Technology

passed · South Dakota · House Feb 23, 2026

HB 1305: prohibit the dissemination of location information about a public officer and provide a penalty and civil cause of action therefor.

HB 1305 prohibits sharing the home, work, or school location of a public officer (current or former) or their family without consent, specifically when intended to harass, threaten, or cause fear for safety. It makes violations a Class 6 felony and creates a civil lawsuit option for affected officers to recover damages (including emotional distress), attorney fees, and punitive damages. The law directly affects public officers and their households by restricting location information dissemination under these conditions. It applies regardless of whether criminal charges are filed for the same act.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyProhibits unauthorized sharing of public officers' location data, strengthening personal data privacy protections under confidentiality laws.90% confidence

Track

passed · South Dakota · Senate Feb 18, 2026

SB 232: impose a one-year moratorium on the construction or expansion of hyperscale data centers.

SB 232 imposes a one-year moratorium (through June 30, 2027) on building new hyperscale data centers or expanding existing ones to meet the hyperscale definition in South Dakota. A "hyperscale data center" is defined as a facility with peak electrical demand of 50 megawatts or greater, used for storing, managing, and processing large volumes of electronic data. The moratorium applies to both new construction and expansions that would cause a facility to reach or exceed the 50-megawatt threshold. This bill directly affects data center developers and operators planning projects meeting the specified size criteria.

Topics ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill explicitly restricts construction/expansion of hyperscale data centers (key tech infrastructure), directly limiting sector growth per defined thresholds.95% confidence

Track

died · South Dakota · House Feb 10, 2026

HB 1304: allow subdivisions to limit the operation of drones at open-air events.

HB 1304 (South Dakota House Bill 1304) allows cities, counties, and other local subdivisions to create reasonable rules restricting drone flights at specific large outdoor events. It directly affects event organizers and attendees at parades, festivals, state/county fairs, air shows, sporting events, and similar gatherings drawing crowds. The bill authorizes local governments to implement these restrictions to protect privacy and prevent trespass, as outlined in the new provisions added to South Dakota law. The key mechanism is granting subdivisions authority to enact such rules through ordinances or resolutions, without requiring state-level approval.

Topics ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyRestricts drone operations at events to prevent trespass/protect privacy, limiting technology application per bill's purpose.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Emerging Technology

Track

signed · South Dakota · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 98: prevent virtual currency kiosk fraud.

SB 98 requires operators of virtual currency kiosks in South Dakota to obtain a license under existing financial regulations (Chapter 51A-17). It mandates detailed reporting to the state, including transaction volumes, user complaints, refund requests, and suspicious activity. The bill also requires kiosk operators to provide users with receipts containing transaction details, exchange rates, virtual currency addresses, and refund policies. These provisions directly affect kiosk operators (licensees) and users engaging in virtual currency transactions at these locations. The law aims to increase transparency and accountability in virtual currency kiosk operations.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRegulates virtual currency kiosks with licensing and reporting requirements to prevent fraud, aligning with consumer protection in technology regulations.85% confidence

passed · South Dakota · Senate Jan 26, 2026

SB 66: prohibit the use of automatic tabulating equipment and electronic ballot marking systems.

SB 66 prohibits South Dakota election officials from using automatic tabulating equipment or electronic ballot marking systems for any election. The bill requires all ballots to be hand-counted manually in public view, replacing electronic processing with paper-based counting. It directly affects county auditors, precinct election boards, and all election administrators responsible for ballot handling and counting. The law mandates that ballots must be printed on paper (not processed electronically), with all vote counts performed manually after polls close, eliminating electronic tabulation entirely.

Topics ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill explicitly prohibits electronic ballot systems, restricting technology use in elections per its title and summary.95% confidence

Tags Elections

Track

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

Sub-Topics Workforce Development Emerging Technology

Track

passed · South Dakota · House Feb 4, 2026

HB 1005: provide a sales and use tax exemption for goods and services related to data center operations.

HB 1005 exempts sales and use taxes on data center equipment and software for businesses operating qualified data centers in South Dakota. It specifically covers servers, cooling systems, power infrastructure, security systems, and related technology used in facilities meeting strict criteria (e.g., built between 2026-2036, meeting fire safety standards). Qualified businesses must verify eligibility with the Department of Revenue and maintain compliance with electric utility agreements and water usage requirements. The tax exemption lasts 50 years from the facility's construction permit date. This directly affects data center operators seeking to reduce operational costs in South Dakota.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill grants tax exemption for data centers, reducing state tax revenue by excluding sales/use taxes on qualifying equipment and services.92% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyTax exemption for data center equipment incentivizes infrastructure investment, directly advancing technology sector growth through financial support for critical tech infrastructure.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax Tax Incentives

Track

signed · South Dakota · Senate Mar 30, 2026

SB 41: revise a provision related to criminal invasions of privacy, prohibit the creation and distribution of digitally fabricated material of an identifiable individual, and provide penalties therefor.

SB 41 revises South Dakota's criminal invasion of privacy law to prohibit creating, distributing, or selling digitally manipulated images or videos that falsely depict an identifiable person as nude or engaged in sexual acts. It specifically targets content that appears authentic to an ordinary person but was altered to misrepresent the individual. The law defines "digitally fabricated material" as manipulated images, videos, or depictions that falsely show an identifiable person in states of nudity or sexual activity. Violating this provision is a Class 5 felony, with penalties applying when the manipulated content is shared to harass or embarrass the person depicted.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProtects civil rights by penalizing non-consensual deepfakes, aligning with criminal justice reform indicators.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyProhibits non-consensual deepfakes and digitally fabricated content, directly protecting individuals' privacy through criminal penalties for misuse of technology.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Data Privacy

passed both · South Dakota · Senate Mar 2, 2026

SB 110: regulate how broadband internet access service providers use customer data.

SB 110 requires broadband internet providers in South Dakota to obtain explicit customer permission ("opt-in consent") before using, sharing, or selling most types of personal customer data, including location, health details, device identifiers, and financial information. It directly affects broadband service providers (like local internet companies) and their customers by mandating clear consent mechanisms that are easy to understand and use. Key provisions include prohibiting providers from charging higher prices or denying service based on a customer’s refusal to consent, and requiring that consent requests be conspicuous, non-misleading, and available at no extra cost. The law applies specifically to "broadband internet access service providers" as defined in the bill, covering data collected through the customer-provider relationship.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates opt-in consent for data use, strengthening consumer data privacy protections under technology regulations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Broadband Access Consumer Data Protection Data Privacy

Track

failed · South Dakota · House Feb 20, 2026

HB 1246: prohibit nondisclosure of certain agreements related to data centers.

HB 1246 prohibits state agencies and local governments from signing agreements with private entities that require secrecy about data center projects. It mandates that any agreement for building, developing, or locating a data center must be treated as a public record, making its terms accessible to the public. The bill defines a data center as a facility storing, processing, or managing electronic data. This ensures transparency by preventing confidential clauses in such agreements, allowing public access to project details without secrecy restrictions.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates public access to data center agreements, ensuring transparency in tech infrastructure contracts and aligning with data privacy protections by preventing secrecy around data handling terms.85% confidence

Tags Government Transparency

Track