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require active efforts to preserve and reunite Indian families in abuse and neglect proceedings.

# HB 1168 Summary This bill requires South Dakota courts and child welfare agencies to make active efforts to keep Indian families together and reunify them in abuse and neglect cases, rather than moving toward removal or adoption without exhausting alternatives. The law strengthens protections for Native American children and families by imposing a higher standard of proof and requiring documented attempts at family preservation before out-of-home placement occurs.

prohibit the state from using federal funds for state highway maps.

South Dakota would be prohibited from accepting or spending federal money to create, produce, or distribute state highway maps. The state would need to fund these map materials entirely with state money instead of relying on federal grants or reimbursements for this purpose.

authorize school boards to modify the length of terms for members to allow for holding joint elections.

School boards can now extend board member terms from three years to four years if they want to coordinate their elections with other government elections in the same district. Before making this change, a school board must hold a public hearing with at least two newspaper notices posted at least ten days in advance, and can either approve the change themselves or let voters decide. This gives school districts flexibility to reduce election costs and voter confusion by holding multiple elections on the same day.

create the South Dakota paid family leave program.

HB1151 creates a paid family leave program for South Dakota state employees who have worked for the state for at least six months, allowing them to take paid leave following the birth or adoption of a child. The state will purchase group insurance coverage through competitive bidding to provide wage replacement during this leave, following the same rules as the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. This is a new benefit that didn't previously exist for state employees.

Honoring Cynthia Mickelson, a member of the Sioux Falls School District Board of Education, on her selection as the Associated School Boards of South Dakota Outstanding School Board Member of South Dakota for 2022.

This bill honors Cynthia Mickelson, a member of the Sioux Falls School District Board of Education, for being selected as the Associated School Boards of South Dakota Outstanding School Board Member for 2022. It does not change any state law—it is a resolution recognizing her achievement and service.

increase the daily maximum award for the alternative care program administered by the Unified Judicial System.

South Dakota's alternative care program, which helps nonprofits provide housing and meals for low-income adults to reduce crime, will increase its daily payment limit from $30 to $50 per resident. This change allows the Unified Judicial System to award larger grants to nonprofits participating in the program.

repeal and make technical changes to provisions regarding the Board of Military Affairs.

This bill eliminates the Board of Military Affairs and removes the legal requirements for appointing its seven members and defining its powers. The adjutant general will now handle the board's former duties directly within the Department of the Military, simplifying the military department's structure.

modify provisions related to procurement for the state and other purchasing agencies.

HB1060 raises the dollar threshold for small purchases by state agencies from $25,000 to $50,000, meaning agencies can now use simplified purchasing procedures (like getting three quotes instead of formal bidding) for purchases up to $50,000 instead of the lower amount. This change applies to both supplies and services purchased by state government and other public purchasing agencies, streamlining the procurement process for mid-range purchases.

clarify the requirements for using state aircraft and vehicles.

SB 199 tightens rules on when state employees can use state-owned or leased aircraft and vehicles. The bill prohibits non-employees from using state aircraft and bars all state employees—including the Governor—from using state planes for social, recreational, religious, political, or personal events, while requiring aircraft trips to take the shortest and most direct route. State vehicles have more flexibility, as supervisory personnel can authorize their use for commuting between employees' homes and worksites if it improves efficiency, though this exception does not apply to aircraft.

amend an appropriation for the revised construction costs of the Mineral Industries Building at the School of Mines and Technology, and to declare an emergency.

SB 33 increases the state's budget for construction of the Mineral Industries Building at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology to account for higher-than-expected building costs. The bill declares an emergency so the funding adjustment can take effect immediately rather than waiting for standard legislative procedures.

authorize counties to issue bonds for certain expenditures funded by a gross receipts tax.

South Dakota counties can now issue bonds backed by a gross receipts tax they collect locally, using the bond proceeds for specific projects like courthouse repairs, jails, and drug treatment facilities. The county governing body must pass a resolution agreeing to impose and collect the tax specifically to pay back the bonds as long as they're outstanding. This creates a new funding mechanism for counties to finance certain public infrastructure and services through bonded debt.

Proposing and submitting to the voters at the next general election amendments to the Constitution of the State of South Dakota revising and establishing certain constitutional provisions regarding the lieutenant governor and the presiding officers of the Senate and House of Representatives.

