South Dakota Senate Finance Committee

South Dakota Senate Finance Committee
Name	Senate Finance Committee
Chamber	South Dakota Senate
Jurisdiction	State budget and appropriations

South Dakota Senate Finance Committee The South Dakota Senate Finance Committee is a standing committee of the South Dakota Senate responsible for review and oversight of state fiscal matters. It conducts hearings, prepares appropriation bills, and coordinates with executive agencies, legislative staff, and external stakeholders such as South Dakota Department of Education, South Dakota Department of Health, South Dakota Board of Regents, and county officials. The committee’s activity intersects with state programs, capital projects, and revenue forecasting involving institutions like University of South Dakota, South Dakota State University, Rapid City Regional Hospital, and other public bodies.

Overview and jurisdiction

The committee’s jurisdiction covers appropriations, revenue allocations, and fiscal oversight affecting agencies including the South Dakota Department of Social Services, South Dakota Department of Corrections, South Dakota Department of Transportation, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. It reviews budget requests from executive entities such as the Office of the Governor of South Dakota and collaborates with entities like the South Dakota Legislative Research Council and the South Dakota State Auditor. The committee engages with federal programs tied to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, United States Department of Education, and the United States Department of Transportation when state matching funds or grants are at issue.

Membership and leadership

Membership normally consists of senators appointed by the President of the Senate (South Dakota) or by party leadership, drawn from districts including Sioux Falls, Pierre, Rapid City, Aberdeen, South Dakota, and Brookings, South Dakota. Chairs have included legislators who worked with figures such as former governors Kristi Noem, Dennis Daugaard, and Mike Rounds during budget cycles. Leadership roles interact with caucus chairs from the South Dakota Republican Party and the South Dakota Democratic Party and coordinate with committee staff from the South Dakota Legislative Research Council and fiscal analysts from the South Dakota Bureau of Finance and Management.

Legislative responsibilities and procedures

The committee crafts appropriation bills following rules adopted by the South Dakota State Legislature and schedules hearings consistent with calendars set by the South Dakota State Capitol administrative offices. It receives testimony from heads of agencies such as the South Dakota Department of Human Services, representatives from public universities like Northern State University, and stakeholders including Association of Counties of South Dakota and municipal delegations from Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Watertown, South Dakota. Procedures include markup sessions, roll-call votes, and conference negotiations with counterparts in the South Dakota House of Representatives, with chairpersons referencing precedent from prior sessions involving legislators like Tim Rave and Gordon Howie.

Budgetary process and reports

The committee is central to the biennial budget cycle used by the State of South Dakota and produces reports such as the executive budget review and appropriation bills tied to the fiscal note system overseen by the South Dakota Bureau of Finance and Management. It reviews revenue estimates prepared by analysts who compare receipts to historical data from entities like the South Dakota Department of Revenue and federal trends from the United States Treasury Department and Bureau of Economic Analysis. The committee issues committee reports, supplemental appropriations, and audit responses informed by audits from the South Dakota State Auditor and by oversight interactions with the Legislative Audit Advisory Board.

History and notable actions

Throughout its history, the committee has shaped appropriations affecting major projects such as capital improvements at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Medicaid expansions debated in sessions involving advocates linked to the Kaiser Family Foundation, and infrastructure investments affecting corridors like Interstate 90 in South Dakota. Notable legislative actions have included funding decisions during economic downturns influenced by national events such as the Great Recession and federal stimulus efforts under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The committee has also weighed pension matters involving the South Dakota Retirement System and pandemic response appropriations tied to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Relationship with other governmental bodies

The committee coordinates with the South Dakota House Committee on Appropriations, the Governor of South Dakota’s budget office, and state agencies including the South Dakota Department of Public Safety and the South Dakota Department of Tourism. It interacts with regional partners such as tribal governments including the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe on funding for services, and with federal delegations such as the United States Senators from South Dakota and members of the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota when federal grants or statutes affect state appropriations. Collaborative relationships extend to municipal governments like the City of Sioux Falls, county governments such as Minnehaha County, South Dakota, and educational systems overseen by the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Category:South Dakota Legislature committees