Transportation & Infrastructure

Requires commercial truck drivers to speak English.

This bill requires commercial driver license holders in South Dakota to demonstrate English language proficiency as required by federal regulations. It restructures existing CDL requirements into new sections, mandates English proficiency testing (with all tests administered in English), requires law enforcement to assess English proficiency during traffic stops/accidents, and creates criminal penalties: Class 2 misdemeanor for first offense of operating a commercial vehicle without sufficient English proficiency, and Class 1 misdemeanor for subsequent offenses.

Changes rules for out-of-state commercial driver's licenses.

This bill modifies requirements for nondomiciled commercial driver licenses by restricting eligibility to specific categories: individuals with H-2A, H-2B, or E-2 visa status, individuals from U.S. territories with those same visas, or individuals from states with decertified CDL programs. The bill adds new documentation requirements including foreign passport and I-94 forms, mandates verification through federal immigration systems, requires in-person renewals, and establishes license expiration tied to immigration status documents.

Provides emergency funding for road improvements near Ellsworth Air Force Base.

This bill appropriates $8 million from the general fund to the South Dakota Ellsworth Development Authority for public roadway and related infrastructure improvements necessitated by construction activity at Ellsworth Air Force Base. The funds can be used for roadway reconstruction, rehabilitation, widening, capacity improvements, traffic safety enhancements, engineering, design, traffic studies, construction oversight, and related analysis. The authority must report annually on fund usage and is limited to 3% administrative expenses, with unused funds reverting by July 1, 2040.

Provides emergency funding for rural roads and infrastructure.

This bill appropriates $5,000,000 from the general fund to the Department of Revenue for county rural access infrastructure. The money will be deposited into rural access infrastructure funds and distributed to counties based on their proportion of small structures (like bridges and culverts) on township and county roads. The funds must be used for planning and completing inventories of these small structures as prescribed by the Department of Transportation. The appropriation will be distributed over three fiscal years (2026, 2027, 2028) with no more than one-third released each year.

Updates application process for disability parking permits and license plates.

This bill expands who can provide medical certifications for disability license plates and parking permits. Currently only physicians can provide the required certification. The bill would allow physician assistants, chiropractors, physical therapists, and certified nurse practitioners licensed under title 36 to also provide these certifications, as long as it's within their scope of practice. The bill also makes minor language changes (person to individual, shall to must, corrects spelling of dependent).

Allows housing funds to be used for airport construction loans.

This bill transfers unobligated money from the South Dakota housing infrastructure fund to the revolving economic development and initiative fund. It authorizes the Board of Economic Development to provide zero-interest, unsecured loans up to $15 million to airport owners/operators in metropolitan areas with populations between 125,000-275,000+ for airport infrastructure projects. The loans have 20-year amortization with equal annual payments, first payment due one year after funding, and must be closed by June 30, 2030. Municipal loans are exempt from certain debt limitation chapters but subject to constitutional municipal debt limits.

Allows mobile cranes to carry heavier tires on highways.

This bill increases the allowed tire weight limit for mobile cranes from 600 pounds per inch of tire width to 650 pounds per inch when the crane is moving on highways with its boom carried over the vehicle. The bill also adds a definition of 'mobile crane' as a lifting machine mounted on a self-propelled carrier with a telescoping or lattice boom designed to move between work sites.

Clarifies when offenders can drive.

This bill expands the permitted driving purposes for individuals whose licenses have been revoked for drug-related vehicle violations. It adds new permitted purposes including child care delivery/pickup, health appointments, court appearances, probation appointments, 24/7 sobriety testing, treatment, and aftercare programs. The bill also removes 'attendance at school' from one section while adding it back with other purposes, and changes language from 'driver' to 'individual' throughout.

Increases the annual registration fee for electric vehicles.

This bill increases the annual registration fee for electric motor vehicles from $50 to $100. The fee is paid during annual vehicle registration and deposited into the state highway fund. The bill makes minor clarifying language changes but does not alter the definition of electric motor vehicle or change any liability standards.

Changes drone registration fees and creates a fund to support drone programs.

This bill creates a separate registration tax structure for drones, setting rates at 1.5% for agricultural drones and 2% for other drones (lower than the current 4% and 3% rates for other aircraft). It establishes a dedicated drone aviation fund to support drone training at technical colleges, administered by the Board of Technical Education. The bill exempts small unmanned aircraft from these requirements.

Raises fees for mailing vehicle license plates and stickers.

This bill increases mailing fees for vehicle registration materials. It raises the fee for mailed decals from $1.50 to $2.50 per decal or set of decals, and increases the fee for mailed license plates from $7.50 to $12.00 per license plate or set of plates.

Allows the state to be sued under certain federal environmental laws.

This bill authorizes the South Dakota Department of Transportation to assume federal environmental review responsibilities for highway projects under federal law. It waives the state's sovereign immunity from federal court lawsuits related to these environmental responsibilities. Most significantly, it expands the state's liability by requiring payment of attorney fees and costs to successful litigants in highway project litigation, and removes existing limitations that previously capped or restricted such payments.

Changes how the state buys highway construction services.

This bill adds a new exemption to South Dakota procurement laws, allowing political subdivisions to enter into utility contracts that will be bid in combination with Department of Transportation highway construction contracts without following standard procurement procedures. The bill renumbers existing exemptions to accommodate this addition.

Creates a solid background license plate option for South Dakota.

This bill creates new solid background license plate options for South Dakota motor vehicle owners. It establishes two designs (solid black with white letters/numbers and solid white with black letters/numbers), sets fees at $100 for initial issuance and annual renewal, allows personalization for an additional $25 fee, specifies eligible vehicle types (automobiles, pickup trucks, vans, and motorcycles), and directs fee distribution between the license plate special revenue fund and state highway fund.

Updates how the state adopts federal trucking regulations.

This bill updates the adoption of federal motor carrier regulations by changing the effective date from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2026, removes the exemption for two-axle vehicles from federal regulations (meaning more small commercial vehicles will now be subject to federal motor carrier safety requirements), and removes the medical certification exemption for intrastate drivers.

Raises fees for reinstating licenses and getting driving records.

This bill increases reinstatement fees for suspended driver's licenses (references subsection 32-12-47.1(f) instead of the current $50 flat fee) and increases the fee for certified driving record abstracts from $5 to $7.

Adds more vehicle types to the process for titling vehicles with unpaid repair bills.

This bill expands South Dakota's unpaid repair bill titling process beyond motor vehicles to include boats, mopeds, motorcycles, off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, and trailers. It allows repair facilities to obtain title to these additional vehicle types when repairs go unpaid and owners fail to reclaim the vehicles after proper notice procedures. The bill also requires public auction sales when repair facilities cannot transfer title directly, with excess proceeds going to prior owners or the state as unclaimed property.