Search Bills

prohibit certain acts against children and provide a penalty therefor.

This bill makes it a Class 4 felony for doctors and medical professionals to perform certain surgeries or prescribe specific medications to minors for the purpose of addressing gender dysphoria or affirming a gender identity that differs from their biological sex. The prohibited treatments include gender transition surgeries, mastectomies, puberty blockers, and hormone therapies at certain doses. The bill creates new criminal penalties but does not change existing state law—it adds these prohibitions for the first time.

establish conditions under which a parent may refuse consent for health care services.

South Dakota parents can now refuse to consent to medical, psychiatric, or counseling services for their minor children if they believe the services would suggest or affirm that the child's gender differs from their sex at birth. Parents who refuse consent under this new rule cannot be sued, penalized, or held legally responsible for that refusal.

require parental notification of self-injurious behavior expressed during counseling sessions.

This bill requires school counselors, psychologists, and social workers to notify parents if a student under 18 expresses feelings of gender dysphoria or interest in self-injurious behavior during counseling sessions. It carves out an exception to South Dakota's existing confidentiality protections for school counselors, which currently prevent them from disclosing student communications to others.

prohibit the state from endorsing or enforcing certain policies regarding domestic relations.

HB1215 creates a new state law prohibiting South Dakota from enforcing or endorsing policies related to same-sex marriage, transgender identity recognition, sexual orientation protections, and certain medical or educational practices. The law blocks state agencies and counties from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, using tax dollars for gender transition procedures, restricting conversion therapy, or partnering with organizations to host drag queen storytimes. This represents a significant shift in state policy by codifying restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights and related services that were not previously prohibited by statute.