The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.South Dakota HB 1251 creates teacher salary and community-based provider funds from surplus cash
Last action · February 23, 2026: Deferred to the 41st legislative daySponsors: Brian Mulder and 5 others
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What This Bill Proposed
create the community-based providers methodology supplement fund, create the target teacher salary supplement fund, and provide for the transfer of certain unobligated cash balances to the fund.
The measure establishes permanent financial channels to potentially increase teacher pay and raise reimbursement rates for community-based service providers, using state surplus cash rather than new broad taxes.
- South Dakota state law establishes strict limits on general fund reserves and governs how year-end cash surpluses are transferred between specific state funds. 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.
Public school teachers
Target teacher salaries may increase through budget requests utilizing moneys from the newly established supplement fund.
Community-based providers
Rate methodologies for listed community-based providers may receive uniform increases closer to established statutory targets.
Department of Education
The department is assigned administrative duties and required to submit annual budget requests utilizing money from the new teacher fund.
Department of Human Services
The department is assigned administrative duties and required to submit annual budget requests utilizing money from the community-based providers fund.
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
Where does the money for the new funds come from?
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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
6 actions- Feb 23, 2026HouseDeferred to the 41st legislative day
- Feb 23, 2026HouseScheduled for hearing
- Feb 18, 2026HouseMotion to amend
- Feb 18, 2026HouseScheduled for hearing
- Feb 3, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to
- Feb 2, 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
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Restructuring of Surplus Cash Distribution
The bill alters the prior-year surplus cash waterfall by capping the budget reserve fund at ten percent and splitting remaining funds among teacher salaries, community-based providers, and the general revenue replacement fund.
Connected Entities
Sources
sdlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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