The bill amends South Dakota's existing laws regarding the signature requirements for petitions to initiate constitutional amendments. It stipulates that a petition must be signed by qualified voters from each senatorial district, with the number of signatures required being at least five percent of the total votes cast for Governor in that district during the last gubernatorial election. Additionally, the total number of signatures on the petition must equal at least ten percent of the total votes cast for Governor in the last election.

Furthermore, the bill outlines specific requirements for petition sponsors, including the need to file the petition in both physical and electronic formats with the secretary of state at least one year before the next general election. The petition must include the full text of the proposed amendment, a designated election date, and a notarized affidavit from each sponsor. It also mandates that each circulator provide a handout with essential information to individuals signing the petition, and establishes a deadline for filing the petition signatures with the secretary of state. The State Board of Elections is tasked with creating rules regarding the affidavit form and other petition requirements not specified in the bill.

Statutes affected:
Introduced, 01/30/2025: 2-1-1
House State Affairs Engrossed, 02/10/2025: 2-1-1
Senate State Affairs Engrossed, 03/06/2025: 2-1-1, 2-1-1.1
Enrolled, 03/12/2025: 2-1-1, 2-1-1.1