Search Bills

To apply for a convention of states under Article V of the Constitution of the United States to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, to limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and to limit the terms of office for federal officials and members of Congress.

This resolution directs South Dakota to apply for a federal constitutional convention (allowed under Article V of the U.S. Constitution) focused on three goals: requiring the federal government to balance its budget, reducing federal power and authority, and imposing term limits on members of Congress and federal officials. It does not change state law itself, but rather commits South Dakota to formally requesting that Congress call a convention where states could propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution on these topics.

revise provisions regarding state-owned motor vehicles.

This bill requires all state agencies and departments to keep their passenger vehicles in operation for at least 10 years or until they reach 175,000 miles before removing them from service, with an exception only when repair costs exceed the vehicle's value. The change establishes a new minimum lifespan standard for state-owned vehicles to reduce unnecessary replacement costs.

Instructing South Dakota's congressional representatives to support an effort in Congress to terminate the U.S. Department of Education.

This resolution instructs South Dakota's U.S. Representatives and Senators to vote in support of eliminating the federal Department of Education. It does not change state law itself, but rather expresses the state legislature's position that Congress should abolish the federal agency responsible for education policy and programs.

require that the state pursue recoverable costs of litigation.

HB1019 requires state agencies to pursue reimbursement for the costs they incur when defending themselves in lawsuits, whenever those costs are legally recoverable. This means if the state wins a case or settles it favorably, the agency must actively try to collect attorney fees, court costs, and other litigation expenses from the losing party rather than absorbing those costs themselves.

revise certain provisions regarding motor vehicle license plates.

HB 1142 eliminates the requirement that South Dakota change its license plate design every five years, ending the practice of issuing new plate designs on a regular cycle. The bill removes the old rule about design changes while clarifying that license plates can only be replaced if they become worn or damaged, not simply because a new design cycle has begun.

establish certain provisions regarding the mowing of rights-of-way adjacent to the state trunk highway system.

HB1145 allows the Department of Transportation to enter into agreements with adjacent property owners to mow the rights-of-way (the land strips along highways) instead of doing all the mowing itself. This gives property owners the option to maintain the area next to their land along state highways, potentially saving the state money while allowing owners more control over their property's appearance.

provide opportunities for the private sector commercialization of interstate rest areas and welcome centers.

HB1266 allows private companies to operate and profit from South Dakota's interstate rest areas and welcome centers through commercial agreements with the state, rather than having the state run them exclusively. The bill enables the state to contract with private businesses to manage these facilities and operate commercial services (like restaurants, shops, or fuel stations) within them. This shifts control of these roadside facilities from government-only operation to public-private partnerships where private companies can generate revenue.

require the state to assume the responsibility for legal expenses of certain persons in state custody.

SB142 requires South Dakota to pay the legal defense costs for people in state custody who cannot afford a lawyer, rather than leaving counties to cover these expenses. This shifts the financial burden of public defense from local governments to the state, ensuring that counties don't have to pay for defending individuals held by state authorities.

make an appropriation for the payment of certain delinquent taxes.

SB156 appropriates state funds to pay off specific overdue tax debts that the state owes. This spending bill allows the state to settle these delinquent tax obligations rather than continuing to carry them as unpaid liabilities.

provide for the transfer of funds from the budget reserve fund and to declare an emergency.

# SB181 Summary This bill authorizes the state to transfer money from South Dakota's budget reserve fund (a savings account for emergencies) to cover immediate state expenses. The bill declares an emergency, which allows this transfer to happen without the normal legislative approval process that would otherwise be required.

require that local government bond elections be held in conjunction with the primary or general election in even-numbered years.

SB162 requires local governments to hold bond elections at the same time as the statewide primary or general election in even-numbered years, rather than allowing them to schedule separate elections. This change consolidates voting on local bond measures with regular state elections to increase voter turnout and reduce election administration costs.

revise certain provisions regarding assessments for children receiving alternative instruction.

# HB1065 Summary This bill modifies the assessment requirements for children who receive alternative instruction (such as homeschooling or non-traditional education programs). The changes allow more flexibility in how and when these children are tested, reducing the burden of standardized testing while still ensuring some form of academic accountability.

revise provisions regarding designation of a no maintenance highway.

