---
type: "Bill"
title: "clarify the use of force."
description: "clarify the use of force."
jurisdiction: "us/states/sd"
legislature: "South Dakota Legislature"
session: "2021"
identifier: "HB 1212"
citation: "South Dakota HB 1212 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Assault", "Crimes", "Firearms"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Aylward", "Castleberry", "Chaffee", "Deutsch", "Finck", "Goodwin", "Greenfield (Brock)", "Gross", "Hoffman", "Jensen (Kevin)", "Jensen (Phil)", "Johnson (Chris)", "Mulally", "Novstrup", "Otten (Ernie)", "Overweg", "Perry", "Randolph", "Stalzer", "Wiik", "Zikmund"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 18
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2021-02-03"
last_action: "2021-03-29"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/d3fb65ba-7b14-4d4c-b85c-9630014e3f70"
source_url: "https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/21846"
source_hash: "4f2a8f7b3f630e191707d2b46fdd86cc69cfc423122cdcbcd75d727433002e5b"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-sd"]
---

# South Dakota HB 1212 (2021) — clarify the use of force.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/21846/215808)
2. **1212B** (committee substitute) — [source](https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/217966.pdf)
3. **1212C** (committee substitute) — [source](https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/218506.pdf)
4. **House Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/21846/218622)
5. **House State Affairs Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/21846/218373)
6. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/21846/219922)

## Votes

- Do Pass — **2–4** (fail) · upper
- Deferred to the 41st legislative day — **4–2** (pass) · upper
- Recalled from committee (Rule 7-7) — **20–14** (pass) · upper
- Do Pass Amended — **21–14** (pass) · upper
- Do Pass Amended — **10–1** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass Amended — **61–7** (pass) · lower
- Placed on calendar pursuant to JR 6F-6 — **23–12** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Aylward — primary (person)
- Castleberry — primary (person)
- Chaffee — primary (person)
- Deutsch — primary (person)
- Finck — primary (person)
- Goodwin — primary (person)
- Greenfield (Brock) — primary (person)
- Gross — primary (person)
- Hoffman — primary (person)
- Jensen (Kevin) — primary (person)
- Jensen (Phil) — primary (person)
- Johnson (Chris) — primary (person)
- Mulally — primary (person)
- Novstrup — primary (person)
- Otten (Ernie) — primary (person)
- Overweg — primary (person)
- Perry — primary (person)
- Randolph — primary (person)
- Stalzer — primary (person)
- Wiik — primary (person)
- Zikmund — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-02-03** First read in House and referred to H.J. 194 `introduction, reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2021-02-24** Scheduled for hearing
- **2021-02-24** State Affairs Motion to amend , Passed, Amendment 1212B `amendment-introduction, amendment-passage`
- **2021-02-24** State Affairs Do Pass Amended , Passed, YEAS 10, NAYS 1
- **2021-02-25** House of Representatives Motion to amend , Passed, H.J. 420 Amendment 1212C `amendment-introduction, amendment-passage`
- **2021-02-25** House of Representatives Do Pass Amended , Passed, YEAS 61, NAYS 7 H.J. 421
- **2021-03-01** First read in Senate and referred to S.J. 365 `introduction, reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2021-03-04** Scheduled for hearing S.J. 1
- **2021-03-04** Judiciary Do Pass , Passed, YEAS 2, NAYS 4 S.J. 1 `committee-failure`
- **2021-03-04** Judiciary Deferred to the 41st legislative day , Passed, YEAS 4, NAYS 2 S.J. 1
- **2021-03-04** Recalled from committee (Rule 7-7) , Passed, YEAS 20, NAYS 14 S.J. 417
- **2021-03-08** Judiciary Report out of committee without recommendation , Passed,
- **2021-03-08** Placed on calendar pursuant to JR 6F-6 , Passed, YEAS 23, NAYS 12 S.J. 432
- **2021-03-08** Senate Do Pass Amended , Passed, YEAS 21, NAYS 14 S.J. 432
- **2021-03-09** Signed by the Speaker H.J. 541 `passage`
- **2021-03-10** Delivered to the Governor on 2021-03-10 H.J. 547 `executive-receipt`
- **2021-03-10** Signed by the President S.J. 470 `passage`
- **2021-03-29** Signed by the Governor on 2021-03-29 H.J. 570 `executive-signature, executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/d3fb65ba-7b14-4d4c-b85c-9630014e3f70`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Dakota legislature records).