The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.South Dakota HB 1231 sets documentation rules and $1,000 penalty for fraudulent assistance animals
Last action · February 11, 2026: TabledSponsor: Matt Roby
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What This Bill Proposed
House Bill 1231 establishes specific documentation requirements for tenants requesting s in rental housing and permits landlords to evict tenants and collect a fee up to $1,000 for fraudulent claims. The measure details provider licensing rules, expiration timeframes, and exemptions for certain small properties.
Renters seeking housing accommodations for s must provide licensed medical documentation meeting strict criteria, while landlords gain clear statutory authority to assess documentation authenticity and penalize fraudulent requests.
- House Bill 1231 was introduced during the 2026 legislative session of the South Dakota Legislature and was subsequently tabled. context
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.
tenants
Tenants requesting assistance animals must provide specific documentation from licensed health care providers and face eviction and fees up to one thousand dollars for fraudulent claims.
landlords
Landlords gain explicit authority to require documentation for assistance animals, verify provider licenses, deny accommodations under certain exemptions, and evict tenants for fraud.
licensed health care providers
Providers must meet statutory standards regarding professional relationships, letterhead requirements, and individualized assessments when issuing assistance animal documentation.
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
When can a landlord demand documentation for an assistance animal?
What qualifications must the healthcare provider issuing the documentation hold?
What are the penalties if a tenant provides fraudulent documentation?
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 - Tabled in the House.
Procedural history
7 actions- Feb 11, 2026HouseTabled
- Feb 11, 2026HouseScheduled for hearing
- Feb 6, 2026HouseDeferred to another day
- Feb 6, 2026HouseCommitteeDo Pass Amended
- Feb 6, 2026HouseMotion to amend
- Feb 6, 2026HouseScheduled for hearing
Show 1 earlier action
- Jan 29, 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.
Stricter Verification Standards for Assistance Animals
The bill introduces formal statutory criteria for health care provider documentation and penalizes fraudulent claims with eviction and financial penalties.
Sources
sdlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy50Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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