Budget & Taxes

passed · South Dakota · Senate Feb 25, 2026

SJR 504: proposing and submitting to the voters at the next general election an amendment to the Constitution of the State of South Dakota, providing for wagering on sporting events via mobile or electronic platform.

SJR 504 proposes a constitutional amendment to allow South Dakota to authorize mobile and electronic wagering on sporting events. The amendment requires such wagering to be offered only through licensed Deadwood casinos with servers located within Deadwood, and mandates that 90% of tax revenue from these wagers must fund statewide property tax relief or reductions. If approved by voters, this would change the state constitution to permit this new form of betting, which is currently restricted under existing gambling laws. The amendment must be voted on by South Dakota residents at the next general election to take effect.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates 90% tax revenue from mobile wagering fund property tax relief/reductions, directly advancing tax relief for homeowners as a core fiscal policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Revenue

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signed · South Dakota · Senate Feb 17, 2026

SB 18: repeal income modifications for the bank franchise tax pertaining to bad debts.

SB 18 repeals a requirement that banks add back to their South Dakota franchise tax base any bad debt deductions they claimed on federal tax returns but later determined were not actually worthless. This change eliminates the need for banks to adjust their state taxable income for "recovered" bad debts, potentially lowering their tax burden. The bill directly affects banks operating in South Dakota subject to the state's franchise tax on banking activities. It removes specific provisions in the tax code that previously mandated this adjustment for bad debt accounting.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill repeals requirement for banks to adjust taxable income for recovered bad debts, lowering tax burden and reducing state revenue, weakening fiscal management.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes

passed · South Dakota · Senate Feb 11, 2026

SB 161: repeal an exemption for certain health care facilities.

SB 161 repeals a tax exemption for certain nonprofit health care facilities in South Dakota, ending their current property tax exemption. This affects facilities previously qualifying under repealed sections 10-4-9.3 and 10-4-35, including licensed hospitals, clinics, mental health centers, and wellness centers meeting specific criteria (like 501(c)(3) status and non-profit operation). The bill removes the exemption, requiring these facilities to pay property taxes on their entire property - previously only the portion not used for health care services was taxable. The change directly impacts nonprofit health care organizations that relied on this exemption for tax purposes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRepeals tax exemption for health care facilities, increasing state property tax revenue. Closes a tax loophole, aligning with fiscal responsibility indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Tax Incentives

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passed · South Dakota · House Feb 5, 2026

HB 1186: require the approval of the county for the creation of a tax increment financing district by a municipality.

HB 1186 requires South Dakota municipalities to obtain written approval from county commissioners before creating a tax increment financing district. This directly affects municipalities seeking to establish such districts and the counties where those districts would be located. The key provision mandates that county boards of commissioners must approve the district's creation through a formal resolution, either for the entire county or the portion within the county. The bill changes the process by adding county consent as a mandatory step, ensuring local county input before municipal tax district development begins.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesRequires county approval for TIF districts, restricting municipal autonomy in fiscal management tools like tax increment financing.85% confidence ✗ HousingOpposes HousingRequires county approval for TIF districts, adding barriers to municipal housing development funding mechanisms that could delay or block projects.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Development

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signed · South Dakota · Senate Mar 3, 2026

SB 55: make an appropriation for the payment of extraordinary litigation expenses and to declare an emergency.

SB 55 appropriates $650,000 from South Dakota's general fund to the state's "extraordinary litigation fund" to cover eligible legal costs under § 1-33-8.11. The bill directly affects the state government, specifically the Bureau of Human Resources and Administration, which will approve payments for these expenses. It declares an emergency to allow immediate funding, with unspent funds reverting per standard state procedures. The bill provides no new legal requirements but allocates existing funds for ongoing litigation costs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $650k from general fund for litigation expenses, a standard budget action supporting fiscal management of government spending.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations State Budget

signed · South Dakota · Senate Mar 3, 2026

SB 72: extend the time for reverting moneys appropriated for the modernization of the state's enterprise resource planning systems.

