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require the waiver of animal adoption fees for veterans

Animal control agencies and humane societies in South Dakota must waive all adoption fees—including veterinary services, medications, and microchipping—when veterans adopt dogs or cats, as long as they show proof of military service and honorable discharge. This benefit applies only once per veteran in any five-year period. The law creates a new requirement for these agencies but does not change any existing rules.

honoring Donna and Floyd Cammack on the occasion of their seventieth wedding anniversary.

This is a ceremonial resolution honoring Donna and Floyd Cammack on their seventieth wedding anniversary; it makes no changes to South Dakota state law. The bill is simply a formal recognition by the state Senate of this personal milestone and does not affect any regulations, policies, or legal requirements.

provide a partial property tax exemption for the surviving spouses of certain veterans.

This bill allows surviving spouses of veterans to receive a partial property tax exemption on their primary home worth up to $150,000 in assessed value. The exemption applies if the veteran was rated permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected condition, or if the surviving spouse receives dependency and indemnity compensation from the federal Veterans Affairs department due to the veteran's service-connected death. The exemption continues until the property is sold, the surviving spouse moves, or other qualifying conditions end.

require the POW/MIA flag be displayed in the Senate and House of Representative chambers.

SB 197 requires that the POW/MIA flag be displayed in both the South Dakota Senate and House of Representatives chambers. This amends state law to ensure that the flag honoring prisoners of war and those missing in action is prominently featured in the legislative chambers.

revise the appropriation for road improvements to the State Veterans Cemetery, to provide for ordinary operations of the cemetery, and to declare an emergency.

This bill increases funding for the State Veterans Cemetery by appropriating $1.5 million from the general fund and $500,000 from other sources to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The money will pay for road improvements to Slip Up Creek Road and 477th Avenue leading to the cemetery entrance in Minnehaha County, as well as for the cemetery's day-to-day operations. The bill declares an emergency so the funding takes effect immediately upon passage.

make an appropriation for the erection of the South Dakota Sioux Code Talker Memorial and to declare an emergency.

This bill appropriates state funding to build a memorial honoring South Dakota Sioux Code Talkers, Native Americans who used their native language as an unbreakable military code during World War II. The bill declares the project an emergency, which typically allows faster approval and implementation. No existing law is changed; this bill simply provides the money needed to construct the memorial.

make an appropriation for water, wastewater and storm water projects throughout state government, and to declare an emergency.

SB 50 provides state funding for water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure projects across South Dakota government agencies. The bill declares an emergency, which allows the appropriation to take effect immediately rather than waiting for the normal effective date.

prohibit the private funding of National Guard and State Guard active-duty missions.

This bill prohibits the South Dakota National Guard and State Guard from accepting private donations to fund their active-duty missions. Previously, state law apparently allowed these military units to rely on private funding for operations, but this bill eliminates that practice and requires all active-duty mission costs to come from public funds instead.

establish emergency retire-rehire provisions for the South Dakota Retirement System.

HB1261 allows retired members of the South Dakota Retirement System to return to work temporarily without losing their cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) to their retirement benefits, reversing the current rule that eliminates COLA during any period of re-employment. The bill also makes technical clarifications to contribution requirements for the retirement system. This change is intended to help address staffing emergencies by making it easier for retirees to temporarily return to work.

To urge the United States Congress and the President of the United States to take no action to employ military forces of the United States in active-duty combat unless the United States Congress has passed an official declaration of war and to bring troops home who are engaged in unconstitutional foreign conflicts.

This resolution urges the U.S. Congress and President to require a formal declaration of war before using American military forces in combat and to bring home troops currently involved in conflicts the resolution considers unconstitutional. It does not change South Dakota state law but instead expresses the state legislature's position on federal military policy.