This bill asks South Dakota voters to approve changes to the state constitution that would revise the roles and powers of the lieutenant governor and the leaders of the state Senate and House of Representatives. The specific constitutional amendments would be decided and detailed by the legislature, then presented to voters at the next general election for their approval or rejection.

increase the funding for construction of an addition to the Kinsman Building in Pierre, to make an appropriation therefor, and to declare an emergency.

HB1006 increases state funding to build an addition onto the Kinsman Building in Pierre, South Dakota's state capital. The bill declares an emergency, which allows the funds to be appropriated and used immediately rather than waiting for the normal budget process.

provide for the sale of certain surplus real estate in Rapid City to Pennington County and to provide for the deposit of the proceeds.

South Dakota will sell surplus state-owned land in Rapid City's South Creek Industrial Park to Pennington County, with the sale price determined by an independent appraisal. The money from the sale will go into the state's general fund to support state operations.

update additional charges allowed for mailing decals and plates and to declare an emergency.

South Dakota is increasing the mailing fees for vehicle decals and license plates: decal fees go from $1 to $2 per decal, and license plate fees jump from $5 to $10 per plate when sent by mail, with handling fees remaining at $1 and $2 respectively. County treasurers must now deposit these mailing and express mail fees into the county general fund instead of keeping them separately. The bill takes effect immediately as an emergency measure.

revise the General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2023.

HB 1049 adjusts the state budget for fiscal year 2023 by reallocating funding across several agencies, including increases to the Bureau of Finance and Management's employee compensation pools and the Department of Game, Fish and Parks' state parks operations, while decreasing funding for the Bureau of Administration's central services. The bill modifies General Funds, Federal Funds, and Other Funds appropriations for various departments to reflect updated spending needs identified during the fiscal year.

revise provisions related to juror compensation.

South Dakota jurors will receive higher daily compensation for their service, increasing from $50 to $80 per day for the first five days and maintaining $120 per day for subsequent days. Additionally, jurors who are called but not selected for a trial will receive a higher appearance fee of $50 instead of $10, along with mileage reimbursement.

revise provisions on correcting minor errors on motor vehicle titles.

HB1198 streamlines the process for fixing small mistakes on vehicle titles in South Dakota. The bill revises the existing rules for correcting minor errors—such as misspelled names or address mistakes—to make it easier for vehicle owners to get accurate titles without extensive paperwork or delays.

Encouraging the Executive Board of the Legislature to establish a taskforce to address the standardization of outdoor emergency warning system activation policies.

This resolution asks South Dakota's legislative leadership to create a taskforce to develop consistent rules for when communities activate outdoor emergency warning systems (like sirens). The bill itself doesn't change any existing laws but rather encourages the legislature to study and standardize how these warning systems are used across the state.

reduce certain gross receipts tax rates and a use tax rate, and to repeal a conditional reduction of certain gross receipts tax rates.

South Dakota's gross receipts tax rates and use tax rate are being reduced under this bill. The legislation also eliminates a previous conditional rule that would have automatically reduced these tax rates under certain circumstances. These changes make the tax rate reductions permanent rather than dependent on future conditions.

incentivize a paid family leave incentive program, to make an appropriation therefor, and to declare an emergency.

SB 154 creates a paid family leave incentive program in South Dakota and provides state funding to support it. The bill amends existing law to establish rules for how employers or the state can offer paid leave benefits to workers taking time off for family reasons. The bill also declares this an emergency measure, allowing it to take effect immediately once signed into law.

permit the playing of an Honor Song at graduation ceremonies.

SB163 allows public schools to include an Honor Song during their graduation ceremonies. The bill amends South Dakota law to permit this musical tradition, which is particularly meaningful to Native American communities, as part of the official graduation program.

authorize a board of a school district to adopt policies regarding students who are registered sex offenders, and to declare an emergency.

School districts in South Dakota can now adopt policies to manage students who are registered sex offenders, giving school boards the authority to set rules about where these students can be placed or how they participate in school activities. The bill declares this change an emergency, meaning it takes effect immediately rather than waiting for the standard effective date.

repeal provisions regarding the creation of river basin natural resource districts.

