Title 2, LEGISLATURE AND STATUTES

No bill or joint resolution may be introduced in either house of the Legislature by any committee thereof, except: (1) A bill or a joint resolution introduced by any standing committee of either house; (2) A bill or joint resolution referred to the Legislature from an interim com…

The secretary of the Senate and chief clerk of the House of Representatives shall: (1) Keep correct journals of the proceedings of the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively; (2) Have custody of all records, accounts, and other papers committed to them; (3) At the clos…

The Legislative Research Council shall continue and shall consist of all members of the South Dakota Legislature. The Legislative Research Council may consider legislative policies between sessions of the Legislature. Source: SL 1951, ch 286 , § 1; SDC Supp 1960, § 55.05A01; SL 2…

The Legislative Research Council shall prepare an annual report regarding any opinion of the South Dakota Supreme Court or a federal court issued in the preceding year, which recommends any change or notes any deficiency or ambiguity in a statute. The report may include recommend…

The code counsel must be provided with offices within or adjacent to the office of the Legislative Research Council. Source: SL 1970, ch 15 , § 4; SL 2025, ch 19 , § 7.

In addition to other powers and duties conferred by law or authorized by the executive board or by the Code Commission, the code counsel shall: (1) Provide staff assistance to and attend all meetings of the Code Commission and make such recommendations to the commission as he dee…

There is hereby created a college student intern program within the Legislative Research Council to provide legislative internships for college students to foster knowledge and understanding of the governmental process and to provide assistance to the legislative branch of state …

The executive board shall assign college student interns to the legislative branch of government. The executive board shall set the number of interns and divide the total number of interns between the political parties in each chamber in proportion to the party membership in each…

The executive board shall administer the program and supervise the college student interns who are assigned to the legislative branch of government. Source: SL 1973, ch 15 , § 12; SL 2025, ch 19 , § 9.

There is established the Executive Board of the Legislative Research Council, consisting of fifteen members, as follows: (1) Four members from the Senate, elected by a majority vote in party caucus in odd-numbered years; (2) Five members from the House of Representatives, elected…

The party makeup of the executive board members of the House of Representatives, including the ex officio members, shall be proportional to the party makeup of the House of Representatives as a whole. The party makeup of the executive board members of the Senate, including the ex…

The speaker of the House of Representatives is the chair of the executive board and the president pro tempore of the Senate is the vice chair from the first day of the regular session of the Legislature in an odd-numbered year to the day prior to the first day of the regular sess…

The term of each executive board is from the first day of the regular session of the Legislature in the odd-numbered year until the first day of the regular session of the Legislature in the next succeeding odd-numbered year. During the entire period of each executive board's ter…

If the director of the Legislative Research Council determines in the review and comment under § 12-13-25 that an initiated measure or initiated amendment to the South Dakota Constitution may impact the revenues, expenditures, or fiscal liability of the state or any agency or pol…

If after an initiated measure, initiated amendment to the South Dakota Constitution, or referred law is certified for the ballot pursuant to § 2-1-17 , the director must review any fiscal note prepared pursuant to § 2-9-30 or as described in § 2-9-32 . If the director determines …

If any referred law had a fiscal note prepared by the director of the Legislative Research Council prior to passage of the law, the sponsor shall obtain the fiscal note from the Legislative Research Council website and attach the fiscal note to the petition filed pursuant to § 2-…

The executive board shall: (1) Instigate research and collect information concerning the government and general welfare of the state; (2) Investigate and make recommendations concerning important issues of public policy and questions of statewide interest; (3) Prepare a legislati…

The executive board shall meet as often as may be necessary to perform its duties. The board shall meet at least four times each year. A majority of the members constitutes a quorum, and a majority of the quorum may act on any matter falling within the scope of the executive boar…

In the discharge of any duty herein imposed, the executive board or its duly appointed committees shall have authority to administer oaths, require reports, issue subpoenas, compel the attendance of witnesses, and the production of any papers, books, accounts, documents, and test…

Claims of members of the Legislative Research Council and members of the executive board for compensation and expenses must be paid out of funds appropriated therefor, and on vouchers approved according to rules determined by the executive board. Source: SL 1951, ch 286 , § 6; SL…

The executive board shall appoint a director of the Legislative Research Council. The director shall employ the members of the Legislative Research Council staff and procure the supplies and equipment as may be necessary to assist the Legislature. Source: SL 1951, ch 286 , § 7; S…

There is hereby established within the Legislative Research Council the position of code counsel. The executive board shall appoint a code counsel who is a graduate of an accredited law school and who is either admitted to the practice of law in this state at the time of appointm…

The appointed members of the Commission on Uniform Legislation consist of five suitable persons learned in the law, appointed by the Executive Board of the Legislative Research Council for terms of three years each. The terms shall begin on the first of August of the year of appo…

The commissioners shall meet at the state capital at least once in two years. They shall organize by the election of one of their number as chairman and another as secretary, who shall hold their respective offices for a term of two years and until their successors are elected an…

The general purpose of the commission on uniform legislation shall be the promotion of uniform legislation in the United States. Source: SDC 1939, § 55.0801.

