On Monday, March 31, the South Dakota Legislature adjourned its 2025 session, which lasted 77 days. During this time, the Legislature introduced 269 House bills and 220 Senate bills, with 211 bills passing both chambers.
Here’s what you may have missed:
Voter Registration and Elections.
Several bills focused on voter registration and voting procedures were introduced. HB 1208 designates individuals using mail forwarding services or post office boxes as federal voters when applying to register or vote absentee. It takes effect January 1, 2026. SB 68 requires individuals to be U.S. citizens to be eligible to vote, with penalties for non-compliance, which takes effect July 1. In addition, the governor also signed SB 164 which prohibits the use of deepfakes, images or videos manipulated by artificial intelligence to influence an election. Similar legislation has been introduced in nearly every state over the past three years and has passed in more than a dozen, including Washington, Arizona, and North Dakota. The bill takes effect July 1.
Housing and Infrastructure
SB 6 authorizes a loan from the South Dakota housing infrastructure fund to school districts adjoining federal military installations for the construction or expansion of school buildings. The bill was brought forward to address the growing need for educational infrastructure in areas with significant military presence. It passed the legislature and was later signed by Governor Larry Rhoden and takes effect July 1.
HB 1052 prohibits carbon pipeline developers from using eminent domain to acquire land. Governor Rhoden (R) stated that this bill emphasized his longstanding commitment to property rights and framed the bill as a way to restore trust between landowners and developers. This measure came about as a reaction to Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed $9 billion carbon capture pipeline, which has caused much controversy in the state. Rhoden has stated that this measure will not prevent the project from going forward, but Summit should be using easements as a path forward.
Budget
The Legislature passed a $7.3 billion General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026. The budget passed with strong bipartisan support, reflecting a collaborative effort to address the state's financial needs. The final bill contained recommendations from both former Governor Kristi Noem and currently Governor Larry Rhoden. In addition to the passage of a fiscal year 2026 budget, the legislature also passed a revision to the fiscal year 2025 budget. This revision decreased funds by nearly $75 million amid declining revenues. Most of the cuts stemmed from healthcare related issues including Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program. Areas where funding increased include the Bureau of Information and Telecommunications which saw increased appropriations toward data centers and telecommunications services.
Looking Ahead
The 2026 legislative session will be the first full one for Governor Larry Rhoden, who succeeded former Governor Kristi Noem on January 25 after the latter was confirmed to serve in President Donald Trump’s cabinet. South Dakota's next gubernatorial and legislative elections will be held on November 3, 2026. The only declared candidate for the Republican primary is South Dakota House Speaker Jon Hansen. Others, including Governor Rhoden and Attorney General Marty Jackley, have expressed interest but have not launched a campaign.