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revise certain provisions regarding recommendations for treatment as a condition for probation.
HB1047 removes the requirement that courts must follow probation officers' recommendations when ordering someone on probation to get treatment (such as substance abuse or mental health services). Instead, courts will have discretion to accept, reject, or modify treatment recommendations based on their own judgment of what's appropriate for each offender.
revise certain provisions regarding the consideration of joint physical custody of a minor.
# HB1104 Summary This bill changes how South Dakota courts handle joint physical custody decisions by requiring judges to presume that joint physical custody is in a child's best interest unless proven otherwise. Previously, courts could award joint custody only if both parents agreed or if the judge found it appropriate—now the law shifts the burden to whichever parent opposes joint custody to show why it wouldn't work.
revise provisions regarding the mandatory retirement age of judges.
HB1138 removes the mandatory retirement age requirement for South Dakota judges, allowing them to continue serving beyond the current age limit. This change lets judges decide when to retire rather than being forced out based on age alone.
revise certain provisions regarding adult adoption.
# HB1067 Summary This bill revises South Dakota's adult adoption law to allow adults to be adopted by other adults, removing restrictions that previously limited who could adopt whom. The changes likely streamline the adoption process for consenting adults and may modify consent requirements or court procedures currently in place for adult adoptions.
make an appropriation to the Equal Access to Our Courts Commission.
SB 80 provides state funding to the Equal Access to Our Courts Commission, which works to ensure all South Dakotans can afford and access the court system. This is a spending bill that allocates money to support the Commission's operations, rather than changing any legal rules or requirements.
revise certain provisions regarding public records.
This bill prohibits state agencies and local governments from keeping settlement agreements secret when they pay money to settle lawsuits, requiring instead that these agreements be public records that citizens can see. Courts can still redact the names of crime victims from these agreements to protect their privacy. The bill essentially makes it illegal for the government to hide the terms of settlements behind confidentiality clauses.