It shall be the duty of said commissioners to examine the subjects of marriage and divorce, insolvency, the form of notarial certificates, the descent and distribution of property, the acknowledgment of deeds, the execution and probate of wills, and other subjects upon which unif…

It shall be the duty of each of said commissioners to attend the meetings of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, or to arrange for the attendance of at least one of their number at such national conference, and both in and out of such national conferen…

The commission on uniform legislation shall report to the Legislature from time to time as said commission may deem proper, an account of its transactions, and its advice and recommendations for legislation. Source: SDC 1939, § 55.0803; SL 1963, ch 300 .

Any person who employs any other person to act as a lobbyist to seek the introduction of legislation or to promote, oppose, or influence in any manner the passage by the Legislature of any legislation affecting the special interests of any agency, individual, association, or busi…

No person, officer, agent, appointee, or employee in the service of this state or of the United States shall attempt to influence any member of the Legislature to vote for or against any measure pending therein affecting the pecuniary interests of such person, except in the manne…

On or before July first of each year, each registered lobbyist and each employer of a registered lobbyist whose name appears in the directory in that year shall submit to the secretary of state a complete and detailed report of all costs incurred for the purpose of influencing le…

This chapter does not apply to any elected member of the governing board of any unit of local government or federally recognized Indian tribe. This chapter does not apply to any person representing a bona fide church solely for the purpose of protecting the public right to practi…

This chapter shall not be construed to infringe upon the right of any citizen to appear as a witness before any legislative committee or any board, commission, or committee of state government to speak in their own name, in their own or in the public interest. Source: SL 1977, ch…

2-12-17 Public official defined. 2-12-18 Gift defined. 2-12-19 Index factor defined.

No public official and no member of the immediate family of a public official may accept from any lobbyist or principal any gifts with a cumulative value greater than one hundred dollars during any calendar year. Beginning on January 1, 2019, and again on January first of each ye…

For purposes of §§ 2-12-15 to 2-12-19 , inclusive, the term, public official, means: (1) Any person holding a statewide office as defined in § 12-27-1 , including any person who has been elected or appointed but who has not yet assumed office; (2) Any head of an agency in the exe…

For purposes of §§ 2-12-15 to 2-12-19 , inclusive, the term, gift, means anything of value, including any object, money, property, or service, that is given without compensation or remuneration. The term does not include: (1) Anything of value for which the recipient paid an equa…

For the purposes of §§ 2-12-15 to 2-12-19 , inclusive, the index factor is the annual percentage change in the consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers as published by the United States Department of Labor for the year before the year immediately preceding…

The secretary of state shall prepare and keep a directory of registered lobbyists, in conformity with the provisions of this chapter, in which shall be entered the names of all persons employed for any purpose in connection with any legislation included within the terms of this c…

Each lobbyist who registers and is employed pursuant to this chapter shall pay to the secretary of state an annual registration fee for each employer represented by the lobbyist. The secretary of state shall promulgate rules pursuant to chapter 1-26 to set the fee for lobbyist re…

Each lobbyist or employer shall file with the secretary of state, within ten days after the date of registration, a written or electronic authorization for a person to act as a lobbyist for an employer. The format for the authorization shall be prescribed by the secretary of stat…

Any person employing any lobbyist shall, whenever further subjects of legislation are introduced or arise which such lobbyist is hired to promote or oppose, make or cause to be made additional entries opposite his name in the directory, stating such additional employment in such …

No person may be employed as a lobbyist for a compensation dependent in any manner upon the passage or defeat of any proposed legislation or upon any other contingency connected with the action of the Legislature, or of either house thereof, or of any committee thereof. Source: S…

Any person employed in the executive branch of state government, a constitutional office, or the judicial system, who is not an elected official or who is not subject to confirmation by the senate, who is authorized to officially represent any department of the executive branch, …

No person, employed for a pecuniary consideration to act as a lobbyist as defined by this chapter, may go upon the floor of either house of the Legislature reserved for the members thereof while in session, except upon the invitation of that house. A violation of this section is …

Every lobbyist shall wear a badge which shall be visible at all times when engaged in lobbying within the capitol complex. The badge shall be provided by the secretary of state upon payment of fees and shall bear the word "lobbyist" and the identity of the principal on behalf of …