Immigration

HB 1049 prohibits entities from certain countries (as defined by existing law) or non-U.S. citizens from owning, operating, or controlling electric facilities in South Dakota, including power generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure. It requires prohibited persons who already own such facilities to sell their interest within one year and bans agreements that would grant them indirect control. The Public Utilities Commission can investigate violations, seek court action to enforce divestiture or forfeit facilities, and recover legal costs. The bill explicitly excludes cases where a facility's ownership issue stems solely from the former owner's nationality.

HB 1209 requires South Dakota employers to verify new employees' work eligibility using the federal DHS e-Verify program within the hiring process and maintain records throughout employment. Employers who fail to comply lose eligibility for state economic incentives (like grants or loans) and must repay any such funds received within 30 days of a final noncompliance determination. Additionally, the bill makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for individuals to knowingly provide false information to evade e-Verify checks. The law directly affects all South Dakota employers receiving state economic incentives and their employees.