Rep. Peri Pourier

Maddy summaryHB 1080 allows veteran business owners to display military specialty plates on noncommercial vehicles (like personal cars or vans) registered to their business, provided the veteran is listed as an additional owner on the vehicle's title. It also limits the veteran's personal liability for damages from accidents involving these business vehicles. The bill requires the veteran to meet standard military plate eligibility and vehicle registration rules, with a $10 additional fee for the specialty plates. This directly affects veteran business owners who operate noncommercial vehicles under their business registration.

Maddy summaryHB 1309 restricts online services from collecting or using personal data of users under 16 years old in South Dakota. It requires operators (like apps or websites) to delete such data within 14 days of identifying a minor user, unless parental consent is obtained for 13- to 15-year-olds or the processing is strictly necessary for essential purposes like security, legal compliance, or providing requested services. The law bans data use for advertising, marketing, or third-party sharing without consent and allows the state Attorney General to enforce it through fines up to $5,000 per violation. This directly affects minors under 16 and online platforms targeting them or collecting their data within South Dakota.

Maddy summaryHB 1236 would amend South Dakota law to remove civil liability immunity for licensees (like bars and restaurants) who serve alcohol to someone who is obviously intoxicated. Currently, licensees cannot be sued for injuries or deaths caused by such violations, but this bill would allow injured parties or their estates to pursue civil claims. The key change directly affects licensed alcohol establishments and their employees who serve patrons showing clear signs of intoxication. This shifts the legal standard by making licensees financially responsible for harm resulting from their violation of the existing prohibition against serving intoxicated individuals.

Maddy summaryHB 1255 requires South Dakota's Department of Health to accept medical records from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) when veterans apply for a medical cannabis registry ID card. Veterans must submit VA records (within three years) showing a debilitating condition, along with proof of an honorable military discharge, to qualify under this provision. This eliminates the need for veterans to obtain a new certification from a South Dakota healthcare provider for the card application. The bill applies specifically to veterans meeting these documentation requirements, streamlining access to medical cannabis registry cards.

Maddy summarySB 127 limits data center operations to reduce disruptions for nearby residents. It prohibits new data centers within one mile of residential areas (though local governments can set stricter rules) and caps continuous noise at 45 decibels near residential property lines. The bill defines data centers broadly to include cloud services, cryptocurrency mining, and streaming platforms. Violations would be deemed legal nuisances, allowing state attorneys or affected residents to seek court orders to stop the disruptions.

Maddy summaryHB 1058 requires online betting platforms offering pari-mutuel wagering on horse or dog races to obtain a specific license from South Dakota. It clarifies that both in-state operators (with a physical presence) and out-of-state operators must pay a tax of 1.5% on South Dakota contributions, while multi-jurisdictional hubs pay 0.25% (with portions going to racing and breeding funds). The bill specifies that tax revenue will fund the state, a special racing revolving fund, and a South Dakota-bred racing fund. This applies only to online wagering for authorized horse and dog races, updating existing tax and licensing rules.

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.

Maddy summarySB 158 changes how South Dakota school districts calculate enrollment for state education funding. It specifies that a district's fall enrollment - used to determine aid - must include all K-12 students enrolled on the last Friday of September, plus students the district pays tuition for, minus students it receives tuition for (excluding nonresident students in state care and students in specific special education programs). The bill also defines annual enrollment as the higher of the fall or spring enrollment counts. This directly affects all public school districts receiving state aid for general education by altering their funding calculation base.

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.

Maddy summarySouth Dakota's SB 12 allows qualifying veterans with certain disabilities (like loss of use of both lower extremities) or their unremarried surviving spouses to request refunds for property taxes paid in the previous four years if they missed the application deadline for an existing property tax exemption. The bill amends tax exemption rules to permit petitions to county commissioners for these refunds, which the commissioners may approve or deny at their discretion. It directly affects veterans and surviving spouses who previously paid taxes they might have qualified to avoid. The refund mechanism applies only to taxes paid in the four years prior to the petition, not future exemptions.