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 near proposed facility sites from thirty days to ten days, and requiring that the notice be sent via certified mail. Additionally, the bill mandates that the notice must include a color aerial map of the intended facility location and details about the public input meeting. The PUC's discretion in denying or returning applications is expanded to include noncompliance with the chapter after a hearing, and it is clarified that the commission must provide reasons for such actions.

Further amendments establish stricter timelines for the commission's decision-making process, requiring that in uncontested cases, decisions be made within twelve months of receiving an application, and in contested cases, evidentiary hearings must commence within the same timeframe. The bill also allows for extensions of deadlines upon request from any party or by the commission itself. Lastly, it clarifies that permits for transmission facilities can override local land use regulations if the commission finds them unreasonably restrictive based on technological or economic factors.

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