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limit annual valuation increases on owner-occupied single-family dwellings.

HB 1040 caps how much the assessed value of owner-occupied single-family homes can increase each year for property tax purposes. The bill modifies the state's property valuation rules to limit these annual increases, which means homeowners' property tax bills won't jump as dramatically from year to year. Several existing provisions related to property valuation are repealed as part of implementing this new cap system.

establish provisions related to the reimbursement of doula services through the state Medicaid program.

# HB1081 Summary South Dakota will add doula services to its Medicaid program, allowing the state to reimburse women for using doulas during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care. This expands the healthcare services available to low-income pregnant women covered by Medicaid by including trained birth support professionals alongside traditional medical care.

modify requirements for incorporating municipalities that are within three miles of another incorporated municipality.

This bill makes it easier for areas near existing towns to incorporate as separate municipalities by adding a new exception to the three-mile distance rule. Previously, an area within three miles of an incorporated town could only incorporate if that town refused annexation requests; now an area can also incorporate if it has its own post office and is either in a different county or near a town with fewer than 5,000 residents. This change allows more flexibility for communities that want to govern themselves independently rather than be absorbed by neighboring municipalities.

enable the exercise of control by local governments over the presence and operation of medical marijuana establishments within their jurisdictions.

South Dakota counties and cities can now completely ban medical marijuana businesses within their areas, or regulate them through local ordinances that control where they operate, how many can exist, and how far they must be from schools, parks, childcare facilities, and other sensitive locations. The state will refuse to renew a medical marijuana business's registration if it violates these local government rules. This gives local governments significant power over medical marijuana establishments that they didn't have before.

allow a city or county to impose local restrictions and regulations on video lottery.

HB 1217 allows cities and counties to set their own local rules and restrictions on video lottery machines, rather than having only state-level regulations apply. The bill loosens some state requirements by changing language from "shall" (mandatory) to "may" (optional) for certain technical specifications of video lottery machines, giving local governments more flexibility to impose stricter standards if they choose. This shift gives local communities more control over video lottery operations within their jurisdictions.

modify provisions related to the annexation of unplatted territory or agricultural land.

HB1251 requires cities to get approval from the county commissioners and the landowner before annexing unplatted land or agricultural parcels larger than 20 acres. The bill defines "agricultural land" to include farms devoted to crops, livestock, timber, or similar uses, and clarifies that pastureland and woodland count as agricultural if they're part of the same farming operation.

Recognizing the Mitchell Friends of NRA as the largest Friends of NRA chapter in the state and celebrating the chapter's significant support of gun safety classes, hunter education courses, and youth shooting sports.

HCR 6005 is a ceremonial resolution that honors the Mitchell Friends of NRA chapter as South Dakota's largest such chapter and celebrates its work in supporting gun safety classes, hunter education programs, and youth shooting sports. This resolution does not change state law—it simply recognizes the organization's contributions to these activities in South Dakota.

provide permissive authority to a governing body of a municipality or county to deny reissuance of an on-sale license not actively used.

South Dakota cities and counties can now choose to deny renewal of an on-sale liquor license if the business hasn't actively used it for two years (meaning the bar wasn't open at least 60 days during that period, or 5 days per year if it only operates during a special event with 25,000+ visitors). Previously, renewal was automatic regardless of whether the license was being used. The change gives local governments more control over liquor licenses while preserving the minimum number of licenses each city was allowed to have as of 2010.

revise provisions regarding township contracts for snow removal.

South Dakota townships can now enter snow removal and road repair contracts without competitive bidding if the cost stays under $10,000 (up from the previous $3,500 limit). For projects exceeding $10,000, townships must advertise for bids as required by law, though they can still negotiate hourly or daily rates with contractors if needed. This change gives townships more flexibility to quickly hire snow removal services without the administrative burden of bidding on smaller contracts.

Honoring the Canton C-Hawks boys wrestling team.

This resolution honors the Canton C-Hawks boys wrestling team for their achievements. No changes to state law are made—this is a ceremonial recognition only.

