The House Health and Human Services Committee supports the revision of the definition of a resident for the purposes of hunting and fishing licenses. Currently South Dakotans who are full time students in other states are counted as residents when applying for licenses. Representative Melissa Magstadt presents House Bill 1110. She says it allows those pursuing medical and dental residency programs out of state to be counted as state residents as well.
“The reason there’s a need for this additional language is full-time student was described as someone who is taking 12 credit hours or more and sitting in a classroom having classroom instruction,” Magstadt says. “Medical and dental residency, although they are full-time students, they are not freed from the academic pursuits, they don’t sit in classrooms and they don’t take 12 credit hours. They do a full dental and medical residency being students working in hospitals and clinics.”
Opponents say exemptions like this chip away at funding sources, and are concerned this bill leads to further exemptions in the future. The Committee unanimously passed the bill. It now moves to the House floor.