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Read. Follow. Verify.South Dakota Bill 1266 Restricts Political Activities for Public Employees and Amends Lobbying Rules
Last action · February 11, 2026: Deferred to the 41st legislative daySponsors: Tina Mulally and 4 others
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What This Bill Proposed
South Dakota House Bill 1266 prohibits state and local public employees from engaging in political activities while on duty, in government buildings, wearing official uniforms, or using state vehicles. The bill also updates lobbying restrictions for high-ranking state officials and repeals prior executive and judicial agency representative registration statutes.
State and local government employees, public school staff, and board workers face new restrictions on political expression and campaigning while on duty or using public resources, while former high-level officials face modified lobbying bans.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Public employees
State and local government, public school, and board employees face new statutory restrictions on political activities while on duty or using public resources.
Elected officers and agency heads
Top state officials and agency directors are subject to adjusted lobbying and compensation rules following the end of their state service.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can public employees in South Dakota still engage in political campaigns?
What happens if a top state official violates the post-termination lobbying restriction?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
3 actions- Feb 11, 2026HouseDeferred to the 41st legislative day
- Feb 11, 2026HouseScheduled for hearing
- Feb 4, 2026HouseIntroducedFirst read in House and referred to
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Codification of Workplace Political Restrictions
The bill introduces comprehensive statutory rules governing political activity for all state, local, and public school employees, referencing federal regulatory standards.
Connected Entities
Sources
sdlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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