---
type: "Bill"
title: "prohibit preferential treatment in higher education employment practices."
description: "prohibit preferential treatment in higher education employment practices."
jurisdiction: "us/states/sd"
legislature: "South Dakota Legislature"
session: "2021"
identifier: "HB 1254"
citation: "South Dakota HB 1254 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Higher Education", "Speech and Expression", "State Employees"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Dennert", "Deutsch", "Greenfield (Lana)", "Hansen", "Novstrup", "Perry", "Peterson (Sue)", "Soye", "Zikmund"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 16
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2021-02-03"
last_action: "2021-03-29"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/b117a6d8-ce61-4a13-81ef-c2eec0c18cd2"
source_url: "https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/22447"
source_hash: "6fb3284e9c04b359985bd0cd70f0c01bfb8756c7f69942fdc6a339f65483977c"
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 1254 (2021) — prohibit preferential treatment in higher education employment practices.

## 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/22447/216269)
2. **1254G** (committee substitute) — [source](https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/217636.pdf)
3. **House Education Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/22447/217693)
4. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/22447/219353)

## Votes

- Do Pass Amended — **15–0** (pass) · lower
- Do Pass — **7–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Dennert — primary (person)
- Deutsch — primary (person)
- Greenfield (Lana) — primary (person)
- Hansen — primary (person)
- Novstrup — primary (person)
- Perry — primary (person)
- Peterson (Sue) — primary (person)
- Soye — primary (person)
- Zikmund — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-02-03** First Reading House H.J. 190
- **2021-02-04** Referred to H.J. 212 `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-17** Scheduled for hearing
- **2021-02-17** Education Motion to amend , Passed, Amendment 1254G `amendment-introduction, amendment-passage`
- **2021-02-17** Education Do Pass Amended , Passed, YEAS 15, NAYS 0
- **2021-02-17** Certified uncontested, placed on consent , Passed,
- **2021-02-22** House of Representatives Do Pass , Passed, YEAS 68, NAYS 0 H.J. 332 `passage`
- **2021-02-23** First read in Senate and referred to S.J. 330 `introduction, reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2021-03-02** Scheduled for hearing
- **2021-03-02** Education Do Pass , Passed, YEAS 7, NAYS 0 S.J. 1 `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-02** Certified uncontested, placed on consent , Passed, S.J. 1
- **2021-03-03** Senate Do Pass , Passed, YEAS 35, NAYS 0 S.J. 394 `passage`
- **2021-03-04** Signed by the Speaker H.J. 502 `passage`
- **2021-03-08** Signed by the President S.J. 445 `passage`
- **2021-03-09** Delivered to the Governor on 2021-03-09 H.J. 530 `executive-receipt`
- **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/b117a6d8-ce61-4a13-81ef-c2eec0c18cd2`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Dakota legislature records).