require that the owner of a motor vehicle removed from a body of water pay the removal costs.

Plain English Breakdown

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

require that the owner of a motor vehicle removed from a body of water pay the removal costs.

require that the owner of a motor vehicle removed from a body of water pay the removal costs.

What This Bill Does

• require that the owner of a motor vehicle removed from a body of water pay the removal costs.
• Official keyword topics: Liability Motor Vehicles Traffic Laws Official sponsor note: Senators <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4787/Detail">Mehlhaff</a> (prime), <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4745/Detail">Deibert</a>, <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4781/Detail">Larson</a>, and <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4800/Detail">Perry</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

require that the owner of a motor vehicle removed from a body of water pay the removal costs.
Official keyword topics:
Liability
Motor Vehicles
Traffic Laws
Official sponsor note: Senators <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4787/Detail">Mehlhaff</a> (prime), <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4745/Detail">Deibert</a>, <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4781/Detail">Larson</a>, and <a rel="noopener" href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4800/Detail">Perry</a>

Current Bill Text

26.868.9 101st Legislative Session 202

2026 South Dakota Legislature
Senate Bill 202

Introduced by: Senator Mehlhaff

Underscores indicate new language.
Overstrikes indicate deleted language.
An Act to require that the owner of a motor vehicle removed from a body of water 1
pay the removal costs. 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA: 3
Section 1. That § 32-30-18.1 be AMENDED: 4
32-30-18.1. Any owner of a motor vehicle who intentionally abandons a motor 5
vehicle on any public highway or right -of-way is civilly liable to the removal agency for 6
the expense of towing the motor vehicle if: 7
(1) The owner intentionally abandons a motor vehicle on any public highway or right 8
of way; 9
(2) The owner drives, or allows the motor vehicle to be driven, into any lake, stream, 10
or body of water where the motor vehicle becomes disabled; and 11
(3) The owner drives, or allows the motor vehicle to be driven, onto any frozen lake, 12
stream, or body of water where the motor vehicle breaks through the ice and 13
becomes disabled. 14
The owner is also civilly liable for any storage expense pursuant to § 32-36-8. 15