This bill eliminates South Dakota's nine river basin natural resource districts, which were government subdivisions organized to manage water resources in different regions across the state. The law removes the legal framework that created and defined these districts and their boundaries, effectively dissolving this system of natural resource management.

modify the compulsory age for school attendance.

South Dakota law currently requires children to attend school until age 18, but this bill lowers that requirement to age 16—allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to leave school early if they pass a high school equivalency test, with parental permission and approval from a school administrator, court officer, or other designated authority. The change gives teenagers an alternative path out of the compulsory attendance requirement instead of requiring them to stay in school until graduation or age 18.

create the South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy and make an appropriation therefor.

South Dakota is creating a new Board of Physical Therapy to regulate physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, replacing oversight by the State Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners. The bill updates the definitions and rules for physical therapy practice to reflect this new independent board structure and includes state funding for the board's operations.

revise the provisions on procuring a tax deed when the property owner has died.

This bill creates a faster timeline for obtaining a tax deed when a property owner has died—allowing the tax certificate holder to start the process just six months after intestate proceedings conclude, rather than waiting the standard three years. The new process only applies if ownership of the property hasn't changed during or after those proceedings, and the certificate holder must still complete the tax deed process within six years of the owner's death.

prohibit the use of state resources in hosting lewd or lascivious content.

This bill prohibits South Dakota public schools, universities, technical colleges, and state agencies from using public money or state facilities to host, promote, or fund "lewd or lascivious content," which the bill defines to include drag performances where someone's gender identity differs from their biological sex, as well as other sexually explicit material. The bill creates a new legal restriction on how state institutions can spend money and use their property, with violations potentially subject to state obscenity laws.

require property owner consent before construction resulting in lake water level alteration.

Before state agencies or local governments can permit construction projects that would raise or lower a public lake's water level—such as building channels, canals, or dams—the person seeking the permit must get written approval from a majority of the lakefront property owners (not including themselves). If multiple people own the same lakefront property together, they count as one owner for determining whether the majority has consented.

remove a one-year requirement for legal newspapers.

This bill removes the requirement that a newspaper must have been in operation for at least one year before it can be designated as a legal newspaper for publishing official government notices. Going forward, any newspaper that meets the other requirements—such as having a minimum paid circulation of 200 subscribers and charging at least 50% of its published price—can immediately qualify as a legal newspaper.

make an appropriation to enhance the economic health of South Dakota and to declare an emergency.

HB 1093 appropriates $1 from the state general fund to enhance South Dakota's economic health, with any unspent money reverting back by June 30, 2026. The bill declares this an emergency measure so it takes effect immediately upon passage and approval. This is essentially a placeholder bill that sets up the formal appropriation process rather than directing substantial new funding to a specific program.

waive the fee for nondriver identification cards for individuals at or below the federal poverty level.

South Dakota will stop charging a fee for nondriver identification cards for people whose household income is at or below the federal poverty level. Applicants seeking the fee waiver must submit proof of their income level with their application, and the Department of Public Safety will create rules about what documents qualify as acceptable proof. This creates a new exception to the standard nondriver ID card fees that currently apply to all residents.

codify the fundamental right of a parent.

South Dakota would establish in state law that parents have a "fundamental right" to raise, educate, and make decisions about their children's care and custody. Under this new rule, state agencies and local governments cannot restrict these parental rights unless they can prove they have a compelling reason to do so and use the least restrictive way possible to achieve that goal. This codifies a legal principle that courts have recognized, giving it explicit statutory protection.

establish the crime of grooming and provide a penalty therefor.

# SB 94 Summary South Dakota creates a new crime called "grooming" and establishes penalties for adults who engage in conduct intended to sexually exploit children. The law targets predatory behavior where adults build trust with minors through manipulation to facilitate abuse or exploitation.

appropriate money for the ordinary expenses of the legislative, judicial, and executive departments of the state, the current expenses of state institutions, interest on the public debt, and for common schools.

SB 203 appropriates money from the state treasury to cover operating costs for South Dakota's legislative, judicial, and executive branches for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, including funding for state institutions, schools, and debt interest. The bill allocates specific amounts across general funds, federal funds, and other funds—for example, $2.7 million for the Governor's office and $74.4 million for the Office of Economic Development. This is a standard annual budget bill that funds the day-to-day operations of state government.