Proposing and submitting to the voters at the next general election, an amendment to the Constitution of the State of South Dakota, to address the right of citizens to bear arms.

South Dakota voters would decide whether to amend the state constitution to strengthen protections for citizens' right to bear arms. This is a proposed constitutional amendment, not a change to existing law—voters at the next general election will determine whether the amendment is adopted.

provide for the payment of legal expenses originating from crime committed at a facility maintained by the Department of Corrections.

HB1039 changes how South Dakota pays for legal expenses when crimes occur at state Department of Corrections facilities, consolidating rules that were previously scattered across multiple sections of law. The bill repeals four outdated legal provisions and updates two others to establish a clearer process for covering these legal costs. This reorganizes existing law without fundamentally changing who pays or under what circumstances, but streamlines the procedure for handling such expenses.

provide for the use of the obligation recovery center by counties.

HB1070 allows counties to use South Dakota's Obligation Recovery Center to collect debts owed to them, expanding the center's role beyond just state agencies. The bill modifies the definition of "debt" and "debtor" to include obligations owed to counties and allows county debts to be referred to the center for collection efforts. This gives counties access to the same debt collection tools and processes that state agencies currently use.

prohibit a ban of combustion engines.

South Dakota cities and counties are prohibited from banning or restricting the use of vehicles with gas engines within their jurisdictions. This prevents local governments from adopting rules, ordinances, or other policies that would outlaw internal combustion engines, even if they wanted to encourage electric vehicles or reduce emissions.

modify certain requirements for eligibility to receive a gift of a museum collection from a county or municipality.

South Dakota counties and cities can now gift their museum collections to nonprofit organizations more easily by exempting taxidermied animal specimens from the usual requirements that apply to other historical artifacts. This means taxidermy collections no longer need to stay in South Dakota, can be disposed of without the county or city's permission, and don't have to be returned if the nonprofit dissolves—unlike other donated collections that must follow these restrictions.

clarify provisions pertaining to tax increment finance districts.

HB1194 updates South Dakota's tax increment finance district law to clarify that counties, not just cities and towns, can create and use these districts for development projects. The bill also expands the definition of "planning commission" to include county boards of commissioners and planning committees that serve counties without dedicated planning commissions, ensuring counties have the same tools available to municipalities for financing district projects.

expand eligibility for the reduced tuition benefit for certain school district and Head Start employees at Board of Regents institutions to school counselors.

School counselors employed by South Dakota school districts and Head Start programs can now access the same reduced tuition benefits at Board of Regents universities that were previously limited to other district and Head Start employees. The bill also repeals several outdated sections of state law related to education benefits and makes technical updates to the tuition assistance program.

establish the admissibility of evidence of similar acts in civil cases involving sexual assault or child molestation.

SB 149 expands the types of evidence that can be presented in civil lawsuits involving sexual assault or child molestation by allowing courts to admit evidence of similar acts committed by the defendant. This change makes it easier for plaintiffs to prove a pattern of behavior by the accused, rather than limiting cases to only the specific incident being sued over.

adopt the psychology interjurisdictional licensure compact.

South Dakota is joining a multi-state agreement called the Psychology Interjurisdictional Licensure Compact, which allows licensed psychologists to more easily practice across state lines without obtaining separate licenses in each state. The bill updates state law to implement this compact by removing outdated licensing provisions and streamlining how psychologists can work in South Dakota and other member states.

authorize certain employer actions regarding the use of cannabis by an employee or a prospective employee.

SB 12 allows employers in South Dakota to test employees and job applicants for cannabis use and take action based on those results, even in situations where cannabis use might otherwise be legally protected. The bill removes previous restrictions that limited employers' ability to enforce cannabis-free workplace policies and workplace conduct rules related to cannabis use.

remove provisions for establishing a uniform method for calculating high school credit received from completing a postsecondary course.

