South Dakota HB 1275 (App Store Age Verification)
South Dakota, United StatesMedium threatSouth Dakota's House passed an app store bill requiring age verification for all accounts, and a Senate committee killed it by one vote.
Latest update
Senate State Affairs Committee deferred it to the 41st legislative day, 5-4, killing the bill
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Take action on this issueWhat it does
HB 1275 required app stores to verify the age category of South Dakota users when they create an account, with existing accounts verified by December 1, 2027. Minors' accounts had to be linked to a parent, and verifiable parental consent was needed before a minor downloaded or bought an app. App stores would pass age and consent data to developers. Enforcement combined a private right of action, for the greater of actual damages or $1,000 per violation, with civil penalties of up to $7,500 per violation.
What’s at stake
An app store age check puts an identity check in front of the phone itself. Adults would have had to verify before downloading anything, and the resulting age signal would then travel to app developers.
Our take
South Dakota already requires adult sites to check ID under its 2025 law. HB 1275 would have moved the check to the app store, and the Senate State Affairs Committee stopped it 5-4. Utah, Texas and Louisiana have passed app store laws, so this template will be back.
Timeline
Senate State Affairs Committee deferred it to the 41st legislative day, 5-4, killing the billLatest
Passed the House 50-17
House State Affairs Committee passed it as amended, 8-3
Rep. John Hughes became prime sponsor
First reading in the House
Sponsor
Rep. John Hughes
Votes
- House State Affairs Committee — Do pass as amended (8 to 3) · February 18, 2026
- House — Passed (50 to 17) · February 20, 2026
- Senate State Affairs Committee — Deferred to the 41st day (killed) (5 to 4) · March 2, 2026
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