SDCA Week 8 Legislative Monitor Report

Week 8 was crazy busy and we have one week left of session. All the bills have to be through the second house on Monday. Then we go to conference committees and the budget. It will get even crazier then.

The prison issue was settled for now as the Governor announced a Prison Restart Initiative – he appointed a new task force to discuss location, size, cost, programming, etc. They will meet in April and May and then we will have a special session in July to try and get a new prison. The problem is that it takes 2/3rds vote to get any additional money. All the current plans are on a pause and all activity will stop.

Now the big issue is property tax bills – there are probably 3 bills – SB 216, SB 191, and HB 1235 that are being seriously discussed. All these bills deal with owner/occupied category and trying to reduce the growth in taxes. Some contain a limit, some have a freeze on assessments, and some change up the other categories of ag and commercial. This will be a bill until the end and one bill is in the Senate and two bills are in the House so there will be a big conference committee to see what can get done if anything.

The other serious bill is HB 1239 – bill to punish librarians if they unknowingly give any type of obscene material to kids – it passed the House 38-32 and passed Senate Judiciary 5-2 and is now on the Senate floor. There will be a couple amendments tried on the floor to protect the librarians from prosecution. This is still not a good bill.

HB 1259 – Deals with unauthorized access to multi occupancy rooms – this is a transgender issue – passed House 49-21 and passed Senate committee 7-2 and is on the Senate floor – there will be amendments offered on Monday.

I have removed some of the dead/41st day bills and signed bills so report doesn’t get too long.

SENATE BILLS

SB 71 –   – Revise provisions pertaining to the compulsory age of school attendance – bill was amended with 3 minor amendments and then passed the Senate 34-1. Passed House Educ Committee 13-2 and passed House 61-9. On Gov Signed

SB 99 – Makes an appropriation for purchasing, storing, and distributing sexual assault kits – passed Sen Judiciary Committee 7-0 and is in Sen Appropriations Committee – had a positive hearing there and was deferred until budget setting – good comments through from many of the members – passed Joint Approp committee 13-3, passed, passed Senate 30-5 and passed House 69-1. On Gov’s desk

SB 109 –  Permit a school district to implement a revised 504 plan for military kids – passed committee and passed Senate 34-1. Now in House Military Committee – passed 10-2, passed House 62-8. On Gov Signed 

SB 123 –  Revise provisions related to forensic medical exams – passed Sen Jud 7-0 and passed Senate 34-0. House Judiciary passed 13-0 and passed House 70-0. Still on Gov Desk 

 HOUSE BILLS

HB 1005 –  Removes the requirement for payment of a private home study by DSS for private adoptions. – Bill was referred to Appropriations Committee with recommendation of do NOT pass – 11-1. Bill had another hearing in House Appropriations and had a number of proponents – bill was amended in Joint Approp to be $1000 for a private adoption and then amended again on the floor of the House to pay $1500 per private adoption from DSS. Bill passed House 70-0. Was on the Senate consent calendar and then pulled from consent so hopefully we can get it passed on Monday 

HB 1039 –Repeals the programs reimbursing a teacher or school counselor for earning National Board Certification – bill was referred to House Appropriations Committee with no recommendation – this is one of the cuts – amended to be $1000 from DOE and $1000 from school/individual and no new candidates for this program – then passed House 66-4. Bill passed Joint Approp 9-0 and is on the consent calendar in the Senate. 

HB 1040 –  –   Reduces the state’s contribution to a subsidized high school dual credit program – should oppose – bill was referred to Appropriations Committee with a do not pass recommendations – we are trying to save this from the cuts. It increases the fee students pay to 50% of the cost. Bill was referred to House Appropriations with recommendation of do not pass 14-0 and was amended back to the original 50/50 and passed the House 56-14. Bill has hearing in Senate Educ Committee and killed 4-3 but Senate smoked bill to floor, reconsidered and returned bill to 50/50 cost. Bill then passed 23-11. 

HB 1239 – Revises certain defenses to dissemination of material harmful to minors and obscenity offenses – passed House 38-32 – this is the bill to lock up librarians and fine them if they distribute porn to kids –OPPOSE – passed Senate Judiciary Committee 5-2 but people are working on amendment for the Senate floor on Monday

HB 1259 – Transgender issue on unauthorized access to multi occupancy rooms – passed House 49-21 and passed Senate Committee 7-2 and is on the floor of the Senate on Monday.