The bill amends South Dakota law regarding the safety zone for hunting and trapping near occupied dwellings, churches, schoolhouses, and livestock. It changes the existing safety zone distance from six hundred sixty feet to one-quarter mile. This means that only the owners of these properties or individuals with written permission from them can discharge firearms or hunt within this expanded safety zone. Additionally, the bill specifies that no one, except adjoining landowners or those with their permission, may trap within the same one-quarter mile radius.

Furthermore, the bill establishes penalties for violations, classifying them as a Class 2 misdemeanor. If a person is convicted of discharging a firearm within the newly defined one-quarter mile safety zone, the court is mandated to revoke their hunting privileges for one year, in addition to any other penalties. The court may also order that this revocation be served consecutively with any other hunting privilege revocations resulting from different violations.

Statutes affected:
Introduced, 02/05/2025: 41-9-1.1