Rep. Aaron Aylward

Maddy summarySB 123 prohibits the manufacture, sale, and distribution of any food product containing cell-cultured protein within South Dakota. It directly affects food service businesses, restaurants, and mobile food vendors that sell such products. The bill defines "cell-cultured protein" as human food made from animal cells grown outside a live animal, and establishes a Class 2 misdemeanor penalty for violations. Authorities may inspect establishments, issue stop-sale orders, and suspend business licenses for noncompliance. The law aims to ban these products through direct sales restrictions and enforcement mechanisms.

Maddy summaryThis House Commemoration (HC 8003) honors Joyce Waddell for her retirement from the Bison School District after 56 years of service as a teacher, counselor, and librarian. It recognizes her total 61 years of dedication to South Dakota education, including teaching multiple generations of students and maintaining deep community connections throughout her career. The resolution is a ceremonial tribute introduced by multiple legislators, with no associated policy changes or funding.

Maddy summaryHCR 6004 is a non-binding House Concurrent Resolution encouraging South Dakotans to use physical cash for transactions. It urges citizens to pay with cash when possible and support businesses offering cash discounts, while also encouraging businesses to provide such discounts. The resolution cites reasons including preventing purchase tracking, reducing transaction fees for businesses, keeping money circulating locally, enabling unbanked residents to participate in the economy, and improving disaster resilience. It does not create new laws or requirements but serves as a symbolic expression of support for cash-based transactions.

Maddy summaryHB 1091 requires political subdivisions (like city councils, school boards, or county commissions) to post corrected versions of meeting agendas, attachments, or financial reports at least 24 hours before a meeting if they contain a material error. A "material error" is defined as any mistake likely to mislead the public about meeting details (date, time, location, subject) or the content of documents. This rule applies to both the physical office location and the subdivision's website, if one exists. Violating this requirement is punishable as a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Maddy summaryHB 1071 creates a new 10-year boat registration option for owners of boats transported exclusively on a trailer registered to them in South Dakota. To qualify, owners must provide proof of their trailer's registration and submit an affidavit confirming the boat is only transported on that trailer, paying a special fee at application or renewal. The registration expires after 10 years but can be renewed for additional 10-year periods if requirements are met. If the trailer registration lapses during the 10-year period, the boat reverts to annual registration with expiration based on the remaining time or December 31 of the last trailer registration year. This directly affects boat owners using registered trailers for transport, simplifying registration for those meeting the criteria.

Maddy summaryThis is a symbolic House Concurrent Resolution (HCR), not a bill with binding policy changes. It states South Dakota's commitment to "honest economic development" based on Republican principles like limited government, deregulation, and low taxes, but it does not create new laws or alter existing ones. The resolution urges future legislative and executive policies to prioritize reducing government intervention and supporting free markets, without specifying any concrete actions or affecting specific businesses or residents. As a non-binding statement, it has no direct impact on economic development practices or individuals.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a legislative commemoration honoring the Harrisburg Tigers girls' gymnastics team for winning the 2025 Class AA state championship. It recognizes their historic first-place finish, a team score record of 152.983, and individual victories by Katelyn Maeschen, Emery Myron, and Isabelle Reiners. The resolution, introduced by multiple legislators, formally celebrates the team's achievements and their coaches' recognition as Coach of the Year. As a symbolic gesture, it has no policy impact or direct effect on any laws or regulations.

Maddy summaryHB 1004 authorizes voters to remove county commissioners through a recall process. It requires petitions signed by 15% of district voters or 5% of county voters (based on the last general election), with signatures valid only within 60 days of filing. The petition must state specific grounds for removal, such as corruption, incompetence, or misconduct, and triggers a special election within 60 days to replace the commissioner. This bill directly affects county commissioners and voters in South Dakota counties, establishing a new procedure for their removal.

Maddy summarySB 66 prohibits South Dakota election officials from using automatic tabulating equipment or electronic ballot marking systems for any election. The bill requires all ballots to be hand-counted manually in public view, replacing electronic processing with paper-based counting. It directly affects county auditors, precinct election boards, and all election administrators responsible for ballot handling and counting. The law mandates that ballots must be printed on paper (not processed electronically), with all vote counts performed manually after polls close, eliminating electronic tabulation entirely.

Maddy summaryHB 1078 requires South Dakota's Board of Education to amend administrative rules by September 2026 to update high school graduation coursework requirements. The bill mandates specific credit counts: 4 units of language arts (including writing, speech, and American literature), 3 social studies units (U.S. history and government), 3 math units (including Algebra I), 3 science units (including biology), plus required courses in personal finance, fine arts, physical education, health, and electives. It allows substitutions for one science credit using approved advanced computer science or agriculture science courses (but not for biology), and permits up to one fine arts credit through extracurricular activities with documented alignment to state standards. This directly affects all South Dakota public high school students and school districts implementing graduation standards.