Sen. Casey Crabtree

Maddy summarySB 131 clarifies the timing for nonprofit-hosted pheasant hunts benefiting disabled veterans and Purple Heart recipients. It revises the law to specify these hunts may occur "before or during the regular pheasant season" (removing confusing prior language about the "private shooting preserve season"). The bill directly affects nonprofit organizations hosting these events and the disabled veterans/Purple Heart recipients participating. Key provisions maintain that no fees may be charged to participants and require the Game, Fish and Parks Commission to create rules for administering these hunts. The bill does not change eligibility criteria for participants or alter the no-fee requirement.

Maddy summarySB 154 clarifies how garages and related structures on a property qualify for owner-occupied tax classification in South Dakota. It amends tax code sections to explicitly include all garages and ancillary structures used with a primary residence as part of the owner-occupied dwelling, rather than requiring separate classification. The bill also updates rules for contractors, limiting them to classifying no more than four newly built homes as owner-occupied and restricting this classification to no more than two consecutive years. These changes aim to reduce confusion in property tax assessments for both homeowners and developers. The bill directly affects property owners with multiple structures and contractors building single-family homes for sale.

Maddy summarySB 204 revises loan criteria for the South Dakota Housing Infrastructure Fund. It changes the fund's distribution to allocate 50% of monies to housing infrastructure in municipalities with populations over 50,000 (previously 30%) and 50% to other areas (previously 70%). The bill also increases the maximum loan amount from one-third to one-half of a housing infrastructure project's total cost and allows up to 1% of the loan principal to cover administrative expenses. This directly affects municipalities, housing developers, and projects seeking infrastructure loans under the fund.

Maddy summaryHB 1215 allows South Dakota counties and municipalities to issue licenses for cigar bars, directly affecting business owners seeking to operate such establishments and local governments responsible for licensing. The bill requires cigar bars to have a humidor, be fully enclosed with proper ventilation, generate at least 10% of income from cigar sales, and prohibit all tobacco products except cigars. Local governments must hold public hearings for applications and report annual cigar sales income to the Department of Revenue, while also posting clear smoking restrictions. The law explicitly excludes these venues from other liquor license limits and prohibits transferring licenses to new owners.

Maddy summarySB 3 limits local governments in South Dakota from requiring building permits for specific minor residential repairs and renovations on owner-occupied homes. It prohibits counties, municipalities, and townships from mandating permits for exterior repairs like replacing doors, windows, siding, gutters, or roof shingles, as well as interior work that doesn’t affect structural elements like foundations, load-bearing walls, or major utility systems. The bill directly affects homeowners performing these routine maintenance tasks without needing local permit approval. This is a procedural change focused on reducing bureaucratic hurdles for small-scale home improvements.

Maddy summarySouth Dakota's SB 60 restricts ownership of land within 10 miles of military bases by entities designated as "prohibited" under state law. It requires these entities to sell any existing property in the "restricted zone" within two years (or three years if inherited) and bans new ownership or control of such property. The law mandates that property buyers sign an affidavit confirming compliance, and the Attorney General can enforce violations through court actions to forfeit non-compliant property. This bill directly affects property owners and investors near military installations, with enforcement focused on compliance rather than new regulations.

Maddy summaryHB 1107 modifies South Dakota law (§ 43-25-18.3) to give courts greater flexibility when land restrictions for public purposes (like religious, educational, or charitable uses) become impractical due to changed conditions. The bill allows courts to either adjust land use restrictions to better serve the original purpose or authorize selling the land and reinvesting the proceeds in new land that matches the original purpose. This directly affects landholders (grantees) who hold property subject to restrictions set by grantors for public purposes. The key change is enabling courts to adapt land management without requiring strict adherence to outdated conditions. The bill does not create new requirements but adjusts judicial authority under existing land-use laws.

Maddy summarySB 36 requires electric utilities and wholesale electricity generators in South Dakota to develop and submit wildfire mitigation plans to either the Public Utilities Commission or their local governing body (like a city council). These plans must include specific strategies for risk assessment, infrastructure inspections, vegetation management, and community outreach to reduce wildfire risks. Utilities must also submit annual compliance reports by April 1st each year, with filing fees of $500 for initial plans and $250 for reports. The bill establishes a standardized process for these plans and reports but does not specify liability protections beyond the plan requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends South Dakota law (§ 22-19B-4) to upgrade penalties for preventing someone from practicing their religion through threats or violence. Currently a Class 1 misdemeanor, the offense would become a Class 6 felony under this bill. It directly affects individuals who use intimidation or force to stop others from engaging in legally protected religious activities. The key change is reclassifying the penalty level in the statute, increasing the legal consequences for such conduct.

Maddy summarySB 100 revises South Dakota trust laws to clarify when trustees can reimburse trustors (the creators of trusts) for taxes they owe under federal law (26 U.S.C. §§ 671-678), which treats them as owners of the trust. Specifically, it allows trustees (not the trustor or related parties) to pay taxes directly to authorities or reimburse the trustor, but prohibits using life insurance policy cash values for this purpose. The bill also adds rules about trustees transferring assets between trusts while ensuring such actions don’t disqualify trusts from tax deductions. It applies only to trusts created on or after July 1, 2026, or moved to South Dakota after that date.