HB1077 changes the rules for how South Dakota designates "no maintenance highways"—roads where the state stops maintaining the surface. The bill revises the process and criteria for deciding which roads can receive this designation, potentially making it easier or harder for certain roads to be designated depending on the specific changes made.

revise certain programs regarding the board of regents and promote efficiency in state government and to make an appropriation therefor.

# HB1168 Summary This bill revises programs overseen by the Board of Regents (which manages South Dakota's public universities) to promote efficiency and cost savings in state government. The bill makes specific changes to how these programs operate, though the exact programmatic changes would depend on the bill's detailed provisions. The bill also includes funding appropriations to implement these revised programs.

authorize a county gross receipts tax.

SB106 allows individual South Dakota counties to adopt a local gross receipts tax on businesses operating within their borders, giving counties a new revenue option beyond property taxes. Each county would need voter approval to implement this tax, and the revenue would support county services and operations. This is a new authority—South Dakota counties currently cannot impose gross receipts taxes.

revise certain provisions regarding certification of utility permits.

# SB184 Summary This bill revises the process for certifying utility permits in South Dakota by changing how state agencies review and approve requests from utility companies to work on public lands and rights-of-way. The specific changes streamline certification requirements, though the exact modifications depend on which utility permit provisions the bill targets (such as those for pipelines, electrical lines, or water systems).

require optional services through Medicaid to be authorized through special appropriation.

# HB 1229 Summary This bill requires South Dakota to get special approval from the legislature before spending money on optional Medicaid services—those that federal law allows states to provide but doesn't require. Currently, the state can add or expand these services without specific legislative authorization, but under this bill, any new optional service would need a dedicated appropriation voted on by lawmakers.

promote pipeline construction and fiscal responsibility by establishing a fund, to authorize a special fee for extraordinary expenses, to make a continuous appropriation therefor, and to declare an emergency.

SB190 creates a new fund to cover extraordinary expenses related to pipeline construction and establishes a special fee to pay for it, with the money automatically appropriated each year without needing separate legislative approval. The bill declares an emergency, meaning it takes effect immediately rather than waiting for the standard July 1 date.

revise certain provisions regarding state laboratory services.

HB 1012 eliminates the separate Office of Laboratory Services and transfers its responsibilities to the State Public Health Laboratory within the Department of Health. The bill removes language requiring the Board of Regents to coordinate with the old office on performance standards, streamlining how the state provides laboratory testing for clinical specimens, food safety, environmental samples, and other regulated materials.

repeal certain provisions regarding the Legislature.

This bill eliminates the South Dakota Tribal Economic Development Task Force, which was a group made up of tribal leaders, state legislators, and appointed members who worked on economic issues affecting South Dakota's nine Indian tribes. The task force, which was overseen and funded by the Legislative Research Council, will no longer exist once this bill becomes law.

prohibit the obligation recovery center from imposing a cost recovery fee on any debts owed within the Board of Regents' system.

HB1166 prevents South Dakota's Obligation Recovery Center from charging fees to collect debts owed to universities and colleges in the Board of Regents system. Currently, the recovery center can charge cost recovery fees on all debts it collects; this bill removes that authority specifically for debts owed to state universities and colleges.

increase the state's percentage of video lottery revenues and provide for the deposit of certain excess revenues.

HB1252 increases the portion of video lottery machine revenues that the state keeps, rather than sharing all of it with the establishments that host the machines. Any extra revenue above a certain threshold gets deposited into a dedicated fund for specific state purposes instead of going to the general fund.

accommodate legislation to lower the state sales and use tax.

SB133 lowers South Dakota's state sales and use tax rate, reducing the tax that consumers pay on most purchases and businesses pay on goods they buy for resale. The bill adjusts the state's tax code to reflect this lower rate across all applicable transactions. This change puts more money back in the pockets of shoppers and businesses while reducing state revenue.

remove certain sanctions regarding public assistance for certain felony drug offenders.

