Prohibit geoengineering in this state.

This bill creates a simple prohibition on geoengineering in South Dakota and adds it to Chapter 34A-1 (the state's environmental protection statutes).

The prohibition covers "geoengineering," defined as intentional, large-scale intervention in the Earth's climate system to counteract climate change through either removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or reflecting sunlight away from Earth.

Penalty: Violation is a Class 6 felony. In South Dakota, a Class 6 felony carries a maximum penalty of 2 years imprisonment and/or a $4,000 fine.

Notable gaps: The bill contains no enforcement mechanism, no designated enforcement agency, no civil penalties, no funding provisions, and no reporting requirements. The definition requires activities to be "large-scale" and intended "to counteract climate change," which could create interpretive challenges for prosecution. Cloud seeding and weather modification are not explicitly addressed, though they would likely fall outside this definition since they are not typically characterised as climate change countermeasures.

HB 1294 was introduced by Representative Andera for the 101st Legislative Session. No legislative history events have been recorded yet, indicating the bill was recently filed and has not yet received a committee assignment or other procedural action.

South Dakota's 2026 session began January 13, 2026, with a bill introduction deadline of February 4, 2026, a crossover deadline of February 24, 2026, and a final adjournment scheduled for March 30, 2026. Without an effective date clause, any enacted legislation would take effect on July 1, 2026, per South Dakota's standard statutory effective date.