by parents/guardians), and requires strict labeling for products that remain legal, including serving sizes, alkaloid content, and health warnings. The bill also prohibits products containing over 2% 7-hydroxymitragynine, synthetic compounds, or harmful additives. This directly affects consumers, businesses selling kratom, and retailers who must comply with new labeling rules.

Failed Feb 17, 2026 0 co-sponsors
Primary HB 1321
Passed · South Dakota House · Lead sponsor
require that county treasurers calculate excise tax using the amount shown on a bill of sale for a used vehicle sold, leased, or transferred by a person other than a licensed motor vehicle dealer.

Maddy summaryHB 1321 requires county treasurers to calculate excise tax on used vehicles sold by private individuals (not licensed dealers) using the amount listed on the bill of sale, rather than the vehicle's retail value from a dealer guide. It directly affects private sellers and buyers of used vehicles, as well as county tax offices responsible for collecting the tax. The bill mandates that both parties submit a bill of sale to the treasurer; if missing, tax is assessed based on the dealer guide value. This change replaces the previous default method for private sales, ensuring tax is calculated from the actual transaction amount documented on the bill of sale.

Passed Feb 12, 2026 0 co-sponsors
Primary HB 1294
Passed · South Dakota House · Lead sponsor
prohibit geoengineering in this state.

Maddy summaryHB 1294 prohibits any person from conducting geoengineering within South Dakota. The bill defines geoengineering as large-scale climate interventions, specifically including carbon dioxide removal or reflecting sunlight away from Earth. Violating this prohibition is classified as a Class 6 felony. This law directly affects individuals or entities attempting these specific climate interventions within the state. The bill establishes a clear criminal penalty for such actions, focusing on preventing large-scale atmospheric or oceanic climate modification.

Passed Feb 12, 2026 0 co-sponsors
Primary HB 1198
Failed · South Dakota House · Lead sponsor
require that certain facilities obtain conditional use permits from adjacent political subdivisions.

Maddy summaryHB 1198 requires operators of large energy facilities (20+ megawatts average electrical demand) to seek conditional use permits from adjacent counties or municipalities. This applies only if the facility is within one mile of the adjacent political subdivision's boundary and that subdivision has adopted zoning ordinances. The bill directly affects developers of high-energy projects, such as large solar or wind installations, seeking to build near county or city borders. It adds new permit requirements to South Dakota law without changing existing zoning authority. (3 sentences)

Failed Feb 12, 2026 0 co-sponsors
Primary SB 141
Passed · South Dakota Senate · Lead sponsor
exempt certain sales at farmers' markets from sales tax.

Maddy summarySB 141 exempts sales of fresh seasonal fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, dairy, baked goods, flowers, and artisanal products directly to consumers at qualifying farmers' markets from South Dakota's sales tax. It applies specifically to recurring public markets where multiple independent farmers and producers sell agricultural goods directly to shoppers. The bill removes the tax burden on these transactions, benefiting both small-scale farmers who sell at markets and consumers purchasing locally grown or made products. This policy change directly affects farmers' market operators and shoppers at these venues within South Dakota.

Passed Feb 11, 2026 0 co-sponsors
Primary HB 1221
Passed · South Dakota House · Lead sponsor
establish a post-employment restriction for employees of the Governor's Office of Economic Development and create a penalty therefor.

Maddy summaryHB 1221 prohibits employees of South Dakota's Governor's Office of Economic Development from working for, or accepting compensation from, any entity that received financial assistance from the office during their employment. Specifically, former employees cannot work for 5 years with any recipient of grants, loans, or funds administered by the office, or with entities that received money from the "Investment in South Dakota's Future Fund." Violating this restriction is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill directly affects current and former employees of the Governor's Office of Economic Development and the organizations that received state financial support through that office.

Passed Feb 11, 2026 0 co-sponsors
Primary SB 2
Signed into law · South Dakota Senate · Lead sponsor
provide that a firearm silencer is not a controlled weapon.

Maddy summarySB 2 amends South Dakota law to clarify that firearm silencers (devices reducing gunshot noise) are not classified as "controlled weapons." This change removes silencers from the category of weapons subject to strict state regulations, such as special permits or licensing requirements. The bill directly affects gun owners, manufacturers, and sellers of silencers in South Dakota by eliminating these regulatory barriers. The key mechanism is an amendment to the definitions section of the state's criminal code (§ 22-1-2), specifically excluding silencers from the definition of "controlled weapon."

Signed into law Feb 11, 2026 0 co-sponsors
Primary HB 1271
Passed · South Dakota House · Lead sponsor
prohibit weather and climate modification activities and provide a penalty therefor.

Maddy summaryHB 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.

Passed Feb 10, 2026 0 co-sponsors
Showing 31 to 40 of 224 bills
Previous 1 3 4 5 23 Next