SB 2 removes the state's requirement for a uniform method of calculating how much high school credit students receive when they complete postsecondary (college-level) courses. The bill eliminates the specific rules and procedures that schools previously had to follow to ensure consistent credit calculations across districts.

make an appropriation to the Department of Education to provide professional development in literacy to teachers, and to declare an emergency.

HB1022 appropriates money to the South Dakota Department of Education to fund professional development and training in literacy instruction for teachers across the state. The bill declares an emergency, meaning the funding takes effect immediately rather than waiting for the usual effective date, and repeals several outdated statutory provisions related to education administration.

exclude certain habitual DUI offenders from eligibility for presumptive probation.

# HB1038 Summary People convicted of multiple DUI offenses will no longer be eligible for presumptive probation (automatic probation without serving prison time) under this bill. The law also removes certain outdated probation-related provisions from South Dakota statutes while clarifying which habitual DUI offenders are excluded from this lenient sentencing option.

revise a provision providing authority to the Governor to enter into agreements with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

This bill clarifies that the Governor can negotiate agreements specifically with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (rather than vaguely "the federal government") to take over state radiation safety regulations that the federal government previously handled. The bill also requires that the state must have adequate funding and an established radiation protection program in place before the Governor can sign any such agreement.

exempt baby food, infant formula, and children's diapers from the state sales tax and state use tax.

South Dakota will stop charging sales tax and use tax on baby food, infant formula, and children's diapers, making these essential items free from state taxes. This change reduces the cost of these necessities for families with young children by exempting them from the 4.5% state sales tax that currently applies.

revise certain provisions pertaining to municipal government.

HB1132 allows nonprofit organizations focused on history or education to create and govern special "historical or educational townsites" without meeting the normal population requirements that apply to regular municipalities. These townsites would be governed by the nonprofit's board of directors under its bylaws, and they could only receive public funding if it's specifically designated for tourism, education, or recreation purposes.

require legislative authorization for the construction of new campgrounds and additional camping sites.

This bill requires the state Department of Game, Fish and Parks to get specific approval from the legislature before building new campgrounds or adding camping sites to existing ones, rather than allowing the department to make those decisions on its own. Currently, the department can construct recreational facilities in state parks if it gets approval from the Governor and commissioner of administration, but this bill removes campgrounds and camping sites from that authority and moves that decision-making power to the legislature.

allow for a vacation home establishment and provide for municipal and county regulation thereof.

This bill prevents South Dakota cities and counties from banning vacation home rentals on residential properties. Cities and counties can still regulate vacation homes through rules about fire safety, health standards, traffic control, waste management, and requiring property owners to designate an emergency contact, but they cannot prohibit the practice outright.

create the local assistance fund and to provide for the transfer of certain unobligated cash balances.

HB1216 creates a new "local assistance fund" and adjusts how South Dakota handles leftover money from the state budget each year. Instead of all unobligated cash going into the budget reserve fund (the state's emergency fund), the bill directs some of that money to this new local assistance fund to help communities, while capping the budget reserve fund at 10% of general fund spending.

Acknowledging the challenges and responses during the COVID-19 pandemic and committing to accountability and action.

This concurrent resolution acknowledges the challenges and governmental responses during the COVID-19 pandemic and commits South Dakota to accountability and action going forward. Rather than changing state law, this is a symbolic measure that expresses the legislature's position on pandemic-related matters. The resolution does not create new legal requirements or alter existing regulations.

exempt enrolled members of Indian tribes from admission fees, camping permit fees, and park service fees at state parks or recreation areas.

Enrolled members of federally recognized Indian tribes won't have to pay admission fees, camping permit fees, or other park service fees when they visit South Dakota state parks and recreation areas. This exemption applies specifically to tribal members and represents a new waiver of fees that non-tribal visitors and non-enrolled individuals would still have to pay.

revise provisions regarding drones.

SB 166 clarifies that South Dakota cannot regulate drone ownership, operation, licensing, or pilot certification—powers reserved exclusively to the federal government—and allows people and businesses to operate drones for recreational and commercial purposes as long as they follow federal aviation rules. The bill also shields drone operators from state and local lawsuits simply for flying drones in compliance with federal regulations. These changes prevent South Dakota cities and counties from creating their own conflicting drone rules.

add a domestic abuse shelter to the definition of a community safety zone.

