MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — The South Dakota House rejected a bill that would have barred certain advertising content from children’s programming on video streaming services, with opponents warning the proposal was too broad and could raise First Amendment concerns.
House Bill 1116 would have prohibited ads tied to abortion, alcohol, drugs, gambling, gender transition treatments and nicotine products during programming intended for children younger than 14, according to legislative and media reports.
During floor debate, some lawmakers said the bill did not clearly define what qualifies as children’s programming and could blur the line between content watched by kids and adults, citing examples such as professional sports broadcasts and other widely viewed programming. Others encouraged the sponsors to refine the language but said they could not support it as written because of potential legal confusion and constitutional challenges.
The measure was ultimately defeated in the House.