define man and woman throughout the state.
HB 1184 defines "female" in South Dakota law as "an individual who naturally has, had, will have, or would have, but for a congenital anomaly or intentional or unintentional disruption, the reproductive system that produces, transports, and utilizes eggs for fertilization." This definition applies to all state laws, regulations, and programs. The bill prohibits state funding for any program, service, or policy that contradicts this definition of "female." It directly affects state agencies, healthcare providers, schools, and any entity receiving state funds that use gender-related terms.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
House Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Mar 2026
Introduced Jan 29, 2026
Signed Mar 30, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons
What changed between versions
House State Affairs Engrossed
→
Enrolled
·
3 edits
·
Mar 10, 2026
MINOR
This bill amended the South Dakota Code to add specific definitions for 'man' and 'woman' based on biological reproductive systems, replacing previous language that did not explicitly define these terms. The changes clarify that 'man' refers to an adult human male and 'woman' refers to an individual with a reproductive system that produces eggs, while 'male' and 'female' are defined by reproductive systems producing sperm or eggs respectively.
Scope change
The bill applies statewide to all legal interpretations of the South Dakota Code of Laws, affecting how gender-related terms are understood in legal contexts across the state.
DEFINITION
Added new definitions for 'man' and 'woman' that specify biological reproductive criteria rather than gender identity
Added definitions for 'male' and 'female' based on reproductive system function (sperm production vs egg production)
Modified existing term definitions to align with the new biological framework for gender classification
Floor votes · Senate Mar 9, 2026 · House Feb 24, 2026
How they voted
30–4
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 35
Mar 9, 2026
D
Democratic3
100% Nay
R
Republican32
93% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
15
Key actions
9
Committee
4
Amendments
1
Mar 30, 2026
Signed into law
Signed by the Governor on 2026-03-30 H.J. 579
executive
Mar 11, 2026
Upper · Passed
Signed by the President S.J. 526
upper
Mar 10, 2026
Upper · Passed
Signed by the Speaker H.J. 553
upper
Mar 9, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate Do Pass Amended , Passed, YEAS 30, NAYS 4 S.J. 496
upper
Mar 9, 2026
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (30-4-1)
senate
Mar 5, 2026
Upper · Passed
Judiciary Do Pass , Passed, YEAS 7, NAYS 0 S.J. 37
upper
Feb 25, 2026
Introduced
First read in Senate and referred to Senate Judiciary S.J. 398
upper
Feb 24, 2026
Lower · Passed
House of Representatives Do Pass Amended , Passed, YEAS 57, NAYS 9 H.J. 425
lower
Feb 24, 2026
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (57-9-4)
house
Feb 20, 2026
Lower · Passed
State Affairs Do Pass Amended , Passed, YEAS 10, NAYS 2
lower
Feb 20, 2026
Introduced
State Affairs Motion to amend , Passed, Amendment 1184A
lower
Jan 29, 2026
Introduced
First read in House and referred to House State Affairs H.J. 179
lower
15 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Al Novstrup
RRepublican
P
Carl Perry
RRepublican
P
John Sjaarda
RRepublican
P
Jon Hansen
RRepublican
P
Karla Lems
RRepublican
P
Kathy Rice
RRepublican
P
Kevin Jensen
RRepublican
P
Lauren Nelson
RRepublican
P
Les Heinemann
RRepublican
P
MyKala Voita
RRepublican
P
Phil Jensen
RRepublican
P
Tim Goodwin
RRepublican
P
Tom Pischke
RRepublican
P
Travis Ismay
RRepublican
P
Trish Ladner
RRepublican
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