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make an appropriation to pay increased costs incurred in the development and construction of a low-intensity residential treatment facility and to declare an emergency.

SB 189 appropriates additional state funding to cover cost overruns in building a low-intensity residential treatment facility. The bill declares an emergency so the funding can be released immediately rather than following the normal appropriations process.

Celebrating the Madison High School football team for winning the Class 11A state championship.

This bill celebrates the Madison High School football team's Class 11A state championship. The bill appears to be a ceremonial resolution with no substantive changes to South Dakota law.

make an appropriation to develop and create a residency program for psychologists and to declare an emergency.

# HB 1244 Summary South Dakota will fund the development and creation of a new residency training program for psychologists in the state. The bill allocates money to establish this educational program and declares the funding need an emergency matter to expedite implementation.

revise provisions related to counseling for domestic abuse defendants.

South Dakota courts will now require defendants convicted of domestic abuse crimes to complete counseling that covers specific topics—power and control, accountability, emotional regulation, and correcting thinking errors—rather than generic "family violence" counseling. The law allows individual counseling to satisfy this requirement and lets courts recommend group counseling when available. This change ensures domestic abuse defendants receive more targeted, structured counseling focused on the root causes of abusive behavior.

allow inpatient psychiatric facility placement alternatives for certain patients.

This bill creates a new exception allowing patients aged 18-19 who are still in high school (or working on their GED) to be placed in psychiatric facilities' minors' units if they consent, rather than being automatically placed with adult patients. The bill also requires the Department of Health to approve specific guidelines for evaluation programs at these facilities. These changes give psychiatric facilities more flexibility in housing certain young patients while keeping them separated from adults.

make an appropriation for the design, renovation, and construction of a multi-purpose facility at the Cottonwood Field Station and to declare an emergency.

SB 84 appropriates state funding for the design, renovation, and construction of a new multi-purpose facility at the Cottonwood Field Station. The bill declares an emergency, which allows the appropriation to take effect immediately rather than waiting for the normal effective date.

make an appropriation of American Rescue Plan Act moneys for certain home and community-based services, and to declare an emergency.

HB1334 directs federal American Rescue Plan Act funds toward home and community-based services in South Dakota, amending the state's budget law to allocate these COVID-relief dollars for this purpose. The bill declares an emergency to expedite implementation of these services for residents who need support to remain in their homes rather than institutional settings.

establish an opioid abatement and remediation fund and to declare an emergency.

South Dakota creates a new state fund to collect money from opioid-related lawsuits, settlements, and donations, plus any interest earned on that money. The fund can only be used to pay for programs that address opioid abuse and addiction treatment, with spending decisions made through the state's normal budget approval process.

make an appropriation to improve healthcare in South Dakota and to declare an emergency.

HB1226 appropriates $1 from the state general fund to improve healthcare across South Dakota and declares an emergency so the law takes effect immediately. Any money not spent or committed by June 30, 2026 will be returned to the general fund according to standard procedures.

exempt any person suffering from a severe mental illness from capital punishment.

SB 159 would prohibit South Dakota from executing anyone diagnosed with a severe mental illness, even if they have been convicted of a capital crime. This change would align South Dakota law with a principle already recognized in federal constitutional law that executing people with severe mental illness violates standards of human decency. The bill essentially creates a new exemption to capital punishment based on mental health status.

authorize the Board of Regents to contract for the design and construction of an addition to the wellness center at the University of South Dakota, to make an appropriation therefor, and to declare an emergency.

The University of South Dakota's Board of Regents is authorized to design and build an addition to the wellness center on campus, and the state is appropriating money to pay for this construction project. The bill also declares the project an emergency, which allows it to proceed quickly without the normal waiting period required for most state spending.

authorize the Department of Corrections to make healthcare improvements at the South Dakota Women's Prison, to make an appropriation therefor, and to declare an emergency.

SB33 authorizes the South Dakota Department of Corrections to make healthcare improvements at the Women's Prison and provides state funding for those improvements. The bill declares an emergency, which allows the funding to take effect immediately rather than waiting for the standard implementation timeline.

require insurers to provide coverage for hearing aids and related services to persons under age nineteen.

# SB 89 Summary Insurance companies in South Dakota must now cover hearing aids and related services for patients under age 19. This expands what health insurers are required to pay for, ensuring young people with hearing loss have access to these devices and services at no additional cost to families.

authorize the construction and operation of a nursing facility in Lyman County and to declare an emergency.

This bill allows a new nursing facility with up to 50 beds to be built and operated on the Lower Brule Sioux Reservation in Lyman County, overriding existing state law restrictions that normally prohibit new nursing facilities in certain areas. The facility must still meet all other state requirements to participate in the Medicaid program. The bill declares an emergency so it takes effect immediately upon passage.

revise the medical purpose defense related to the medical use of cannabis.

This bill establishes a legal defense for people charged with cannabis-related crimes if they can prove a doctor believes they have a serious medical condition that would benefit from cannabis use. The defense allows patients to possess up to three ounces of cannabis, grow up to six cannabis plants (or as a doctor prescribes), and use cannabis for their condition without criminal prosecution.