This bill extends the deadline for unspent funds allocated to modernize South Dakota's state enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. It amends existing law to delay the date when unused funds must revert to the general fund from June 30, 2029. The change directly affects state agencies managing the ERP modernization project, providing additional time to obligate or spend these funds. The key mechanism is modifying the reversion date in the 2023 appropriations law without altering the funding amount or project scope.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExtends deadline for ERP funds to prevent premature reversion to general fund, promoting efficient fiscal management of allocated appropriations without altering funding levels.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

passed · South Dakota · House Jan 28, 2026

HB 1131: amend the process by which certain school districts calculate the general fund base percentage.

HB 1131 amends how South Dakota school districts calculate their fall enrollment for state education funding. The bill specifically requires districts to exclude students residing in residential treatment facilities (when the facility operates the education program) from their enrollment count used in the funding formula. This change directly affects school districts serving students in such facilities, potentially altering their state funding amounts based on revised enrollment calculations. The amendment clarifies an existing definition within the state's education funding structure without changing other elements like teacher salary formulas or English learner adjustments.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesExcludes students in residential facilities from enrollment count, directly reducing state education funding for affected districts per revised calculation.85% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationExcludes students in residential treatment facilities from enrollment counts, reducing state education funding for affected districts by altering the funding formula.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget School Funding Teachers

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signed · South Dakota · House Feb 25, 2026

HB 1118: make an appropriation for the design and construction of an addition to the existing swine wean-to-finish barn at South Dakota State University and to declare an emergency.

HB 1118 appropriates $1,720,000 to fund the design and construction of a new wean-to-finish barn addition at South Dakota State University's swine research facility. The bill directly affects SDSU's agricultural programs and swine research operations by enabling facility upgrades for raising pigs from weaning to market weight. Key provisions include allowing cost adjustments for inflation (up to 125% of the initial amount), accepting external funds (like federal grants or donations), and declaring an emergency to expedite funding. The bill does not alter existing laws but provides specific funding for this infrastructure project.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly appropriates $1.72M for SDSU facility construction, directly funding a public university project under budgetary allocation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations

passed · South Dakota · Senate Feb 23, 2026

SJR 505: proposing and submitting to the voters at the next general election an amendment to the Constitution of the State of South Dakota, limiting the assessed value of real property and limiting real property taxes.

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would limit property taxes in South Dakota to no more than 1% of a property's assessed value. It also caps annual increases to assessed property values at 2% (starting with 2027 valuations) and allows adjustments for ownership changes, renovations, or damage. The amendment would affect all real property owners in South Dakota by restricting how local governments can levy taxes on their land and buildings. Voters would need to approve this change at the next general election for it to take effect.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill caps property taxes at 1% of assessed value and limits annual valuation increases to 2%, directly restricting tax rates and local government revenue under constitutional amendment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax

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signed · South Dakota · Senate Feb 11, 2026

SB 12: provide for a refund of property taxes in previous years for qualifying veterans and surviving spouses.

South Dakota's SB 12 allows qualifying veterans with certain disabilities (like loss of use of both lower extremities) or their unremarried surviving spouses to request refunds for property taxes paid in the previous four years if they missed the application deadline for an existing property tax exemption. The bill amends tax exemption rules to permit petitions to county commissioners for these refunds, which the commissioners may approve or deny at their discretion. It directly affects veterans and surviving spouses who previously paid taxes they might have qualified to avoid. The refund mechanism applies only to taxes paid in the four years prior to the petition, not future exemptions.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides tax refunds for veterans, reducing their tax burden - direct tax relief aligning with support indicators.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransEnables property tax refunds for qualifying veterans and surviving spouses who missed exemption deadlines, expanding financial benefits through retroactive relief.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Tax Incentives Veteran Benefits Veteran Education Veteran Housing