establish the crime of failure to summon aid for a suicide attempt and provide a penalty therefor.

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

establish the crime of failure to summon aid for a suicide attempt and provide a penalty therefor.

establish the crime of failure to summon aid for a suicide attempt and provide a penalty therefor.

What This Bill Does

• establish the crime of failure to summon aid for a suicide attempt and provide a penalty therefor.
• Official keyword topics: Crimes Liability Penalty Official sponsor note: Senators <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4800/Detail">Perry</a> (prime) and <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4769/Detail">Jensen (Kevin)</a> and Representatives <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4737/Detail">Baxter</a>, <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4753/Detail">Goodwin</a>, <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4789/Detail">Moore</a>, and <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4796/Detail">Novstrup</a>

Limits and Unknowns

• This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Official Summary Text

establish the crime of failure to summon aid for a suicide attempt and provide a penalty therefor.
Official keyword topics:
Crimes
Liability
Penalty
Official sponsor note: Senators <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4800/Detail">Perry</a> (prime) and <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4769/Detail">Jensen (Kevin)</a> and Representatives <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4737/Detail">Baxter</a>, <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4753/Detail">Goodwin</a>, <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4789/Detail">Moore</a>, and <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4796/Detail">Novstrup</a>

Current Bill Text

26.433.11 101st Legislative Session 122

2026 South Dakota Legislature
Senate Bill 122
SENATE JUDICIARY ENGROSSED

This bill has been extensively amended (hoghoused) and may no longer be
consistent with the original intention of the sponsor.

Introduced by: Senator Perry

Underscores indicate new language.
Overstrikes indicate deleted language.
An Act to establish the crime of failure to summon aid for a suicide attempt and 1
provide a penalty therefor. 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA: 3
Section 1. That a NEW SECTION be added to chapter 22-16: 4
A person commits the offense of failure to summon aid for a suicide attempt if the 5
person: 6
(1) Is physically present at the scene of the attempt; 7
(2) Knows that another individual is attempting suicide or has inflicted self -harm that 8
creates an imminent risk of serious bodily injury; and 9
(3) Intentionally fails to promptly summon assistance by contacting law enforcement, 10
medical personnel, or another person reasonably likely to secure immediate 11
emergency assistance. 12
A violation of this section is a Class 1 misdemeanor. 13
Section 2. That a NEW SECTION be added to chapter 22-16: 14
It is a defense to section 1 of this Act if: 15
(1) The person: 16
(a) Reasonably feared imminent harm to self or others; 17
(b) Reasonably believed aid had already been summoned; or 18
(c) Is under the age of eighteen; or 19
(2) It was otherwise not reasonably possible for the person to summon aid. 20