SB 175 adds domestic abuse shelters to the legal definition of "community safety zones" in South Dakota law. This means domestic abuse shelters will now receive the same legal protections and restrictions that apply to other community safety zones, such as schools and public parks. The change aims to better protect people seeking safety at these shelters from certain illegal activities in their vicinity.

revise provisions pertaining to the consolidation or boundary changes of counties.

SB 199 updates South Dakota's rules for when counties want to merge with each other or change their boundaries, making revisions to the existing consolidation process. The bill modifies the procedures counties must follow and adds new requirements to Chapter 12-4 of state law governing these boundary changes. These changes streamline how counties can reorganize their borders and combine operations when voters approve such measures.

prohibit automatic issuance of video lottery machines to a restaurant operating with a full-service restaurant on-sale license.

Starting July 1, 2024, restaurants with full-service liquor licenses can only get new video lottery machines if their city has unused licenses available—ending the previous automatic right to have them. Restaurants that already operated video lottery machines before that date can keep renewing or transferring their existing licenses, but municipalities cannot exceed their maximum number of total video lottery licenses.

allow licensed hunting preserve facilities to sell alcoholic beverages on designated days outside of the shooting preserve season.

Licensed hunting preserve facilities may now sell alcoholic beverages on designated days when they are not operating their shooting preserve season, allowing them to generate additional revenue during the off-season. The bill repeals several existing restrictions on alcohol sales at these facilities and modifies regulations governing hunting preserves and alcohol licensing. This creates a new business opportunity for hunting preserve owners to host events and serve drinks outside their regular hunting operations.

amend requirements for cosmetology apprenticeships.

HB1054 streamlines South Dakota's cosmetology apprenticeship requirements by modifying the rules for how apprentices train and gain work experience in the field. The bill removes some outdated apprenticeship provisions while updating the standards that apprentices must meet to become licensed cosmetologists.

provide for the temporary filling of water development district board positions created as a result of population increases.

When a water development district gains board positions due to population growth following a census, this bill provides a temporary process to fill those new seats until regular elections occur. Currently existing directors appoint someone to each new position from candidates nominated by at least 25 eligible voters in that district area, and the appointee serves until the next general election when the position is voted on.

require legislative approval for the purchase of real property by the Department of Game, Fish and Parks.

# HB 1180 Summary The Department of Game, Fish and Parks must now get approval from the South Dakota Legislature before purchasing any real property. This change gives lawmakers a say in when and where the department expands its land holdings, rather than allowing the department to make these purchases on its own.

add a county as able to be assigned responsibility for secondary highways on municipal boundaries.

This bill clarifies that counties can now be assigned responsibility for maintaining secondary highways that run along municipal boundaries, not just civil townships and unorganized territory. Previously, the law only allowed municipalities and townships or unorganized areas to share this responsibility; the change explicitly adds counties as an eligible party for such assignments.

revise the process for annexing or excluding property contiguous to a road district.

SB 102 modifies the rules for how property next to a road district can be added to or removed from that district's boundaries. The bill streamlines the annexation and exclusion process by revising the procedures outlined in state law, making it easier for property owners and road districts to adjust district boundaries when property is located along a road.

revise a provision related to retrocession of jurisdiction over federal enclaves.

South Dakota is updating the process for accepting control over federal lands within the state, like military bases or other federal properties. The bill clarifies what information must be included when the Governor accepts jurisdiction over these lands—specifically requiring detailed boundary descriptions and a statement about whether future military land expansions are included—and allows state and local agencies to create agreements with federal agencies to coordinate responsibilities after the transfer.

revise provisions regarding drones.

