Pierre, SD — Speaker of the South Dakota House Jon Hansen and Speaker Pro Tempore Karla Lems today announced the introduction of a bill designed to restore the reality of biological sex in state law and protect women, children, and public institutions from radical gender ideology.
The legislation amends South Dakota’s core definitions statute to clearly and uniformly define:
- “Woman” as an adult human female;
- “Man” as an adult human male;
- “Female” as an individual who naturally has, had, will have, or would have, but for anomaly or disruption, the reproductive system that produces eggs;
- “Male” as an individual who naturally has, had, will have, or would have, but for anomaly or disruption, the reproductive system that produces sperm;
- “Sex” as an individual’s biological sex, either male or female.
These definitions are made binding across all state statutes, administrative rules, contracts, guidance documents, policies, and practices, including those of every state agency and political subdivision. The bill requires all entities exercising state authority to strictly adhere to these definitions and prohibits the adoption or enforcement of any rule, policy, or contract that conflicts with them.
The legislation also bars the use of public funds for any activity or program that is contrary to these biological definitions, ensuring taxpayer dollars are not used to advance ideological redefinitions of sex.
“For too long, common sense and biological truth have been pushed aside to satisfy political activists,” Speaker Hansen said. “This bill draws a clear line; South Dakota will govern based on reality, not ideology. Bureaucrats will no longer be free to redefine foundational terms through regulation or guidance. The law will speak plainly and uniformly.”
Speaker Pro Tem Karla Lems added, “Women and girls have been asked to surrender safety, privacy, and fairness to accommodate an ideology that denies biology. That is not compassion. It is a failure of leadership, and it ends here. By putting these definitions directly into statute and making them binding across government, we return accountability to the people and their elected representatives.”
Both leaders stressed that the proposals are about fairness, public safety, and accountability, not targeting individuals. The goal is to ensure that law, policy, and public institutions remain grounded in objective reality and democratic control.
