Search Bills

consider a cultivated-protein food product to be adulterated food.

South Dakota will classify lab-grown meat (cultivated protein) as adulterated food, meaning it cannot be legally sold or distributed in the state. This change adds cultivated-protein products to the existing list of substances that violate South Dakota's food purity standards, effectively banning their sale alongside other prohibited foods.

impose a moratorium on industrial dairy operations.

South Dakota would stop approving new large dairy farms or expansions of existing ones that would have more than 7,499 dairy cows, though farms already permitted before July 1, 2026 can continue operating at their current size. The pause would give state agriculture officials time to study the economic and environmental impacts of large-scale dairy operations and allow counties to update their land use rules, including requiring road maintenance agreements and larger setback distances based on farm size. The moratorium doesn't change existing state law but adds a temporary freeze on new large dairy permits.

revise the compliance requirements for limitations on foreign ownership of agricultural land.

This bill clarifies South Dakota's rules on foreign ownership of agricultural land by specifying that foreigners can own up to 160 acres (with some exceptions for land held as collateral for debt) but face no restrictions on leasing land or holding easements. The bill also details what happens when these rules are broken—land owned illegally is forfeited to the state, illegal leases are terminated, and minority owners who violate the rules lose their ownership share plus face additional civil penalties.

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.

require statewide livestock ownership inspection.

South Dakota livestock inspectors will now conduct ownership inspections on all livestock moved within the state and livestock leaving South Dakota, rather than limiting inspections to specific areas as current law allows. The bill reorganizes and expands the livestock brand registration and inspection system by updating board membership requirements to ensure at least three members live in inspection areas and streamlining rules for brand registration, transfers, and renewal. Several outdated provisions governing livestock inspection procedures are repealed and replaced with updated standards for how the state manages livestock ownership verification.

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

South Dakota would ban the manufacture, sale, and distribution of any product containing cell-cultured protein (lab-grown meat), making violations a Class 2 misdemeanor. The state health department would be authorized to inspect food service establishments for violations and issue stop-sale orders if cell-cultured protein products are found. This creates an outright prohibition on this category of food products in the state.

revise provisions regarding pesticide laws.

HB 1019 clarifies the South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture's authority to cancel pesticide registrations by requiring a hearing process before doing so. The bill specifies that cancellations can occur when a pesticide doesn't comply with state pesticide laws or rules, or when the product is adulterated or misbranded.

modify the requirements for obtaining an agricultural processor's lien.

Agricultural processors who operate machinery to process crops can now establish a legal claim on those crops by filing a financing statement with the South Dakota Secretary of State within 60 days of completing the work. The filing must include details like the processor's name, the crop owner's name, the amount owed, and where the crops are located, and the processor must give a copy of the filing to the crop owner. This updates how processors protect their right to payment by aligning the process with state commercial law requirements.

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.

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

South Dakota will ban the manufacture, sale, and distribution of cell-cultured meat (lab-grown protein grown from animal cells outside a live animal) from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031. Businesses that violate this ban face criminal charges as a Class 2 misdemeanor, stop-sale orders, and potential loss of their food service licenses. The ban does not apply to proteins made through fermentation, enzymes, or other biotechnology methods not intended to replicate meat.

eliminate an exclusion from the definition of an agricultural equipment dealer.

HB 1263 removes an exclusion from the legal definition of an "agricultural equipment dealer" in South Dakota law. The bill simplifies the definition so that any person whose equipment sales equal or exceed 30% of their gross agricultural equipment sales in the previous year qualifies as a dealer, without certain exceptions that were previously listed. This change broadens who can be classified as an agricultural equipment dealer under state law.

terminate bounty payments for the control of nest predation.

This bill stops South Dakota from paying bounties to people who kill badgers, opossums, raccoons, skunks, foxes, and similar animals for the purpose of controlling nest predation (protecting bird nests). The ban applies to both the Department of Game, Fish and Parks' general fund and the state animal damage control fund, preventing either from being used for these specific bounty payments.

expand the locations at which raw milk may be purchased for personal use by a consumer.

This bill expands where South Dakota consumers can buy raw milk for personal use by allowing purchases at farmers markets and at retail stores owned by the producer, in addition to the farm itself. The bill also clarifies that raw milk producers can deliver milk directly to consumers. These changes give consumers more convenient locations to purchase raw milk while keeping sales restricted to direct producer sales or producer-owned retail outlets.

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.

supporting the secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture in establishing a working group of nutrition experts to determine national standards for foods and beverages purchased with supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits.

This concurrent resolution doesn't change South Dakota state law—instead, it expresses the state's support for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create a working group of nutrition experts that would set national standards for what foods can be bought with SNAP benefits (food stamps). South Dakota is urging the federal government to establish these nutrition standards based on the latest dietary science to help ensure SNAP money supports healthier eating choices.