South Dakota adds new restrictions on drone use, making it illegal to operate drones recklessly, for spying, or for harassment (a Class 1 misdemeanor), and clarifies that drone operators are liable for damage if they land on someone's property without permission—even if the landing was forced. The bill also prevents cities and counties from passing their own drone regulations on ownership, operation, licensing, or flight restrictions, leaving those rules to the state and federal government only.

require members of the Legislature and staff of the Legislative Research to attend a course on Indian law.

SB185 requires all members of the South Dakota Legislature and staff of the Legislative Research Council to complete a course on Indian law. This new requirement ensures that state lawmakers and their research staff have foundational knowledge about Native American legal issues relevant to South Dakota's governance.

revise provisions regarding the alcohol beverage fund.

This bill increases the share of alcohol beverage tax revenues that go back to counties, raising it from 25 percent to 50 percent of all revenues collected. The money distributed to counties will continue to be split with half divided equally among all counties and half distributed based on each county's population.

amend the criteria for designation as a regional nursing facility and applicable reimbursement.

HB1014 changes the requirements for nursing facilities to qualify as "regional" facilities and adjusts how the state reimburses them for care. The bill removes some existing criteria and repeals several sections of state law governing regional nursing facility designations, though the specific details of the new requirements are not fully shown in the provided text.

revise the method by which completion of a required suicide awareness and prevention training is verified.

HB1020 changes how South Dakota verifies that public officials and employees have completed required suicide awareness and prevention training, replacing the old verification method with a new process outlined in the amended statutes. The bill repeals four existing sections related to training verification while updating two sections of state law to establish the revised verification requirements. This streamlines the administration of suicide prevention training compliance across state government.

require a zoning authority to determine that a well is an established well that has not been abandoned in making a permitting decision.

When local zoning authorities make permitting decisions that involve existing wells, they must first verify that the well is both established (has official records or documented recent use) and not abandoned (has been used for water in the past two years). Zoning authorities cannot deny a permit based on a well that is abandoned or never officially established. This creates a new requirement to distinguish between active, legitimate wells and defunct ones before making zoning decisions.

provide that required siting permits be filed with condemnation petitions.

This bill requires companies or groups that use eminent domain to take private property for public purposes to file proof that they have obtained a required siting permit from the Public Utilities Commission along with their condemnation petition in court. The change ensures that landowners and courts can verify upfront that the project has the necessary state approval before the legal process to take their property begins.

permit a homeowner's association, development, or incorporated community to modify a restrictive covenant.

This bill allows homeowners in associations, developments, or incorporated communities to change restrictive covenants (rules about how properties can be used) even if the original documents don't include a modification process. Instead, a two-thirds vote of property owners can now approve changes to these covenants.

Celebrating the state championship win by the Mitchell High School gymnastics team.

HC 8022 is a ceremonial resolution celebrating the Mitchell High School gymnastics team's state championship win—it doesn't change any state law. This type of bill simply allows the South Dakota House of Representatives to officially recognize and honor the team's athletic achievement.

revise water development district boundaries.

HB1130 redraws the boundaries of two water development districts in South Dakota—the East Dakota Water Development District and the Vermillion Basin Water Development District—by shifting which counties and townships belong to each district. The bill also clarifies the tax authority for water development district boards, allowing them to levy up to 30 cents per thousand dollars of taxable property value to fund their operations.

transfer the Office of Indian Education to the Department of Education.

This bill moves the Office of Indian Education from the Department of Tribal Relations to the Department of Education. Related state law sections will be updated to reflect this change, so that the Secretary of Education (rather than the Secretary of Tribal Relations) oversees Indian Education programs.

Recognizing the Dell Rapids Quarriers as the 2023 State 11A football champions.

This resolution officially recognizes the Dell Rapids Quarriers as South Dakota's 2023 state 11A football champions. The bill doesn't change existing law; it's a ceremonial measure honoring the team's achievement.

make an appropriation to provide a grant for the construction of a veteran's skilled trade center.

# HB1121 Summary South Dakota will provide a grant to fund construction of a skilled trade center that serves veterans. This one-time appropriation gives money to help build a facility where veterans can learn trades like electrical work, plumbing, carpentry, and other skilled professions.