The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.South Dakota imposes a two-year moratorium on new or expanding mega-dairy operations exceeding 7,499 cows
Last action · January 28, 2026: Withdrawn at the Request of the Prime SponsorSponsors: Tim Goodwin and 1 other
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What This Bill Proposed
South Dakota enacts a temporary through June 30, 2028, prohibiting new or expanding industrial dairy operations that exceed 7,499 cows and require a permit and . Currently permitted and operating dairies may continue at their approved scale prior to July 1, 2026. The measure was withdrawn at the request of the prime sponsor.
Dairy operators exceeding 7,499 cows are barred from establishing or expanding facilities in the state during the two-year freeze, while county governments and state agencies are directed to study environmental and economic impacts and update land use rules.
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.
industrial dairy operations
New or expanding dairy operations exceeding 7,499 cows are prohibited from establishing or growing during the moratorium period.
county governments
Counties are given time to update land use plans, ordinances, road agreements, and implement incremental setbacks.
Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources
The department is tasked with data collection, environmental review, and assessing watershed resources.
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
What is an industrial dairy operation under this bill?
Can existing dairies continue operating during the moratorium?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Withdrawn.
Procedural history
2 actions- Jan 28, 2026HouseWithdrawn at the Request of the Prime Sponsor
- Jan 28, 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.
Statewide Pause on Mega-Dairy Approvals
The measure establishes a statutory pause allowing state agencies and local governments to evaluate environmental and infrastructure impacts before permitting additional industrial dairy facilities.
Connected Entities
Sources
sdlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy75Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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