South Dakota Lawmakers Propose “Data Center Bill of Rights”

Lawmakers have introduced a new Senate proposal—dubbed the “Data Center Bill of Rights for Citizens”—aimed at setting clearer rules for building data centers in South Dakota. The measure follows growing public pushback against large data‑center projects.

Supporters, including Rep. Jon Hansen of Dell Rapids, question why some of the world’s wealthiest tech companies should receive subsidies for such developments. The bill would require data‑center operators to pay their full electricity costs and publicly disclose their water usage.

There is currently no scheduled committee hearing for the legislation.