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Require customer consent for installation of a smart meter for a utility service.

South Dakota utilities would be prohibited from installing smart meters in customers' homes without first obtaining written consent from the customer. The bill amends existing utility regulations to add this customer consent requirement, giving residents the ability to opt out of having these electronic meters installed on their property.

Prohibit the reporting of medical debt to a consumer reporting agency and to provide a penalty therefor.

Medical debt collectors and creditors in South Dakota are banned from reporting medical debt to credit reporting agencies, with violations punishable as a Class 2 misdemeanor. Additionally, hospitals must stop collection efforts while a patient appeals an insurance denial and must first check if the patient qualifies for the hospital's financial assistance program before pursuing collection.

Require that cash be accepted for certain transactions.

This bill requires businesses and state/local government agencies to accept cash as payment when customers pay in person and request it, with limited exceptions for banks, security deposits, and airline purchases. It defines "cash" as physical coins and currency that are legal U.S. tender. The change ensures that people without credit cards or those who prefer cash can still complete in-person transactions.

Prohibit a hospital from reporting medical debt for collection in certain situations.

This bill prevents hospitals from sending medical debt to collection agencies in six specific situations: when a patient appeals an insurance denial, before checking if the patient qualifies for hospital financial assistance, before providing an itemized bill, for 30 days after written notice of collection action, while the patient is negotiating the bill amount in good faith, or while the patient is making payments under an agreed payment plan. Patients who believe a hospital violated these protections can sue the hospital for actual damages and attorney's fees.