Search Bills

establish the state office of apprenticeship within the Department of Labor and Regulation.

South Dakota creates a new state office of apprenticeship within the Department of Labor and Regulation to oversee and approve apprenticeship programs in the state. The bill establishes definitions and standards for apprenticeships, apprentices, and apprenticeship agreements that align with federal regulations, covering jobs that involve structured on-the-job training combined with related instruction. This new office will manage the registration and approval of apprenticeship programs across various industries.

repeal the special donations fund and make an appropriation to the Department of Education for the provision of a grant to support the Jobs for America's Graduates-South Dakota program.

South Dakota is eliminating the special donations fund and redirecting that money to support the Jobs for America's Graduates program through a $500,000 grant to nonprofit organizations helping schools implement the program. The grant money can be used to match private donations or federal grants, or to support collaborative education and career readiness efforts, but cannot go into endowment funds. Any money currently in the special donations fund will be transferred to the state's general fund.

authorize the construction of a trades center on the campus of Lake Area Technical College, to make an appropriation therefor, and to declare an emergency.

South Dakota will provide $101 in state funding to Lake Area Technical College to build and equip a trades center with classrooms, labs, and student services on its campus. The college must raise matching funds from donations, grants, or other private sources equal to the remaining project cost, and the state cannot use bonds to pay for the project.

amend the process by which moneys are distributed from the employer's investment in South Dakota's future fund.

This bill expands how money from South Dakota's employer investment fund can be used by allowing grants for research, economic development, scholarships, workforce training, and infrastructure projects. The bill changes the process for distributing these funds and adds new rules about which organizations and programs can receive the money, including public schools, universities, apprenticeship programs, and technical education providers.

modify requirements regarding nondomiciled commercial driver licenses.

South Dakota now allows certain temporary foreign workers and U.S. territory residents with specific employment visas (H-2A, H-2B, or E-2) to obtain nondomiciled commercial driver licenses. The Department of Motor Vehicles must verify their immigration status through federal systems, keep copies of their application documents for two years, and set their license expiration date to match their visa expiration or one year from issuance—whichever comes first.

make an appropriation to the South Dakota Board of Technical Education to construct an advanced manufacturing laboratory space and classrooms on the campus of Southeast Technical College and to declare an emergency.

The state will provide $6 million to build an advanced manufacturing laboratory and classrooms at Southeast Technical College, but only if the college raises at least $18 million in gifts, grants, and donations for the project and doesn't issue bonds. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage and designates the Bureau of Human Resources and Administration to oversee the design and construction.

provide an apprenticeship pathway to practice law in South Dakota.

This bill creates a new pathway for University of South Dakota law graduates to become licensed attorneys without taking the bar exam, instead requiring 675 hours of supervised apprenticeship under an experienced attorney in South Dakota. The apprentice must be a South Dakota resident and work under a supervising attorney who has been licensed and practicing law full-time for at least seven years. This alternative route gives law school graduates another option to enter the legal profession in the state.

amend the process by which moneys are distributed from the employer's investment in South Dakota's future fund.

South Dakota's "Employer's Investment in South Dakota's Future Fund" will now have a clearer process for how money gets distributed, with the Governor's Office of Economic Development handling awards for research and economic development projects. The bill specifically defines which projects qualify for funding, including research for key industries, scholarships for career-focused programs at state colleges and technical schools, workforce training, and economic infrastructure development.

establish requirements for natural hair braiding provided for compensation.

South Dakota will now allow people to braid hair for money without obtaining a full cosmetology license, creating a new category of licensed natural hair braiders with their own requirements separate from traditional cosmetologists. The bill amends the state's cosmetology laws to define what natural hair braiding is and establish specific licensing standards for people who want to offer braiding services for compensation. This change makes it easier for hair braiders to operate legally without completing the extensive training required for a full cosmetology license.

reduce the duration of an individual's reemployment benefits.

This bill cuts unemployment benefits in South Dakota by half, reducing the maximum number of weeks an unemployed worker can receive regular benefits from 26 weeks to 12 weeks. The change applies to most workers, though those participating in approved job training programs under federal trade adjustment assistance may still receive extended benefits if necessary to complete their training.

revise a provision related to the adoption of federal motor carrier regulations.

South Dakota is updating which federal motor carrier safety regulations it adopts by changing the effective date of these rules from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2026. The bill also clarifies that smaller intrastate trucks (under 26,001 pounds) that don't carry hazardous materials or passengers aren't required to follow certain federal safety regulations, and it allows drivers as young as 18 to operate most non-interstate vehicles, while requiring 21-year-olds for interstate and hazardous material transport.