Education

signed · South Dakota · House Mar 30, 2026

HB 1313: require education in prenatal human growth and development.

This bill requires South Dakota public schools to teach prenatal human growth and development in health or science classes using specific materials. It mandates that schools use resources recommended by the state Board of Education, including at least three minutes of high-definition ultrasound videos showing organ development or computer-generated animations of prenatal growth from fertilization to birth. The law prohibits using any materials from entities that perform, promote, or refer to abortion services. This directly affects K-12 public school curricula in South Dakota, altering required health/science content.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill mandates specific curriculum content and materials, prohibiting alternatives, restricting educational curriculum freedom and academic choices in schools.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Education

signed · South Dakota · House Mar 30, 2026

HB 1017: permit the board of a school district to require that certain students receive instruction in alternative settings.

HB 1017 allows South Dakota school boards to require students exhibiting aggressive or violent behaviors that disrupt school safety or operations to receive instruction in alternative learning environments. This policy directly affects students whose conduct poses a threat to school safety, providing school districts with a formal mechanism to address such disruptions. The bill explicitly states it does not override existing enrollment options under state law or conflict with federal special education protections (IDEA and Section 504). It focuses solely on school safety responses, with no changes to special education eligibility or placement procedures.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill provides school boards a mechanism to address disruptive behavior in alternative settings, protecting school safety and enabling uninterrupted educational environments for all students.80% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

passed both · South Dakota · Senate Mar 2, 2026

SB 223: modify the requirements for a petition to refer an excess tax levy of a school district to a vote.

SB 223 modifies South Dakota's process for school districts to refer excess tax levies to voter approval. It changes the petition signature requirement from a flat 50 voters to "at least five percent of the registered voters" in the school district. The bill also adjusts notice rules, waiving newspaper publication requirements if the district mails the resolution to all property taxpayers within 20 days. This affects school districts seeking voter input on tax increases and directly impacts local taxpayers who may petition to refer levy decisions.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesReduces petition signatures for school tax levies (5% vs 50 voters), facilitating voter approval of tax increases and aligning with fiscal management processes.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill eases petition requirements for school tax levies, facilitating voter approval of funding increases for school districts.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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failed · South Dakota · House Feb 24, 2026

HB 1308: reduce certain property taxes for owner-occupied property, and to increase the rates for certain gross receipts taxes and use taxes.

This bill reduces property taxes for homeowners by lowering the mill levy rate on owner-occupied single-family homes from $5.21 to $20.51 per $1,000 of taxable value (with the exact figure clarified in the bill text). It simultaneously raises the state sales tax from 4.2% to 4.7% for 2026-2027 and to 5% after 2027, and expands the gross receipts tax to cover more services like dry cleaning, beauty shops, and rentals. The revenue from these tax increases is explicitly allocated to replace lost school district property tax revenue and fund pay raises for state and school employees. The bill ensures school districts maintain their total funding levels under the new system.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesReduces property taxes for homeowners while raising sales/gross receipts taxes to fund state education, aligning with budget management goals per subjects and revenue allocation.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationRevenue from increased sales/gross receipts taxes explicitly allocated to replace lost education funding per subjects and summary.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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failed · South Dakota · Senate Feb 24, 2026

SB 205: revise registration fees for drones and establish a fund to support drone aviation.

SB 205 revises drone registration fees in South Dakota, charging 1.5% of purchase price for agricultural drones and 2% for all other drones. The collected fees fund a new "drone aviation fund" administered by the Board of Technical Education to support drone training grants at state technical colleges. This bill directly affects drone owners (especially agricultural users) by changing their registration tax rates and creating a dedicated funding source for drone industry workforce development. The fund will receive all drone registration fees and interest, with expenditures requiring annual budget approval. The bill does not apply to small unmanned aircraft systems covered under federal regulations.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRevises drone registration fees (tax) to fund drone training grants, directly allocating tax revenue to support workforce development programs.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationDirectly funds drone training grants at state technical colleges via new aviation fund, supporting higher education workforce development.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill creates a dedicated fund for drone training grants at technical colleges, directly advancing workforce development in a growing industry and supporting employment standards through skill-building.80% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyFunds drone training grants for industry workforce development, directly advancing drone technology sector through dedicated fee-based funding.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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passed · South Dakota · House Feb 9, 2026

HB 1291: amend the process for calculating a school district's general fund base percentage.

HB 1291 amends South Dakota's formula for calculating school district funding by changing how "fall enrollment" is determined. It specifically adjusts the count of students in state custody (like foster care) and those receiving tuition from other districts when calculating a district's base funding. The bill also updates the method for calculating "target teacher ratio" based on district size and ties future teacher salary adjustments to the consumer price index (inflation). These changes directly affect how much state funding school districts receive under South Dakota's education finance system.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAmends state education funding formula to adjust allocations and tie teacher salaries to inflation, strengthening budget management for education programs.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationTies teacher salary adjustments to inflation (CPI), directly supporting educator compensation and retention within education funding framework.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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passed · South Dakota · House Jan 26, 2026

HB 1078: direct the amendment of the Administrative Rules of South Dakota regarding the coursework required for high school graduation.

HB 1078 requires South Dakota's Board of Education to amend administrative rules by September 2026 to update high school graduation coursework requirements. The bill mandates specific credit counts: 4 units of language arts (including writing, speech, and American literature), 3 social studies units (U.S. history and government), 3 math units (including Algebra I), 3 science units (including biology), plus required courses in personal finance, fine arts, physical education, health, and electives. It allows substitutions for one science credit using approved advanced computer science or agriculture science courses (but not for biology), and permits up to one fine arts credit through extracurricular activities with documented alignment to state standards. This directly affects all South Dakota public high school students and school districts implementing graduation standards.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates specific graduation coursework requirements including core subjects and personal finance, strengthening curriculum standards and student preparedness.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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passed · South Dakota · House Jan 26, 2026

HB 1008: direct the amendment of the Administrative Rules of South Dakota regarding the awarding of high school credit for participation in extracurricular athletics.

HB 1008 requires South Dakota schools to amend administrative rules to allow students to earn high school credit for participation in extracurricular athletics. Specifically, it permits up to one fine arts credit (max 1/4 credit per activity per year) and up to one-half physical education credit (max 1/4 credit per varsity athletic activity per year) through school-sanctioned activities. School districts must document how these activities align with state standards for fine arts and physical education. The amendment must be filed by September 30, 2026, directly affecting South Dakota high school students and school districts.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllows credit for athletics in fine arts/PE, expanding student program options and aligning with state standards to enhance educational access.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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