HB 1002 (South Dakota, 2026) – Summary
Purpose
- The bill revises the daily meal allowance for wildland fire employees and fire suppression forces in certain circumstances. The intent is to adjust per diem meal reimbursement provisions to reflect operations, travel, and meal costs associated with firefighting activities.
Key Provisions and Changes
- Daily Meal Allowance: Recasts or updates the amount designated as the daily meal allowance for wildland fire personnel and fire suppression forces. The exact dollar amount is not provided in the summary text available, but the bill centers on setting or adjusting this per diem rate.
- Circumstances for Application: Applies specifically to wildland fire employees and fire suppression forces, potentially including scenarios such as field operations, incident management, and deployment away from typical duty stations.
- Administrative or Compliance Details: The bill would specify who administers the allowance (likely a state agency or department responsible for wildfire management and personnel expenses) and how the allowance is authorized, documented, and reimbursed.
Who is Affected
- Primary: Wildland fire employees and fire suppression forces operating in South Dakota, including personnel who incur meal costs while on-duty in field or incident-related deployments.
- Indirect: State agencies and political subdivisions responsible for staffing and funding wildfire response, as well as payroll and travel reimbursement offices that administer per diem payments.
Procedural and Timeline Aspects
- Legislative Path: The bill progressed through the South Dakota Legislature with approval in both chambers.
- House: Do Pass and final passage (YEA 66, NAY 1) on Jan 26, 2026.
Senate: Do Pass (YEAS 7, NAYS 0) on Feb 3, 2026; Passed Senate (S.J. 199) the same day.
Governor: Signed into law on Feb 17, 2026 (H.J. 326), with delivery to the Governor on Feb 10, 2026 (H.J. 271) and prior actions including executive certification.
- Effective Date: The bill’s signature indicates it takes effect as law on or after the signing date, though the exact effective date is not specified in the provided summary.
Additional Notes
- The bill’s specific monetary figures (the new daily meal allowance amount) and any phase-in or transition provisions are not included in the provided text. If available, the official bill text or fiscal notes would clarify:
- The exact per diem rate after enactment.
- Whether adjustments are indexed to inflation or tied to another expenditure metric.
- Any retroactive applicability or deployment-specific rules.
Impact Considerations
- Financial: Increases or adjustments to state per diem reimbursement for firefighting personnel, affecting departmental budgets and potentially state-wide wildfire response costs.
- Operational: Aims to align meal reimbursements with operational realities of wildland firefighting, potentially affecting deployment logistics and personnel morale.
Overall, HB 1002 modernizes and specifies the daily meal allowance for wildland fire personnel in certain circumstances, with enacted provisions effective upon signature in February 2026.
