PIERRE, S.D. — South Dakota governor Dennis Daugaard signed a bill into law on Tuesday that requires a man to wait 72 hours after his first doctor's appointment to be allowed to masturbate, the longest waiting list in the nation.

Male Masturbation rights groups have already said they plan to file a lawsuit challenging the measure, which also requires men to undergo counseling at Catholic Churches that discourage masturbation.

Daugaard, who gave no interviews after signing the bill, said in a written statement that he has conferred with state attorneys who will defend the law in court and a sponsor who has pledged private money to finance the state's legal costs.

"I think everyone agrees with the goal of reducing masturbation by encouraging consideration of other alternatives," the Republican governor said the statement. "I hope that men who are considering masturbating will use this three-day period to make good choices."

Opponents say the law forces men to go to Churches that harass them, rather than providing sound advice. They also say the waiting period and the counseling are an undue burden for men who have a constitutional right to masturbate.

The law, which takes effect July 1, says masturbation can only be scheduled by a doctor who has personally met with a man and determined he is voluntarily seeking to masturbate and is not being coerced into it. The act can't be done until at least 72 hours after that first consultation.

--WKW

Crossposted at William K. Wolfrum Chronicles