Our final Legislative Update meeting will be held on March 14th at 12:00 PM Central by Zoom. 

We are down to the final two weeks of the 2025 Legislative Session and the insurance issues remain quiet. SB 154 (340B drug program) had a hearing in the House Health and Human Services Committee on March 4th and it passed out of committee 8-5. March 6th will be the last day for a bill to pass out of the second committee and March 10th is the last day to pass both chambers.

Following are the bills we are tracking: (Bills with a strikethrough have been defeated or modified in some manner.)

Our Real Life Stories program has helped motivate people to buy insurance for 20+ years. These stories highlight the role insurance has played in helping families and businesses in times of great financial need, along with the insurance professionals who have helped them. None of the people featured in our stories could have anticipated the challenges they’d face. However, smart insurance planning ensured that emotional struggles weren’t compounded by financial hardship.

Our final Legislative Update meeting will be held on March 14th at 12:00 PM Central by Zoom. 

We are officially in the 7th week of the legislative session and with only three weeks to go, there is a lot to get done! This week is quieter from an insurance perspective after the defeat of SB 158 and HB 1137. There was not an attempt to smoke out SB 158, and yesterday was the last day to do so. 

I ran into Director Dieter over the weekend and he anticipates discussions on non-opioid drugs over the interim. He complimented NAIFA-South Dakota on the active participation and help throughout this Session, it was very nice to hear.

Yesterday, (February 25th), was crossover day so the days are long as both chambers work to get bills through the house of origin.

Following are the bills we are tracking: (Bills with a strikethrough have been defeated or modified in some manner.)

South Dakota Legislative Updates will be held by Zoom every other Friday. Register today for the February 21st update!

February 17th marks the beginning of the sixth week of the legislative session and there is no sign that things are slowing down.

Our focus and concentration is on SB 158 (pre-auth bill), which will be heard in committee on Wednesday, February 19th. It continues to be an uphill battle. Opponents had a strategy meeting on February 13th to discuss committee testimony and what we believe to be the vote count. 

HB 1137 is yet another mandate (coverage of nonopioid drugs). It will likely be up in committee hearing this week as well.

Cross-over day (last day for bills to pass house of origin) is Tuesday, February 25th, so committee hearings and sessions will be long this week to catch up on a backlog of bills.

Following are the bills we are tracking: (Bills with a strikethrough have been defeated or modified in some manner.)

Senate Bill 158 creates an exemption process where medical providers do not have to submit preauthorization requests to health insurers. This is known as "gold carding".

Why oppose SB 158?

1. Inserts government into business disputes: it creates a complex process for resolving exemption process disputes between insurers and providers and tells private businesses what to do. Providers and health insurers already contract with each other, they could manage a similar process through their private contracts.

South Dakota Legislative Updates will be held by Zoom every other Friday. Register today for the February 14th update!

It is hard to believe that Friday, February 7th ended the fourth week of the 2025 Legislative Session. It has been a busy session with a total of 488 bills introduced. Last week was a successful one for insurance. We saw the defeat of HB 1070 and HB 1112 in committee, HB 1102 was tabled at the request of the Prime Sponsor, and HB 1122 squeaked out of the committee, but went down on the House floor.

SB 158 (pre-auth/gold card bill) is still the elephant in the room and was scheduled for hearing this week. We just learned that it has been deferred to next week with a hearing on February 19th. Committee members are: Kevin Jensen; Sydney Davis (Prime Sponsor); Tamara Grove; Karl Perry; Tim Reed; Jamie Smith; and Curt Voight. Any grassroots assistance we can get is greatly needed and appreciated.

Following are the bills we are tracking: (Bills with a strikethrough have been defeated or modified in some manner.)

Have you ever engaged in a conversation about LILI with a LILI graduate? Once you get them talking, it is hard to get a word in edgewise.

Why?

Because LILI is just that powerful. It is a life-altering experience for participants both personally and professionally.

The Leadership in Life Institute is a six-month program offered exclusively to NAIFA members who are committed to growing intellectually and professionally through deep introspection and discussion. The intense curriculum creates a unique learning environment that encourages participants to bring out their best and apply what is learned across every aspect of their lives.

NAIFA-South Dakota is forming a LILI class to begin this spring, and we would welcome the opportunity to have you join us. Class size is limited, so please reach out today so that we can help you get started on your LILI journey.

To learn more about the program, follow this link, LILI and to express your interest in taking this life-changing course, contact us here NAIFA-South Dakota for an application. If none of the above links convince you to take the next step, talk to a LILI graduate they are never short on praise for the program!

South Dakota Legislative Updates will be held by Zoom every other Friday. Register today for the February 14th update!

Last week was a big week for South Dakota's administrative branch. Larry Rhoden is now the 34th Governor of the state. In his address to a joint session of the Senate and House, the Governor committed to keeping South Dakota strong, safe, and free. Governor Rhoden received a unanimous vote in both the House and Senate on January 30th (he needed a majority) and was sworn in thereafter.

January 30th was the deadline for unlimited bill introduction and, as such, a flurry of bills were filed. The bill count is now at 218 House bills and 194 Senate bills.

I count 16 placeholder or hoghouse/vehicle bills filed so far. They are listed at the end of this report.

The week of February 3rd is a busy week for committee hearings. HB 1070 (breast imaging mandate) was defeated on Monday morning. HB 1112 (biomarker testing mandate) and HB 1122 (UCC) are scheduled for hearing Wednesday morning. The Legislature is in session Monday through Friday (the only 5-day week).

