The Chamber Advocate
2026 South Dakota Legislative Session – Week One
The 2026 Legislative Session kicked off on Tuesday, January 12, with Governor Rhoden’s State of the State address. Governor Rhoden highlighted several priorities in his address, including:
– Property tax relief through an initiative that would allow counties to impose a voter-approved sales tax that would offset owner-occupied property taxes.
– The state was recently awarded $189 million from the Rural Health Transformation Fund through the federal government. These funds will be used to innovate and support rural healthcare.
– Prioritizing economic growth, with a specific focus on military technology and defense contractors as priority industries.
– Support for the Sioux Falls and Rapid City airport terminal expansion projects. Funding would come from the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF), which was created by the Legislature a few years ago to support construction of housing across the state. The original funding for HIF came from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This bill has been introduced as SB 76.
Those are a few of the highlights from Governor Rhoden’s address. Alongside the Governor’s plan, several bills have already been introduced by legislators. The following are a few that the Chamber is currently tracking:
HB 1005 – An act to allow for a sales tax rebate for data centers.
SB 79 – An appropriation to Southeast Technical College to help construct the James Abdnor Center and expand technical education opportunities.
HB 1061 – Requires that all points of sale in the state accept cash as a form of payment.
SB 58 – Sets the mill levies for school districts, municipalities and counties at zero, effectively removing funding control away from local governments.
Bills continue to drop at a rapid pace. These are just a few of the measures the Chamber is already tracking and working on. If you have questions on any legislation, please contact your Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce public policy team.
As always, keep reading Chamber Advocate and check the Chamber’s Bill Tracker to see all of the legislation your Chamber team is monitoring.