The bill amends South Dakota's property tax relief program for disabled veterans and their surviving spouses by increasing the exemption amount from property taxes on owner-occupied dwellings. Specifically, the exemption amount is raised from two hundred thousand dollars to three hundred fifty thousand dollars for both disabled veterans rated as permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected disability and for the surviving spouses of such veterans. The bill also clarifies that the application for this exemption must be submitted on a form prescribed by the Department of Revenue, and it emphasizes the confidentiality of the application and supporting documents.

Additionally, the bill outlines the conditions under which the exemption remains valid. For veterans, the exemption is retained until the property ownership is transferred, the veteran no longer occupies the dwelling, or there is a change in property use. For surviving spouses, the exemption remains until similar conditions apply, including the remarriage of the surviving spouse. The bill also allows both veterans and surviving spouses who miss application deadlines to petition the board of county commissioners for a recalculation of taxes based on the exemption.

Statutes affected:
Introduced, 01/24/2026: 10-4-40, 10-4-41