2019 S.D. Legislature: Bills ready for approval

PIERRE – Monday of this week was “cross-over” day here at the Capitol. That means that all of the bills originating in the House have to be sent over to the Senate and all bills originating in the Senate must be sent to the House. At that point we have narrowed down the bills to those which have a chance of receiving final approval. That being said, there will be many new questions raised and additional opposition lining up to oppose those bills in the next chamber committee, as well as on the floor of those respective chambers.

By this point in the session, there have been many bills that have come and gone, some with a great deal of fanfare. Some of those bills were disputed based upon facts, some on financial costs, and some were bills carrying a lot of emotional investment. All of those bills need to be set in the proper perspective as legislation should be based upon the State’s Constitutional obligations. That is oftentimes a major challenge, but we are seeking to keep on that Constitutional track.

The following is a partial rendition of Bills considered last week. The House of Representatives passed 12 bills Feb. 19: 

• HB 1201 – revise provisions regarding group pheasant hunts for disabled veterans; 

• HB 1189 – provide for a period to cure certain campaign finance violations; 

• HB 1122 – revise references to persons who are deaf or hard of hearing; 

• HB 1087 – promote intellectual diversity at certain institutions of higher education; 

• HB 1217 – prohibit the endangerment of any child by means of driving under the influence and to provide a penalty therefor; 

• HB 1180 – revise certain provisions regarding the collection and storage of sexual assault kit evidence; 

• HB 1257 – authorize the Department of the Military to construct two storage buildings, to make an appropriation therefor, and to declare an emergency; 

• HB 1260 – make an appropriation to continue the veteran’s bonus program and to declare an emergency; 

• HB 1263 – revise the appropriation for the construction of a National Guard Readiness Center at the Rapid City Airport and to declare an emergency; 

• HB 1171 – allow certain veterans to attend courses offered at postsecondary technical institutes without payment of tuition; 

• HB 1176 – provide for professional or occupational licensure for certain active duty military personnel and spouses; and 

• SB 36 – revise the membership of the State Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council.

Feb. 20, the House of Representatives passed one bill: HB 1118 – revise provisions regarding excise taxes on the purchase price of motor vehicles.

Feb. 21, the House of Representatives passed 14 bills: 

• HB 1146 – revise provisions related to unclaimed property; 

• HB 1050 – revise certain provisions regarding the use and possession of scanning devices and reencoders;

• HB 1250 – revise certain provisions regarding marriage and family therapists; 

• HB 1229 – require optional services through Medicaid to be authorized through special appropriation; 

• HB 1080 – increase the property tax exemption allowed for certain veterans with a disability and the surviving spouses of certain veterans with a disability; 

• HB 1187 – authorize the Bureau of Administration to conduct a study of the Flaming Fountain on Capitol Lake, to make an appropriation therefor, and to declare an emergency; 

• HB 1186 – provide for repayment of costs incurred by a county related to crimes involving certain persons in state facilities;

Other bills that received attention were: 

• HB 1094 – revise certain programs regarding transparency of the petition circulation process; 

• HB 1178 – revise provisions regarding the beginning period for absentee voting; 

• HB 1255 – make an appropriation from the coordinated natural resources conservation fund to the State Conservation Commission, and to declare an emergency; 

• HB 1258 – create the clean air act settlement fund, to make an appropriation from the fund, and to declare an emergency; 

• HB 1262 – make an appropriation to reimburse certain health care professionals who have complied with the requirements for certain health care recruitment assistance programs and to declare an emergency; 

• HB 1190 – provide for certain requirements prior to the performance of an abortion; and 

• SB 34 – make an appropriation for the replacement of the Elm Lake Dam spillway and to declare an emergency.

The Bills mentioned above have a descriptive title, but you might want to go to the Legislative Research Council website to take a closer look at what the bill actually says and there you can also actually hear the testimony of the proponents and the opponents of the bill. You will also be able to see how each of us voted on the bills and probably hear some of the explanation as to why we voted for or against each bill. All votes are recorded in the Committees as well as our votes on the House floor.

On Feb. 22, the House of Representatives spent the majority of the day in committee meetings. Upon completion of the calendar day, legislators finished up week seven of the 2019 South Dakota Legislative Session.

The agendas for each committee as well as the House and Senate floor debate for each day are available for review at any time. You can also listen to the archived testimony and floor debate at any time on the Legislative Research Council website found at:  https://sdlegislature.gov/

As always, thank you for following the progress of the annual legislative session and thank you for your insights in regard to any of the bills we are considering. Be sure to contact me with any questions you might have. I try to respond to anyone from Districts 10 and 25, so please note that on the subject line of your email.  Steven.Haugaard@sdlegislature.gov