Four local control linked bills leapt out of the House.
House Bill 1087, which revises protected documents and list of subjects allowed for discussion in executive session, headed out of the House Local Government and full House unanimously.
The bill adds cybersecurity plans and other computer related documents to those protected by the open records law and includes the list of the subjects protected in the open records law to those that can be discussed in executive session.
ASBSD is monitoring HB 1087, which also passed the Senate Local Government committee on a unanimous vote and heads to the Senate floor.
Gov. Kristi Noem will review and potentially sign House Bill 1185, which allows a Native American student to wear a beaded cap at a graduation ceremony, after it passed Senate Education 7-0 and the Senate 34-0, following its passage in the House.
“It does a lot for some of Native American community,” Rep. Shawn Bordeaux, the bill’s prime sponsor, told Senate Education committee members.
The bill, which was monitored by ASBSD, permits a Native American student to wear “an appropriate beaded graduation cap at a school honoring or graduation ceremony” and does provide that “a school administrator may determine if a beaded graduation cap is appropriate.” The bill does not take effect until the 2022-23 school year.
Another bill that could come into play next school year is House Bill 1198, which requires the display of the state seal in all public school buildings, after it passed the House on a 41-27 vote.
Rep. Phil Jensen, the bill’s prime sponsor, said “perhaps this bill will help” students remember the state motto since it’s included on the state seal and mandated for display in schools.
It’s a mandate that Rep. Tim Goodwin may be unnecessary.
“We sit here and we talk about local control. We talk about less government. Then we mandate something,” Rep. Goodwin said. “I’m not against the state motto. I just think this is something that we shouldn’t do at this level.”
ASBSD opposes the bill, which has been assigned to the Senate State Affairs committee.
Another bill headed for the Senate is House Bill 1246, which establishes fundamental rights to make decisions concerning children lies with parents.
HB 1246 passed House Judiciary 13-0 after an extensive amendment and the House on a 63-5 vote.
Initially, the bill contained broad language aimed at all governmental entities and individuals being prohibited to “abridge or encroach upon” the “fundamental right” of a parent “to make decisions” for their child but included no definition or description of what constituted as a violation.
Rep. Sue Peterson, the bill’s prime sponsor, said “this would not upset rules within schools” rather “affirm” a parent’s right “to be present in the school.”
ASBSD Executive Director Wade Pogany testified in opposition to the bill citing confusion of “what the words abridge and encroach mean” and noted “the policies that we have (in schools) are intended to protect all children” but with this bill “we don’t know” how policies would apply if a parent disagreed.
HB 1246 was eventually amended by the committee to include just the statement on decisions resting with the parents.
ASBSD remains opposed to the bill as an amendment could be introduced returning it to its vague form or something similar.
For more updates on pieces of 2022 legislation, check the ASBSD Blog and Billtracker page.