Require the reporting of funding given by certain persons and governments to institutions under the control of the Board of Regents and the South Dakota Board of Technical Education.
Summary
HB1311 requires the South Dakota Board of Regents and the South Dakota Board of Technical Education to publicly report certain funding received directly from specified foreign sources. The bill defines “foreign source” to include foreign entities, governments, or persons connected to China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or Venezuela, and it broadly defines “funding” to cover grants, gifts, contracts, donations, compensation, and similar payments, while excluding tuition and related student fees. The reporting requirement applies to funding received on or after July 1, 2026.
Each board must file an annual report covering the prior fiscal year and publish it on its website by August 31. The report must identify the amount and source of each funding instance, its purpose, whether it is part of an ongoing relationship, a description of the foreign source, and copies of related documents or agreements. The bill also states that confidential information protected by state or federal law does not have to be disclosed.
Impact
The bill adds new reporting requirements to chapters 13-39A and 13-49 of South Dakota law, creating parallel disclosure obligations for the Board of Regents and the Board of Technical Education. It affects public postsecondary institutions under those boards by requiring them to track and disclose foreign-source funding and related documentation, subject to existing confidentiality limits. The measure is aimed at transparency and oversight of foreign financial relationships with state higher education and technical education institutions.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests the bill was broadly supported and moved with little opposition. It received unanimous or near-unanimous do-pass recommendations in committee and overwhelming floor approval in both chambers, with only one recorded no vote in the House. The lack of committee testimony in the provided record means there is little evidence of organized opposition in the available materials.
Contention
The main policy issue is the scope of foreign-source disclosure, especially the inclusion of entities tied to specific countries such as China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela. Supporters appear to favor transparency and monitoring of foreign influence in public institutions, while any potential concerns would likely center on administrative burden, privacy/confidentiality limits, and the breadth of the foreign-source definition. The bill’s exclusion of tuition-related payments and its carveout for information already confidential under law appear designed to narrow those concerns.