This bill introduces new regulations in South Dakota aimed at enhancing age verification for individuals accessing applications from online application stores. It establishes definitions for various age categories, including "Adult," "Child," "Older teenager," and "Younger teenager," and mandates that application store providers request and verify age information during account creation. If a user is identified as a minor, their account must be linked to a parent account, requiring verifiable parental consent for downloads or purchases of covered applications. The bill also delineates the responsibilities of developers and application store providers concerning age-related data and parental consent disclosures, while providing legal recourse for parents of minors harmed by violations, including the potential for damages and attorney fees.

In addition to age verification regulations, the bill addresses the marketing and distribution of discount cards for prescription drugs, unsolicited commercial emails, and caller identification practices. It prohibits the sale of discount cards that do not clearly state they are not insurance or lack pharmacy authorization, and mandates specific identifiers in unsolicited commercial emails containing explicit content. The bill also requires the disclosure of certain lodging fees and outlines conditions under which caller ID manipulation is not a violation. Penalties for violations are categorized based on the amount involved, with misdemeanors for amounts under one thousand dollars and felonies for higher amounts. Notably, a previous provision regarding misleading caller identification practices has been deleted, and the bill is set to take effect on January 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced, 01/30/2025: 37-24-6