FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, Feb. 23, 2024
Contact: Tony Mangan, Communications Director, 605-773-6878
PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has announced that all of the office’s legislative bills have now passed the state Legislature in some form and have been signed by Gov. Kristi Noem.
“We introduced these bills this session with the belief they were needed to protect law enforcement and the people of South Dakota,” said Attorney General Jackley. “Thank you to the legislators and Gov. Noem for their support of this legislation.”
The Attorney General’s Legislative package included:
*** House Bill 1028 classifies Xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance. The legislation still allows the drug to be used for its stated purpose as a veterinary drug. The bill was sponsored by the Attorney General’s Office and the state Department of Health. The bill passed both the House and Senate. It was signed by the Governor on Feb. 12. https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/24718
*** Senate Bill 24 increases the maximum user fee for a participant voluntarily agreeing to wear a drug patch under the 24/7 sobriety program. The new patches cost more than current fee of $50 due to the increased cost of fentanyl testing. This proposal would raise the fee to no more than $70 for each drug patch that is attached, to be paid for by the participant. The bill passed both the Senate and the House. It was signed by the Governor on Feb. 5. https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/24891
*** Senate Bill 26 clarifies the membership of the five-member Open Meeting Commission to include Deputy State’s Attorneys as well. The bill passed both the Senate and the House. It was signed by the Governor on Feb. 12. https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/24893
*** Senate Bill 27 fixes a statutory conflict concerning removal from the sex offender registry. The bill was approved by the Senate and House. It was signed by the Governor on Feb. 12. https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/24894
*** Senate Bill 79 revises various levels of the state’s child pornography crimes and includes the Attorney General’s Office’s Senate Bill 25 which makes Artificial Intelligence-generated child pornography a crime. The legislation, which is a combination of other bills on the same issue, was introduced by Sen. David Wheeler of Huron and Rep. Fred Deutsch of Florence with the involvement of the Attorney General’s Office. The bill was approved by the Senate and the House. It was signed by the Governor on Feb. 12. https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/24991
House Bill 1028, the Xylazine bill, included an emergency clause that allowed the bill to go into effect once it was signed by the Governor. The other four bills become law on July 1.
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