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Honoring the life and legacy of U.S. Senator James Abourezk.

This resolution honors the life and legacy of former U.S. Senator James Abourezk, a South Dakota political figure. The resolution does not change any state law—it is a ceremonial measure expressing the House of Representatives' appreciation and respect for Abourezk's contributions.

make an appropriation for the payment of extraordinary litigation expenses and to declare an emergency.

South Dakota will set aside $2 million from its general fund to pay for unexpected legal costs the state faces in litigation. The state auditor will process payments from this fund as approved by the Bureau of Administration commissioner. The bill is declared an emergency so it takes effect immediately upon passage.

Honoring Rod Bowar for his life, achievement, and legacy.

HC 8015 is a ceremonial resolution that honors Rod Bowar for his life, achievements, and legacy—it does not change any state law. This type of resolution simply expresses the South Dakota House of Representatives' appreciation and gratitude to the honoree. No new rules, regulations, or legal requirements are created or modified by this resolution.

make an appropriation for costs related to disasters in the state and to declare an emergency.

South Dakota is allocating $2.5 million from its general fund to cover emergency and disaster costs across the state. The money goes into a special fund that the Department of Public Safety can use to pay for response efforts when emergencies or disasters occur, and the bill declares an emergency so the money can be used immediately rather than waiting for the normal budget process.

make an appropriation for pediatric cancer research and resource projects and to declare an emergency.

South Dakota will provide $2 million in grants to support pediatric cancer research and community resource projects through the Department of Health. The Department of Health will create a temporary advisory committee with seven members—including cancer survivors, advocacy representatives, and medical professionals—to decide which projects receive funding and must report on their grants by August 2024.

make an appropriation to the Department of Human Services for the development and expansion of adult day services programs and to declare an emergency.

South Dakota will provide $5 million in grants through the Department of Human Services to help develop and expand adult day services programs for people living with dementia. The grants will prioritize areas that currently lack these services, and applicants must show they can serve new or underserved communities. The bill declares an emergency so the funding can be used immediately.

Proposing and submitting to the voters at the next general election, an amendment to the Constitution of the State of South Dakota, authorizing the state to impose work requirements on certain individuals who are eligible for expanded Medicaid.

This is a proposed constitutional amendment that would ask South Dakota voters whether the state should be allowed to require certain people receiving expanded Medicaid benefits to work or meet other work-related conditions. If approved by voters, this amendment would change the state constitution to give the government the power to impose these work requirements.

require counties to hire veteran service officers in proportion to the number of veterans residing in the county.

South Dakota counties must now hire veterans service officers based on how many veterans live there: counties with 1,000 to 4,000 veterans must employ at least one full-time officer, while counties with 1,000 or fewer veterans must employ at least one part-time officer (though they can choose to hire full-time instead). This replaces the previous requirement that simply required each county to employ or partner with another county to have a veterans service officer without specifying staffing levels.

modify the occupation tax for business improvement districts.

This bill modifies how business improvement districts can charge an occupation tax by increasing the maximum tax on lodging establishments from $2 per occupied room per night to $4 per occupied room per night. The bill also clarifies that when a general occupation tax is used, it must be based primarily on square footage of businesses or on rooms rented by hotels, and requires that any revenue-raising method be fair and equitable.

continue enhanced and transitional rates for community services and support providers.

This bill requires the state Department of Human Services to keep the higher payment rates for community services and support providers that were in place in fiscal year 2023, and to increase those rates each year to account for inflation. This ensures that organizations providing community-based services receive stable, predictable funding going forward rather than reverting to lower payment levels.

make an appropriation to the State Conservation Commission and to declare an emergency.

The State Conservation Commission receives $1 million in emergency funding from the state's natural resources conservation fund to carry out South Dakota's coordinated conservation plan. Any money not spent or committed by the commission will be returned to the fund according to standard state procedures.

increase the basic salary schedule for county veterans' service officers.

County veterans' service officers will receive higher minimum salaries under this bill, with increases ranging from $750 to $1,875 per year depending on their county's population size. For example, officers in the largest counties (50,000+ people) will see their basic salary rise from $18,750 to $20,625 annually, while those in the smallest counties (under 5,000 people) will increase from $7,500 to $8,250 per year.

establish post-election audits.

South Dakota will now require county auditors to conduct post-election audits within 15 days after each primary and general election by hand-counting all votes in randomly selected precincts (representing at least 5% of precincts or 100+ ballots, whichever is larger) and comparing them to the official count for two statewide contests with the closest vote margins. County auditing boards must be appointed to conduct these audits and cannot consist entirely of members from the same political party, with the state reimbursing counties for the full cost of these audits.