The bill amends South Dakota's campaign finance laws to introduce the concept of "inactive candidate campaign committee," which refers to committees that are not actively pursuing elections and have not filed a termination report. It allows statewide candidates or their committees to accept contributions from these inactive committees, with a limit set at four thousand dollars, consistent with existing contribution limits. The bill also revises definitions related to campaign finance, clarifying the roles of various organizations and prohibiting contributions from ballot question committees. Additionally, it updates the definition of "contribution" to exclude certain volunteer services.

Moreover, the bill establishes new contribution limits, permitting candidates to accept up to $1,000 from inactive candidate campaign committees and setting similar limits for political action committees and political parties. It outlines the requirements for campaign finance disclosure statements, detailing the obligations of treasurers for different political committees, including the necessity to file specific reports. The bill also mandates that political parties that lose their qualified status must file a termination statement by a specified deadline, with violations classified as misdemeanors, leading to increased penalties for repeat offenses.

Statutes affected:
Introduced, 12/27/2024: 12-27-1, 12-27-7, 12-27-8, 12-27-9, 12-27-10, 12-27-22
Senate State Affairs Engrossed, 01/22/2025: 12-27-1, 12-27-7, 12-27-8, 12-27-9, 12-27-10, 12-27-22