Maddy summaryHB 1274 prohibits the delivery or distribution of abortion-inducing medicine, drugs, or substances into South Dakota for purposes of an illegal abortion, with exceptions for self-administration by a pregnant person, life-saving medical procedures, or miscarriage management. It establishes a Class 6 felony for violating this prohibition, imposes civil penalties up to $10,000 per dose, and allows civil lawsuits for wrongful death of an unborn child by specific parties (e.g., parents, the pregnant person, or their estate). The bill directly affects medical providers, pharmacies, and anyone transporting such substances into the state, while exempting individuals acting in self-defense or under medical necessity. The attorney general may seek injunctions to stop violations and collect civil penalties for deposit into a state fund.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHB 1257 redefines "abortion" in South Dakota law to include any action intending to terminate a pregnancy with knowledge it will likely cause the unborn child's death, while excluding specific medical treatments (like miscarriage care, ectopic pregnancy treatment, or procedures to save the unborn child's life). It requires physicians to determine that a pregnancy poses a "reasonably foreseeable risk of death" to the mother before permitting an abortion, mandates attempts to preserve both lives when possible, and mandates hospital-based reporting to the Department of Health. The bill directly affects pregnant individuals, physicians, and hospitals by setting strict medical criteria for legal abortions and prohibiting abortions based solely on psychological conditions or self-harm fears. It does not criminalize all abortions but creates a narrow exception for life-threatening conditions, with violations classified as Class 6 felonies.
Maddy summaryHB 1164 makes it a Class 5 felony for licensed healthcare providers to use reproductive material (like sperm or eggs) without a patient’s written consent during assisted reproduction procedures (e.g., IVF). It directly affects healthcare providers, patients, donors, and children born from such procedures. The bill establishes civil liability, allowing patients, spouses, intended parents, children, or donors to sue for $10,000 in liquidated damages plus other costs and attorney fees. Lawsuits must be filed within five years of the child’s 18th birthday or when evidence (like DNA results) is discovered.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends existing state consumer protection laws to add requirements for age verification and parental consent for application stores, which are digital platforms where users download software applications. The legislation would require these stores to verify the age of users and obtain parental consent from minors before allowing them to access or download applications. It also establishes penalties for businesses that fail to comply with these new verification and consent requirements. The bill does not create new consumer protection categories but rather modifies existing deceptive trade practices provisions to include digital application store compliance.
Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would prohibit South Dakota governments from using eminent domain to transfer private property to private companies or non-governmental entities solely for economic development or increased tax revenue. It would require any property transfer to serve a clear public purpose, such as infrastructure or public services, rather than benefiting private interests. The amendment would apply to all state and local government actions involving property takings and must be approved by voters at the next general election. If adopted, it would change how governments can acquire property for development projects.
Maddy summaryThis bill (HC 8013) is a legislative commemoration recognizing the West Central FFA chapter's Agricultural Issues team for winning first place at the 2025 South Dakota State Leadership Development Events. It specifically honors the team members - Holly Berg, Kenasyn Johnson, Ganon Lienhard, Teagan Lupkes, Alex Siemonsma, Stella Siemonsma, and Nate Struck - and their advisor, Linda Petersen - for their research on autonomous agricultural systems and their advancement to national competition. As a ceremonial resolution, it has no policy impact or direct effect on any laws or constituents.
Maddy summarySB 218 establishes a legal framework for charter schools in South Dakota. It defines charter schools as public schools operating under contracts with school districts or the state education department, granting them exemptions from most state education laws while requiring compliance with civil rights, health/safety rules, and standardized testing. The bill mandates annual performance reporting to the state, outlines application requirements for nonprofit organizers (including community support and financial plans), and specifies that charter schools must serve grades K-12 nonsectarianly without religious instruction. This directly affects school districts (as authorizing entities), nonprofit organizers seeking to open charter schools, and students enrolled in these schools.
Maddy summaryHB 1224 prohibits South Dakota financial institutions from denying or restricting banking services (like checking accounts, loans, or credit cards) based on a person's religious exercise, free speech, or lawful economic activity. It requires institutions to provide a specific, written explanation within 30 days if they take an adverse action, detailing whether protected activities influenced the decision - replacing vague reasons like "internal policies." The bill bans agreements to discriminate and makes violations a deceptive trade practice under existing state law. It applies to large institutions processing over $100 billion in annual transactions, with exceptions for legitimate business reasons like account defaults or legal compliance.
Maddy summaryHB 1182 requires South Dakota's Department of Health to create a public data collection system tracking assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures. It mandates fertility clinics and ART providers to report annual data on embryo creation, implantation, disposition methods (like freezing, donation, or disposal), embryo transfers out of state, and pregnancy/live birth outcomes. The collected data must be compiled and published online by July 1 each year. This bill directly affects ART providers in South Dakota and aims to provide transparency on ART practices without changing existing medical procedures.
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.