SB144 removes restrictions that currently prevent people convicted of certain drug felonies from receiving public assistance benefits like food stamps and cash assistance. Under current law, these individuals are banned from receiving these benefits; this bill eliminates that ban, allowing them to apply for and receive public assistance like other South Dakota residents.

revise the General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2019.

SB180 adjusts the budget amounts allocated to various state agencies and programs for the 2019 fiscal year, increasing or decreasing spending from what was originally approved. The specific changes redistribute taxpayer money among different state departments based on updated needs and priorities identified during the legislative session.

establish a fund to receive civil recoveries to offset costs incurred by riot boosting, to make a continuous appropriation therefor, and to declare an emergency.

SB189 creates a special fund to collect money from civil lawsuits and settlements related to riot damages, with that money used to pay for state costs of responding to and recovering from riots. The fund is set up as a continuous appropriation, meaning the state can spend collected money without needing approval each year, and the bill declares an emergency so these provisions take effect immediately.

create a property tax relief fund and to provide for the transfer of certain unobligated cash balances.

HB1125 creates a new property tax relief fund and transfers unobligated (unspent) state cash balances into it to help reduce property tax burdens for South Dakota residents. The bill essentially redirects surplus state money that wasn't allocated for specific purposes toward a dedicated fund aimed at property tax relief.

provide for divestiture of certain state investment holdings.

# HB1206 Summary This bill requires South Dakota to sell off certain investments held by the state, though the specific companies or investment types targeted are determined by the bill's details. The divestiture would remove state pension funds and other public investments from holdings that meet criteria the legislature has identified as problematic or contrary to state policy.

authorize the payment of a self-insured retention on a cyber liability insurance policy from the extraordinary litigation fund, to make an appropriation for the payment of extraordinary litigation expenses, and to declare an emergency.

This bill allows South Dakota to pay cyber liability insurance costs from its extraordinary litigation fund, which is typically reserved for major legal expenses. The bill also appropriates additional money to cover extraordinary litigation costs and declares the matter an emergency so these payments can be made immediately rather than waiting for the normal budget process.

Rescinding an adopted joint resolution regarding a federal balanced budget amendment.

South Dakota previously adopted a joint resolution calling for a federal constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget. This bill rescinds (cancels) that prior resolution, meaning South Dakota is no longer officially supporting that federal balanced budget amendment proposal.

appropriate money for the ordinary expenses of the legislative, judicial, and executive departments of the state, the expenses of state institutions, interest on the public debt, and for common schools.

SB191 sets aside money to pay for the everyday costs of running South Dakota's government, including the legislature, courts, and governor's office, plus funding for state hospitals and schools and payments on state debt. This is a budget bill that determines how much money each state agency and program receives for the upcoming fiscal year. It doesn't change existing laws but rather provides the funds needed to operate them.

authorize certain paraplegic or amputee veterans or their surviving spouses to retain a property tax exemption without having to reapply each year.

HB 1081 allows paraplegic or amputee veterans—and their surviving spouses—to keep their property tax exemption permanently instead of having to reapply for it every year. Currently, these veterans must submit paperwork annually to maintain their exemption; this bill eliminates that recurring requirement once they initially qualify.

revise certain healthcare programs and make an appropriation therefor.

HB 1170 appropriates $1 from the state's general fund to help revise and improve certain healthcare programs and make state government more efficient. Any money not actually spent or committed by June 30, 2019, will be returned to the general fund according to standard procedures.

define electric bicycles and to provide for the regulation of electric bicycles.

# SB187 Summary This bill creates a legal definition for electric bicycles in South Dakota and sets rules for how they can be used on roads and paths. The law specifies that electric bikes with motors up to a certain power level are treated similarly to regular bicycles, allowing riders to use them in bike lanes and on paths where regular bikes are permitted. This gives e-bike riders clear guidance on where they can legally ride while helping law enforcement and local governments enforce consistent rules statewide.

revise provisions regarding certain financial interest statements filed by persons elected to state or local office.

SB 90 changes the rules for financial disclosure statements that elected officials must file by removing or reducing certain filing requirements for state and local officeholders. The bill streamlines which officials need to report their financial interests and what information they must include in these public documents. This revision aims to reduce the administrative burden on elected officials while maintaining transparency about potential conflicts of interest.