Senate Bill 47 revises the allowed reasons South Dakota public bodies can hold private executive sessions or closed meetings, expanding the list to include new protections for security vulnerabilities, emergency management plans, cybersecurity information, and building blueprints that could endanger public safety if disclosed. The bill also clarifies existing exceptions for discussing employee performance, student discipline, legal matters, and contract negotiations. These changes give public agencies clearer guidance on when sensitive discussions can happen behind closed doors without public attendance.
The amendment restructures and clarifies the criteria for executive sessions by reorganizing the list of permissible topics (moving cyber security details to subsection (d) and consolidating weapons/materials into subsection (8)), adding specific procedural requirements like roll-call votes when there's no unanimous agreement to close a meeting, and relocating language about official action needing to occur in open meetings—essentially STRENGTHENING transparency by making closure procedures more rigid and documented.
Signed by the Governor S.J. 266
Delivered to the Governor S.J. 219
Signed by the Speaker H.J. 251
Signed by the President S.J. 203
House of Representatives Do Pass Passed, YEAS 69, NAYS 0. H.J. 223
Local Government Certified uncontested, placed on consent H.J. 6
Local Government Do Pass Passed, YEAS 12, NAYS 0. H.J. 5
Local Government Scheduled for hearing
House of Representatives Referred to House Local Government H.J. 137
First Reading House H.J. 125
Senate Do Pass Passed, YEAS 34, NAYS 0. S.J. 83
State Affairs Certified uncontested, placed on consent S.J. 3
State Affairs Do Pass Passed, YEAS 7, NAYS 0. S.J. 3
State Affairs Scheduled for hearing S.J. 1
First read in Senate and referred to Senate State Affairs S.J. 15
Do Pass
Local Government — Do Pass
Do Pass
State Affairs — Do Pass