SB 113 South Dakota Senate · 2026 Regular Session

increase the penalty for preventing practice of religion.

This bill amends South Dakota law (§ 22-19B-4) to upgrade penalties for preventing someone from practicing their religion through threats or violence. Currently a Class 1 misdemeanor, the offense would become a Class 6 felony under this bill. It directly affects individuals who use intimidation or force to stop others from engaging in legally protected religious activities. The key change is reclassifying the penalty level in the statute, increasing the legal consequences for such conduct.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
House Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Mar 2026
Introduced Jan 23, 2026 Signed Mar 10, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Enrolled · 4 edits · Mar 1, 2026
MODERATE
This bill transitions from a draft introduction to an enrolled final version, adding official legislative session details, act title, and certification signatures required for state law enactment. The substantive policy content remains unchanged, focusing on increasing penalties for preventing religious practice.
Scope change
No substantive scope change; this is a procedural transition from draft to final enrolled bill format
TECHNICAL

Added official session information (101st Legislative Session), bill number (SB 113), and act title (An Act to increase the penalty for preventing practice of religion)

Added certification signatures and dates for Senate, Governor, and Secretary of State required for bill enrollment

Removed browser compatibility warnings and loading messages from the original webpage

Reformatted bill text to match official enrolled bill layout with proper spacing and section numbering

Floor votes · Senate Feb 4, 2026 · House Feb 26, 2026

How they voted

304
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 35
Feb 4, 2026
D Democratic3
3 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican32
27 Yea 4 Nay 1
84% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
12
Key actions
7
Committee
2
Mar 10, 2026
Signed into law
Signed by the Governor on 2026-03-10 S.J. 514
executive
Mar 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
Signed by the Speaker H.J. 493
lower
Mar 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
Signed by the President S.J. 434
lower
Feb 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
House of Representatives Do Pass , Passed, YEAS 48, NAYS 18 H.J. 460
lower
Feb 25, 2026
Lower · Passed
Judiciary Do Pass , Passed, YEAS 10, NAYS 2 H.J. 29
lower
Feb 5, 2026
Introduced
First read in House and referred to House Judiciary H.J. 238
lower
Feb 4, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate Do Pass , Passed, YEAS 30, NAYS 4 S.J. 185
upper
Feb 3, 2026
Upper · Passed
Judiciary Do Pass , Passed, YEAS 7, NAYS 0 S.J. 12
upper
Jan 23, 2026
Introduced
First read in Senate and referred to Senate Judiciary S.J. 92
upper
13 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors