The bill amends several sections of South Dakota's laws regarding the notice and hearing procedures of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Key changes include reducing the notification period for landowners from thirty days to ten days after an application for a permit is filed, and requiring that the notice be sent via certified mail. Additionally, the notice must now include a color aerial map of the intended facility location and details about the public input meeting. The bill also clarifies that the PUC can deny or return applications for reasons such as deliberate misstatements or failure to comply with application requirements, and it introduces a new provision allowing for denial based on good cause after a hearing.

Further amendments specify that in uncontested cases, the PUC must make a decision within twelve months of receiving an application, while in contested cases, an evidentiary hearing must commence within the same timeframe, followed by a decision within 120 days. The bill allows for extensions of deadlines upon request from any party or the commission itself. Lastly, it establishes that permits for transmission facilities can override local land use regulations if the commission finds, with clear and convincing evidence, that such regulations are unreasonably restrictive.

Statutes affected:
Introduced, 02/05/2025: 49-41B-5.2, 49-41B-13, 49-41B-14, 49-41B-24, 49-41B-24.1, 49-41B-28