The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.South Dakota House Bill 1295 revises highway easement and right-of-way acquisition rules
Last action · February 18, 2026: Deferred to the 41st legislative daySponsors: Jana Hunt and 3 others
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What This Bill Proposed
South Dakota House Bill 1295 requires the Department of Transportation to provide formal notice and plans to landowners and county registers of deeds before acquiring a highway or right-of-way. The measure details procedures for landowner notification, negotiation of compensation, and property recording or subsequent .
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.
landowners
Property owners subject to state acquisition of easements or borrow pits must receive formal notices, improvement plans, and notifications of negotiation or condemnation rights.
Department of Transportation
The department must follow new administrative notice and filing requirements when acquiring rights-of-way and borrow pit easements.
county register of deeds
Registers of deeds receive filings of departmental notices and are responsible for recording finalized easement sales.
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 happens if a landowner and the Department of Transportation fail to reach an agreement?
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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
5 actions- Feb 18, 2026HouseDeferred to the 41st legislative day
- Feb 18, 2026HouseMotion to amend
- Feb 18, 2026HouseScheduled for hearing
- Feb 9, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to
- Feb 4, 2026HouseIntroducedFirst Reading House
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
Connected Entities
Sources
sdlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 45)
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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