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to revise certain provisions regarding pesticide registration, pesticide application, and enforcement of pesticide laws.

South Dakota's pesticide law changes the penalties for misusing or revealing pesticide formula information: revealing such information without authorization drops from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a petty offense, while intentionally revealing it to commit fraud becomes a Class 2 misdemeanor instead. The bill also clarifies which officials and emergency responders (like physicians and pharmacists) can receive formula information without penalties.

revise certain provisions regarding hunting with drones.

This bill creates a limited exception to South Dakota's ban on using aircraft for hunting by allowing property owners and their authorized users to operate drones to locate or spot predators and varmints on private land, as long as the drone operates under federal aviation rules and the activity doesn't occur during deer hunting season (September–November). The bill also clarifies that all drone operations in the state must comply with Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

require commercial pesticide applicators to maintain proof of financial responsibility.

South Dakota's licensed commercial pesticide applicators must now maintain proof they can cover potential damage from their work—either through a $100,000 surety bond, liability insurance of at least $100,000 per person and per incident, or a letter from a bank or accountant confirming $100,000 in net assets. They must show this proof to the Department of Agriculture when requested. This requirement doesn't apply to employees of pesticide companies or government workers.

require testing of moisture meters and protein-measuring devices.

This bill creates a new requirement for the Department of Public Safety to annually inspect all moisture meters and protein-measuring devices used to test grain and seed in South Dakota to ensure they meet state standards. Devices that pass inspection receive a seal of approval, while those that fail receive a seal marking them as defective and unsuitable for commercial use.

To provide for a legislative task force to study, report, and develop and consider recommendations and proposed legislation regarding the evaluation and standardization of quality measurements of agricultural products.

A legislative task force will be created to study and develop recommendations for how South Dakota should evaluate and standardize quality measurements for agricultural products. The task force will propose new legislation based on its findings, and the bill modifies existing laws related to agriculture and measurement standards to establish this study group.

establish certain restrictions on the foreign ownership of agricultural land.

SB 163 restricts foreign ownership of agricultural land in South Dakota by amending the state's laws on property ownership. The bill establishes new rules limiting how much farmland non-U.S. citizens and foreign entities can purchase or control in the state.

revise the fees for pesticide registration, private applicator licenses, commercial applicator licenses, and pesticide dealer licenses.

# SB24 Summary This bill revises the fees that pesticide businesses and professionals must pay to South Dakota for registration and licensing. Specifically, it changes the costs for pesticide registration, private applicator licenses, commercial applicator licenses, and pesticide dealer licenses.

To ensure the existence of a healthy, sustainable equine population.

This resolution expresses the South Dakota House's support for allowing horse slaughter and processing within the state, including on tribal lands, as a method to manage horse populations. It also declares opposition to federal legislation that would ban horse slaughter. The resolution does not change existing state law but rather states the legislature's policy position on this issue.

legalize the growth, production, and transportation of industrial hemp in the state, to make an appropriation therefor, and to declare an emergency.

South Dakota would legalize the growing, processing, and moving of industrial hemp within the state. The bill includes funding for implementing this new hemp program and is declared an emergency measure to take effect immediately.

revise certain provisions regarding grain buyers.

This bill removes the requirement that grain buyers notify sellers about voluntary credit sale agreements and eliminates a separate rule about transferring funds to the grain and warehouse fund. The changes streamline regulations by removing one notification requirement and one funding mechanism while keeping other grain buyer oversight rules in place.

revise provisions regarding the management of the animal damage control program.

HB 1236 reorganizes South Dakota's animal damage control program by significantly expanding the management provisions in state law while eliminating two outdated regulatory sections. The bill consolidates and updates rules for how the state handles wildlife conflicts and damage, removing redundant language while strengthening the framework for administering the program.

revise certain provisions regarding pesticide registration and application.

HB 1028 updates South Dakota's pesticide law definitions to use more modern and inclusive language, such as replacing "man" with "persons" and "him" with "the user" throughout the statute. The bill makes minor clarifying edits to definitions of pesticide-related terms like "active ingredient," "bulk pesticide," and "device" to ensure the language is current and consistent. These are technical revisions that don't change the practical rules for pesticide registration or application, but make the law easier to understand.

to revise provisions regarding agricultural land classifications for tax purposes.

This bill changes how South Dakota classifies agricultural land for tax purposes by clarifying how "Class IV" soils—those in the middle range of productivity—should be categorized. The director of equalization must now decide whether Class IV soils count as cropland or noncropland based on whether 60% or more of the land is actually used for crop harvesting or has severe limitations that prevent it, rather than relying on soil type alone.

add gravel to the definition of a mineral.

This bill adds gravel to South Dakota's legal definition of a "mineral" under state law. Previously, the definition included oil and gas but not gravel; now gravel is explicitly listed as a mineral that can be extracted from the earth for economic value. This change means gravel extraction operations may now fall under the state's mineral development and surface rights laws.