Search Bills

revise certain provisions regarding the commitment of a delinquent child to the Department of Corrections.

HB 1206 changes how South Dakota courts can handle sentences for juveniles found guilty of delinquency by requiring judges to choose the "least restrictive alternative" that serves the child's best interests. The bill revises the types of dispositions available to courts—including probation, community service, restitution, and fines—when sentencing delinquent children, with an emphasis on rehabilitation rather than institutional commitment.

extend the termination date for the Juvenile Justice Public Safety Oversight Council.

HB 1207 extends the deadline for when the Juvenile Justice Public Safety Oversight Council must be shut down, allowing the council to continue operating beyond its original termination date. This keeps the oversight body in place to continue monitoring and reviewing South Dakota's juvenile justice system.

create a monitor to review and respond to complaints related to the care provided to youth in the custody or care of certain care facilities, treatment centers, and programs.

South Dakota will create a new monitor position to investigate and respond to complaints about how youth are treated in state care facilities, treatment centers, and youth programs. This establishes an oversight mechanism to ensure these institutions are properly caring for the young people in their custody.

establish exceptions regarding the possession of a pistol by a minor.

South Dakota law currently prohibits minors from possessing pistols, but this bill creates several exceptions that allow minors to possess pistols with parental consent if they meet certain conditions—such as being in the presence of a parent, guardian, or certified gun safety instructor, or using the pistol for farming, ranching, hunting, or target shooting on property owned by the minor or their family. The bill also clarifies that these exceptions apply to minors who receive pistols through other legal transfers.