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House State Affairs advances amendment to protect firefighter and law enforcement sleeping quarters
Summary
The House State Affairs Committee voted to give House Bill 11‑61C a due‑pass recommendation after the sponsor narrowed the bill to exempt rooms used exclusively by firefighters or law‑enforcement personnel from a statute governing sleeping quarters.
The House State Affairs Committee voted to send House Bill 11‑61C to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation on a 12‑to‑0 roll call with one member excused. Representative David Cole, the bill's prime sponsor, told the committee the amendment removes theatrical and musical venues and focuses the statute on sleeping quarters used by crews that include both males and females.
"Section 1 . . . does not apply to any room used exclusively by firefighters or law enforcement personnel acting in an official capacity," Cole said as he reviewed changes to SDCL 20‑13‑59 and 20‑13‑61.
Cole said subsection 7 of the original draft was removed because the changes in sections 1 and 2 made it unnecessary. Representative Overwig moved adoption of the amendment 11‑61C and the motion carried by voice vote before the committee approved the bill's due‑pass recommendation.
The committee recorded its roll call after the motion; the secretary announced 12 ayes and one excused. The bill will now be taken up on the House floor with the committee's recommendation.
The committee began its meeting with routine procedural items and introductions from pages Rania DeCamm and Belle Niederbaumer. No additional public testimony was recorded on HB 11‑61C at this hearing.
The next step is floor consideration in the House, where the bill will be debated according to chamber rules.
