The South Dakota Legislature will take a closer look at several diverse issues during the interim period between regular legislative sessions. During this interim period legislative business is conducted though committee meetings and summer study committees to study and explore issues more in depth.
Legislators are set to examine industrial hemp, special education, electric services in an annexed area, and the consequences of the use of controlled substances.
- Industrial Hemp: including the regulation
and cost of implementing an industrial hemp program; economic impacts of
producing and selling industrial hemp; cost and challenges for law enforcement;
and requirements for registration, licenses, permits, seed certification, and
access. Chair: Rep. Lee Qualm, Vice
Chair: Sen. Rocky Blare
- Special Education: including the
assessment tools used to define disabilities; categories of disabilities; the
costs of providing services; and possible funding sources. The committee was
authorized by the passage of Senate Bill 3, introduced by 2018’s Extraordinary
Cost Fund for Special Education Study. Chair: Rep. Nancy Rasmussen, Vice
Chair: Sen. Jim Bolin
-
Electric Services in an Annexed Area:
including the options for municipal utilities to provide electrical services in
annexed areas and how electrical rates are established. Senate Bill 66 prompted
the formation of the committee. Chair: Sen. Alan Solano, Vice
Chair: Rep. Thomas Brunner
- Offenses regarding Controlled Substances: including alternatives to imprisonment for drug offenders; funding sources for treatment services; and efforts to battle methamphetamine addiction. Senate Bill 167 authorized the creation of the committee which will include legislators and non-legislators. The Executive Board expanded the study to include a subcommittee on fighting methamphetamine addiction. Chair: Rep. Steven Haugaard, Vice Chair: Sen. Craig Kennedy
Full committee and task force memberships can be viewed on 2019 Interim Page along with along with agendas, minutes, and other meeting documents. ​
