SB 84 increases the income threshold for students to qualify for South Dakota's Partners in Education scholarship program. It raises the initial income requirement from 152% to a higher percentage of the national free/reduced-price lunch income standard (currently 152% for initial eligibility), directly affecting low-income students seeking tuition assistance at participating nonpublic schools. The bill maintains that students who qualify initially remain eligible for three years or until high school graduation without income checks, but must later meet a 250% income threshold to renew. This change expands access to the scholarship program by allowing more households to qualify under the new higher income cap.
This bill (SB 58) modifies South Dakota's property tax code to eliminate a specific county road maintenance levy. It amends Section 10-12-13 to reduce the maximum annual tax levy for county highway and bridge reserve funds from $0.90-$1.20 per $1,000 of taxable value to $0.00 per $1,000. This change directly affects counties that previously used this levy to fund road maintenance, requiring them to find alternative funding sources for highway and bridge projects. The bill does not alter general property tax rates or other levy types; it specifically targets the road maintenance tax provision.
SB 135 requires data center operators to pay all electricity costs associated with their facilities, preventing utilities from raising residential rates to cover these expenses (Section 3). It also prohibits tax exemptions for data centers (Section 5) and ensures local governments retain authority to regulate data center development (Section 4). The bill mandates data centers to report projected water usage to local providers and the Board of Water Management before operation, with annual reports on actual consumption (Sections 6-7), ensuring water allocation prioritizes residential and essential services. This directly affects data center operators, utilities, and South Dakota residents by limiting cost-shifting and protecting local resource management.
This bill appropriates $5.2 million from the state general fund to construct a trades center at Lake Area Technical College, providing new classrooms, labs, and student services for technical training programs. The college must secure matching funds from non-state sources (gifts, grants, etc.) equal to the state appropriation before the funds are released. The legislature declared an emergency to expedite the project, which will not use bonds for completion and requires approval of expenditures by the Department of Education and state auditor. The center directly affects students and staff at Lake Area Technical College by expanding hands-on training facilities.
SB 200 amends South Dakota's state aid formula for funding public school districts' general and special education programs. The bill establishes a base teacher salary of $62,821.19 for the 2025 school year, with annual increases tied to inflation (using the consumer price index). It updates how school districts calculate their funding by revising definitions for enrollment counts, English learner adjustments, and local need factors. This change directly affects all South Dakota public school districts by altering how state education funding is determined each year.
South Dakota's Senate Joint Resolution 503 applies to the U.S. Congress to call a convention of states for proposing constitutional amendments. The resolution specifically requests amendments to impose fiscal restraints on federal spending, further limit federal power and jurisdiction, and establish term limits for members of Congress and other federal officials. It includes conditions requiring the convention to be limited to these topics only and ensuring Congress performs only a ministerial role in convening it. This procedural resolution does not create new law but initiates a state-level step toward potential constitutional change under Article V of the U.S. Constitution.
HB 1041 authorizes the South Dakota Department of the Military to expand and renovate the Sturgis Readiness Center, including utilities and infrastructure. It appropriates $2.35 million from the state general fund and $8 million in federal funds for this project, with unspent funds reverting to the state by June 30, 2031. The bill declares an emergency to expedite the project, which directly affects the Sturgis facility and its military operations. The renovation requires approval from the adjutant general and oversight by the Bureau of Human Resources and Administration.
This bill amends South Dakota tax law to establish two specific methods for determining the purchase price of a used vehicle acquired by gift or other transfer with no or minimal payment. It directly affects individuals receiving vehicles this way, as it provides an alternative to the default tax assessment method. The key change allows taxpayers to use either the retail value from a nationally recognized dealers' guide (approved by the Secretary of Revenue) or a documented bill of sale showing the actual prior purchase price. This gives people a clearer path to prove the vehicle's value for excise tax purposes, potentially reducing their tax burden compared to the previous default of using the retail guide value.
HB 1233 modifies South Dakota's tax collection agreements with Indian tribes by expanding the list of state taxes tribes can collect on behalf of the state. The bill adds 13 specific taxes to the existing list, including retail sales tax, cigarette tax, motor vehicle excise tax, and remote seller sales tax. Under the agreement, tribes would collect these taxes and the state would retain a set percentage of the collected revenue as an administrative fee. This directly affects tribal governments (as tax collectors) and South Dakota's Department of Revenue (as the state entity managing collections).
South Dakota's SB 96 allows counties to impose a 0.5% sales tax on taxable goods, digital products, and services (following state sales tax rules). All revenue from this county-level tax must go into a dedicated "property tax reduction fund." The fund is used to reduce property taxes on owner-occupied homes first, then agricultural and other land types, with all reductions applied equally across qualifying properties. Counties must adopt an ordinance to implement the tax and may hold a voter referendum on the proposal.
