The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.South Dakota Prohibits State Officials' Campaign Committees and PACs from Accepting Contributions from Direct Subordinate Employees
Last action · February 23, 2026: Do Pass AmendedSponsors: Will Mortenson and 5 others
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Proposed
South Dakota House Bill 1278 prohibits s and s affiliated with state officials from accepting campaign contributions from state employees whom they supervise, manage, or appoint, effective January 1, 2027.
The measure establishes a direct restriction on political fundraising between high-ranking state elected officials and their immediate subordinate employees, altering contribution rules across executive departments, agencies, and the legislature.
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.
State Officials
Their candidate campaign committees and affiliated political action committees are prohibited from accepting campaign contributions from specific subordinate state employees.
State Employees
Employees who are department heads, top earners, or direct reports to state officials are prohibited from making campaign contributions to those officials' candidate committees or affiliated PACs.
Key Facts
- Prohibits candidate campaign committees of state officials and political action committees affiliated with state officials from accepting contributions from certain state employees.
- Applies specifically to state employees employed or appointed by the official who serve as the head of a state department or agency.
- Applies to state employees who are the highest paid employee, excluding the head, in the department or agency.
- Applies to state employees who report directly to the state official.
Show all 6 facts
- Defines 'state official' to include the Governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, attorney general, commissioner of school and public lands, Public Utilities Commission members, and legislators.
- Sets an effective date of January 1, 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which state employees are barred from contributing to their supervising official's campaign?
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 - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
6 actions- Feb 23, 2026HouseCommitteeDo Pass Amended
- Feb 18, 2026HouseCommitteeDo Pass Amended
- Feb 18, 2026HouseMotion to amend
- Feb 18, 2026HouseMotion to amend
- Feb 18, 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 →Voting Record
Do Pass Amended
Total
70
- Yes
- 20
- No
- 47
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
- Other positions
- 3
How they voted (1)
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
Connected Entities
Sources
sdlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools