This bill establishes a new offense in South Dakota for individuals who fail to summon aid during a suicide attempt. Specifically, a person commits the crime of failure to summon aid if they are physically present at the scene, are aware that someone is attempting suicide or has inflicted self-harm that poses an imminent risk of serious bodily injury, and intentionally do not contact law enforcement, medical personnel, or others who could provide immediate assistance. This violation is classified as a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Additionally, the bill outlines defenses against this charge. A person may defend themselves if they reasonably feared imminent harm to themselves or others, believed that aid had already been summoned, are under the age of eighteen, or if it was not reasonably possible for them to summon aid. These provisions aim to balance the responsibility to act in emergency situations with considerations for individual circumstances that may prevent someone from doing so.