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allow the Government Operations and Audit Committee to issue subpoenas without Executive Board approval.

The Government Operations and Audit Committee can now issue subpoenas on its own authority, without first getting approval from the Executive Board. This gives the committee more independence to investigate and demand documents or testimony from state agencies and officials.

increase campaign contribution limits for statewide, legislative, and county campaigns.

This bill increases campaign contribution limits in South Dakota by raising the maximum donation from individuals and entities to statewide candidates from $4,000 to $5,000 per calendar year, and raising limits for legislative and county candidates from $1,000 to $2,000 per calendar year. Contributions from political action committees, political parties, and candidate campaign committees remain unlimited under the new law.

provide an educational exception to consumption prohibitions for persons over eighteen years of age who are required to taste an alcoholic beverage as part of a course.

SB 108 creates an exception to South Dakota's alcohol consumption laws that allows adults over 18 to taste alcoholic beverages as part of an required educational course. This means students enrolled in programs that teach about alcohol—such as sommelier, brewing, or hospitality courses—can legally sample drinks for educational purposes without violating state drinking prohibitions.

provide a penalty for the expenditure of public funds to influence the outcome of an election.

This bill adds a criminal penalty to South Dakota's existing ban on using public funds to influence elections, making violations a Class 1 misdemeanor (the most serious misdemeanor charge). The law already prohibited government agencies and officials from spending taxpayer money to support or oppose candidates or ballot measures, but now violators face potential jail time and fines instead of having no specified penalty.

Applying for a convention of states under Article V of the Constitution of the United States, to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, to limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and to limit the terms of office for federal officials and members of Congress.

South Dakota would formally apply to Congress to call a national convention under Article V of the U.S. Constitution to propose amendments that would impose spending limits on the federal government, reduce federal power and authority, and establish term limits for members of Congress. This resolution doesn't change South Dakota state law itself, but rather directs the state to petition the federal government to pursue these constitutional changes at the national level.

prohibit the spouse of a member of the Legislature from being employed as a private lobbyist.

SB 197 prohibits the spouses of state legislators from working as private lobbyists. This creates a conflict-of-interest rule to prevent situations where a legislator's spouse could lobby the legislature while their spouse serves as a lawmaker.

revise the process for nominating candidates for lieutenant governor and to make related technical changes.

Under this bill, gubernatorial candidates will now directly select their own lieutenant governor running mates and certify the choice to the state by the second Tuesday in August of an election year, rather than having parties nominate lieutenant governor candidates at state conventions. If a lieutenant governor candidate withdraws, the governor candidate must find a replacement by the same deadline, or the governor candidate won't be allowed on the general election ballot. The bill also removes lieutenant governor (along with attorney general and secretary of state) from the list of offices nominated at state party conventions.

provide for philosophical exceptions to required vaccinations.

# SB130 Summary SB130 adds a "philosophical exception" to South Dakota's vaccine requirement laws, allowing people to opt out of required vaccinations based on personal beliefs rather than only medical or religious reasons. This expands who can legally refuse vaccinations by removing the requirement to cite religious or medical grounds, making it easier for individuals to decline vaccines that would otherwise be mandatory.