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supporting reform of the beef checkoff program.

This concurrent resolution expresses South Dakota's support for reforming the federal beef checkoff program, which currently requires a mandatory $1 fee per head of cattle sold to fund research and promotion. The resolution argues that the checkoff program has coincided with declining beef production and consumption since 1985, and criticizes it for conflicts of interest and lack of transparency in how funds are distributed to industry organizations.

exempt any soil amendment used exclusively for agricultural purposes from sales tax.

Farmers who buy soil amendments in bulk quantities of 500 pounds or more for agricultural use will no longer have to pay sales tax on those purchases. This new exemption applies to products like fertilizers and other soil additives defined under state agricultural law, reducing costs for farmers making large soil improvement purchases.

provide for the sale of producer-raised meat and meat food products directly to consumers pending legalization under federal law.

South Dakota farmers can now sell meat directly to consumers from their own livestock (cattle, sheep, swine, or goats) that were raised for at least 90 days and processed at custom-exempt plants, but only once federal law permits such sales—which the Attorney General must certify has happened. The meat must be sold personally by the producer at locations like their home, farmers markets, or roadside stands, and buyers must agree not to resell it, with packaging clearly labeled as uninspected and unregulated.

make an appropriation for the purchase and distribution of food by a statewide distribution organization.

South Dakota will give $5 million to a statewide food distribution organization to buy and distribute food to food pantries across the state, with at least $1.5 million of that money required to go toward purchasing food from local South Dakota farmers and producers. The Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources must report annually to a legislative committee on how the money is spent, what types of food are purchased, and which organizations receive the food. This is a new appropriation—it doesn't change existing law, but rather creates a one-time funding program effective June 30, 2026.

provide for an automatic refund of an assessment on crops, livestock, and milk.

This bill creates an automatic refund process for assessments on crops, livestock, and milk, allowing growers to file a single electronic request before December 31st each year to automatically receive refunds for all assessments paid during the following year. Currently, growers must submit individual refund requests within 60 days of each assessment and provide documentation like invoices; the new system streamlines this by letting them opt in once annually instead. The bill applies this automatic refund option to assessments collected by the wheat, barley, corn, soybean, and dairy commissions.

make an appropriation for the design and construction of an addition to the existing swine wean-to-finish barn at South Dakota State University and to declare an emergency.

South Dakota State University's Board of Regents gets approval and $1.72 million in funding to design and build an addition to its swine barn facility. The board can adjust the budget up to 25% above the initial estimate to account for inflation or new regulations, and can also accept additional money from federal grants or donations to help pay for the project.

urging Congress to repeal the estate tax.

South Dakota's legislature is asking Congress to eliminate the federal estate tax, which is a tax on money and property people leave behind when they die. The resolution emphasizes that this tax is particularly burdensome for farm and ranch families who have assets in land and equipment rather than cash, sometimes forcing them to sell operations to pay the tax.

prohibit the manufacture, sale, and distribution of any product containing cell-cultured protein, and to provide a penalty therefor.

South Dakota would ban the manufacture, sale, and distribution of products containing cell-cultured protein (lab-grown meat) for ten years, from July 2026 through June 2036. Violating this ban would be a Class 2 misdemeanor, and the state health department could inspect food establishments and issue stop-sale orders for any products containing this protein.

exempt certain sales at farmers' markets from sales tax.

South Dakota farmers' markets will no longer collect sales tax on certain products sold directly to consumers, including fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, eggs, dairy, baked goods, flowers, and artisanal items. This exemption applies only to sales at established farmers' markets where multiple independent producers sell agricultural products directly to shoppers. The change makes these farmers' market purchases tax-free while maintaining sales tax on the same products sold elsewhere.

encouraging honest economic development rooted in the republican principles of limited government, deregulation, and organic entrepreneurial growth.

This is a nonbinding resolution expressing the South Dakota Legislature's support for free-market economic development based on limited government, deregulation, and reducing business subsidies and tax incentives. It does not change any existing state law but encourages future legislative and executive policies to prioritize reducing regulations and eliminating government business incentives rather than offering tax credits or subsidies to attract companies.

require that manufacturers of agricultural equipment allow an independent repair provider or an owner to make certain repairs to agricultural equipment.

South Dakota farmers and independent repair shops would gain the legal right to repair their own agricultural equipment without manufacturer interference, including accessing diagnostic codes and repair information. The bill prevents equipment makers from using software locks or legal restrictions to force farmers to use only authorized dealerships for repairs on tractors, combines, and other farming machines with digital components. This new law applies to farm equipment but excludes regular motor vehicles and construction equipment.

modify the annual fee imposed on certain concentrated animal feeding operations.

Large animal farms that need water pollution control permits will pay annual fees based on the number and type of animals they operate, with rates ranging from $0.0027 per chicken to $0.60 per horse. These fees support state environmental oversight of operations that manage manure and wastewater. The bill sets specific fee amounts for dairy cows, cattle, swine, poultry, and other livestock to help fund pollution control monitoring.

revise provisions relating to industrial hemp.

South Dakota's industrial hemp law is being overhauled to streamline regulations and clarify definitions, including raising the allowed THC limit from 0.3% to 0.3% on a dry weight basis and explicitly prohibiting certain chemically-derived cannabinoids (like delta-8 THC, delta-10 THC, and HHC) from being sold as hemp products. The bill eliminates nearly all of the old hemp licensing and regulatory sections, replacing them with a simpler framework that aligns with federal USDA hemp regulations. This significantly reduces the state's direct oversight of hemp production and shifts compliance responsibility to federally-licensed growers.