Governor Rhoden's inauguration will take place on Saturday, February 8th.  

Following are bills we are tracking:

South Dakota Legislative Updates will be held by Zoom every other Friday beginning January 31st at noon Central Time.

Kristi Noem was confirmed as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on January 25, 2025 (59-34), and immediately submitted her letter of resignation as governor of the state of South Dakota. Larry Rhoden is now our 34th Governor. Governor Rhoden addressed a joint session of the Senate and House on January 28th. He is committed to keeping South Dakota strong, safe, and free. He has not yet not named his choice for Lt. Governor. The Governor's inauguration will be held on February 8th.

Bills are being filed daily with 124 House bills and 115 Senate bills.

 Following are the bills that we are tracking:

South Dakota Legislative Updates will be held by Zoom every other Friday beginning January 31st at noon Central Time.

South Dakota's 100th Legislative Session kicked off on Tuesday, January 14th at 1:00 PM with Governor Kristi Noem's State of the State Address. This is a year of new faces. There are 28 new legislators in the House of Representatives (22 are first-timers, and six served in the legislature previously). The Senate has 14 new legislators (4 of whom have previously served). Building relationships with your legislators is more important than ever. They jumped in with both feet filing 82 bills in the Senate and 82 bills in the House during the first week of session. 

 Following are the bills that we are tracking:

January 21, 2025
5:00 - 8:00 PM

The NAIFA Quality Award provides advisors at any career stage the opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to excellence. This includes professionalism through education and earned designations, production-measured performance metrics customized for each practice specialty, adherence to the NAIFA code of ethics, and service to your industry association. Advisors specializing in Life & Annuities, Financial Advising & Investments, Health & Employee Benefits, Multiline Sales, or any combination of these specialties have the opportunity to demonstrate the quality that is the mark of a true professional.

Governor Kristi Noem has declared September 2024 Life Insurance Awareness Month.

September 19-21 | Arizona Biltmore | Register Today

If you're not registered for NAIFA's Apex and National Leadership Conference, now is the time to add your name to the list. Join your colleagues from around the country to network, exchange ideas, and help make NAIFA the best association it can be. Note that NAIFA's room block and event rate at the Arizona Biltmore for NLC and Apex are reserved through August 12, so act now.  

NAIFA-South Dakota proudly presents the 2024 Sales Summit. We have a dynamic and exceptional line-up of speakers designed to give YOU Strategies for Success. Make plans today to join us on September 11^th & 12^th in Deadwood for the NAIFA-South Dakota 2024 Sales Summit – Strategies for Success.

Each year, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors - South Dakota honors a member who exemplifies excellence in their profession. This individual has made significant contributions to their local affiliate and state association, actively participated in community and public service initiatives, and has dedicated much of their career to the life insurance industry.

Formerly called the Underwriter of the Year Award, at the 1966 South Dakota Association of Life Underwriters state convention, it was decided to change the name of the award to the Edward H. Downs Memorial Award. A 1957 winner of the SDALU Underwriter of the Year Award, Downs had often expressed a deep sense of fulfillment as a result of his activities in the life insurance industry and his work in the local, state, and national associations.

Nominations close August 19, 2024. Nominate your colleague today!

Join NAIFA-South Dakota Black Hills Affiliate for an 18 hole charity golf tournament to benefit The Lonnie McKittrick Fund - Club for Boys.

AUGUST 15, 2024

4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Ready to join the action at NAIFA-South Dakota? Our organization is looking to grow and adapt, and we need your help! Volunteering with NAIFA-South Dakota is an opportunity to discover fulfillment and develop essential leadership skills as you contribute to our mission.

Bylaws are an important part of any organization, but sometimes having them available for our members isn't easy. If you haven't read recent changes to the NAIFA-South Dakota Chapter Bylaws recently, here is your chance.

How many times have you heard it? "The first day of my career, I was handed office forms to fill out, and my NAIFA application."

At a recent Brookings Affiliate meeting, members surprised Dennis Rowley, LUTCF, RHU, with a special celebration in honor of his 50 years as a NAIFA member. Denny, a 2009 LILI graduate, has since moderated LILI classes and held numerous leadership positions at both local and state levels.

Merriam-Webster defines Essentiality as: essential nature, essence, an essential quality, property or aspect.  This has never been more applicable or appropriate when used when considering the topic of Protecting your client’s most valuable asset, their ability to earn and grow their Income.

SEPTEMBER 11-12, 2024

Save The Date for NAIFA-South Dakota's 2024 Sales Summit! We can't wait to see you September 11-12 in Deadwood, SD. More information and official registration coming soon.

May 20-21, 2024
J.W. Marriott in Washington, D.C.

APRIL 17, 2024

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Michael Sir, RHU

OneProtection

MARCH 20, 2024

10:00 - 11:00 AM

Join NAIFA-South Dakota on March 20th beginning at 10:00 am for our webinar event - Making DI a Highly Effective Part of Your Practice with Michael Sir, RHU from OneProtection. Michael has been an industry leader in the disability insurance arena for over 35 years.  His career has been focused on educating and training advisors about disability insurance and how to better protect their client's income. 

NAIFA-South Dakota is pleased to announce its partnership with OneProtection, a DI sales and training software.

Darla Rogers, NAIFA-South Dakota Lobbyist

FINAL LEGISLATIVE UPDATE OF THE 2024 SESSION

12:00 - 1:00 PM CT