Search Bills

revise provisions regarding public access to certain meandered bodies of water.

SB 76 revises South Dakota's rules for public access to meandered bodies of water by making significant changes to how the state regulates and manages these waterways. The bill repeals several outdated statutory sections and substantially rewrites existing laws governing water access, public rights, and related responsibilities across multiple state agencies. Overall, the changes modernize and consolidate the state's framework for ensuring public access to meandered water bodies like lakes and rivers.

revise petition requirements and the criteria for issuance of a water right permit.

This bill changes when water right permit applications must be published for public notice. Under the new rule, applicants only need to publish notice if the chief engineer recommends approval or if the applicant has filed a petition opposing a denial recommendation—whereas previously notice may have been required in more situations. The bill also requires the department to post applications on its website until final action is taken.

make an appropriation for a hydrology study of Brule County and to declare an emergency.

# HB1198 Summary This bill appropriates state funding to conduct a hydrology study of Brule County to assess water resources and conditions in the area. The bill declares an emergency, allowing the funds to be used immediately rather than waiting for the normal budget cycle.

make an appropriation for the maintenance and repair of the dam in Lake Andes and to declare an emergency.

HB 1116 appropriates state funds for maintenance and repair work on the Lake Andes dam. The bill declares an emergency, allowing the funds to be spent immediately rather than waiting for the normal budget cycle.

make an appropriation for the cleanup of the Big Sioux watershed and River and to declare an emergency.

HB 1256 appropriates state funding for cleaning up pollution and environmental damage in the Big Sioux River watershed and River itself. The bill declares an emergency, allowing the funds to be spent immediately rather than waiting for the normal budget cycle.

identify Water Management Board officers, authorize appointment of a prehearing officer, and define the duties of the prehearing officer.

HB 1027 clarifies that the Water Management Board's officers are a chair, vice chair, and secretary, and allows the board to appoint one of its members as a prehearing officer to handle preliminary matters like motions, scheduling, and subpoenas. The bill also creates a process where parties can appeal the prehearing officer's decisions to the full board within ten days.

make appropriations from the water and environment fund and its revolving fund subfunds for various water and environmental purposes and to declare an emergency.

HB 1264 directs money from South Dakota's water and environmental fund to pay for various water and environmental projects and programs across the state. The bill modifies how funds are allocated and distributed from the state's water and environment revolving loan funds to support these initiatives.

correct technical errors and outdated provisions regarding the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

SB 63 corrects outdated language in South Dakota's environmental laws by transferring water management functions (such as grants for water systems and lake protection) from the Water Management Board to the Board of Water and Natural Resources. The bill also removes an outdated requirement that the department complete a study before determining how many waste tire stockpiling facilities are needed, streamlining the rule-making process for these facilities.

revise certain provisions regarding riparian buffer strips

This bill reduces the tax assessment rate for riparian buffer strips (land within 120 feet of lakes, rivers, or streams) from 60 percent down to 50 percent of their agricultural income value, making these environmentally sensitive areas more affordable for landowners. The change applies to all qualifying agricultural land near designated water bodies and tributaries, providing a greater tax incentive for maintaining riparian buffers that protect water quality.

make an appropriation for the maintenance and repair of state-owned dams and to declare an emergency.

This bill provides $5 million from South Dakota's general fund to the Office of School and Public Lands specifically for maintaining and repairing dams owned by the state. The bill declares an emergency so the funding takes effect immediately rather than waiting for the next budget cycle. Any money not spent or committed for these dam repairs will be returned to the general fund according to standard state procedures.

revise the permit duration on certain concentrated animal feeding operations.

This bill extends permit duration for certain concentrated animal feeding operations that discharge waste into South Dakota's surface waters, allowing permits to last up to ten years instead of the previous five-year maximum for operations not federally regulated. The change applies only to smaller animal operations that don't fall under federal permit requirements, while standard permits for other operations remain limited to five years.

provide limited deer and antelope licenses to landowners.

Landowners who meet minimum acreage requirements and live on or operate their property can now obtain a special "landowner-on-own-land" license to hunt deer or antelope on their own land, instead of being limited to specific license types under current law. This license allows qualified resident landowners to hunt these animals on their property within any hunting unit during designated seasons, as long as they haven't already received a regular big game license for that season. The Game, Fish and Parks Commission will establish rules determining which big game animals can be hunted under this new license type.