TAS LD 27
The legislature made it through crossover day, and House and Senate Appropriations committees met separately to discuss bills that had made it out of their house of origin. The Senate Appropriations committee had hearings for 5 House Bills.
HB 1007 authorize the South Dakota Building Authority to issue revenue bonds to provide for maintenance and repair on facilities controlled by the Board of Regents and to provide appropriations therefore. This bill will be paid for. This was done back in 1994 and the program was very successful at that time, and the Board of Regents believes that it could once again do well. This is paid for through student’s tuition payments. Do Pass with a vote of 8-0
HB 1008 authorize the Board of Regents to expend higher education facilities funds to maintain and repair facilities occupied under capital leases. This bill would allow the Board to use funding to make repairs to buildings that the state leases but is on a state university property. The state leases these buildings for one Dollar per year. It was interesting that the Board of Regents came with no specific building on the bill. The committee members noticed this and immediately drafted an amendment to be sure that the money goes to the right cause.
HB 1246 make an appropriation to reimburse certain family physicians, midlevel practitioners, and dentists who have complied with the requirements of the physician tuition reimbursement program, the midlevel tuition reimbursement program, and the dental tuition reimbursement program. This program can mean many things as to quality of life for the people that it serves; the small communities. Not only does it help the health of these communities, but it also improves economic development. Many of the physicians that do this program do end up staying in these small towns instead of leaving. To participate in this program the students must agree to accept Medicaid, Medicare, and CHIP. Retention numbers: 19 physicians have finished, 13 are still in small communities, four dentists have finished the program, and all 4 of those are still in these small towns. Do Pass motion 8-0 unanimous vote.
HB 1247 make an appropriation to fund property and sales tax refunds for certain elderly persons and persons with a disability. $500,000 and will do exactly what the bill says, it has been in SD since 1974 and the refunds are for the more needy people in the state. Average refund is about $153. Must be 65 years, or be disabled. Any leftover amount is split between the lowest 1,000 applications. Must be a low income elderly person. A Do Pass motion was made and passed unanimously 8-0.
HB 1249 authorize a carryover of the fiscal year 2011 state aid to special education appropriation to fiscal year 2012. This bill is to meet the Maintence of Effort for the program of IDEA which is a federal funding source. This money goes to local school districts, the amount is around $30 million dollars per year. The state must make the same amount available as it did the previous year. This is not a new appropriation, but money that has been previously given. Do Pass with a unanimous 8-0 vote.
SB 7 authorize the Bureau of Administration to construct a maintenance shop in Pierre, to make an appropriation therefor, and to declare an emergency. SB7 Passed the House Appropriations Committee unanimously.
SB 10 appropriate certain funds for the construction of a new dairy manufacturing plant at South Dakota State University and to declare an emergency. SB 10 passed house committee unanimously 8-0.
SB 11 make an appropriation from the coordinated natural resources fund to the State Conservation Commission and to declare an emergency. SB 11 passed House Appropriations unanimously 9-0.
SB 51 revise certain provisions relating to a previous appropriation for renovation of the nursing care building on the South Dakota Veterans’ Home campus and to declare an emergency. SB 51 passed unanimously with an 8-0 vote.
SB 52 authorize the South Dakota Building Authority and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to provide for the design, construction, and equipping of the Veterans’ Home near Hot Springs and to declare an emergency. SB 52 passed out of the House Appropriations Committee with a unanimous vote of 8-0.
House Appropriations Committee will meet once again tomorrow to discuss bills, however the Senate will not be meeting on the 28th legislative day.
TAS Day 28
Senate Appropriations did not meet on the 28th legislative day; however the House Appropriations Committee did meet to discuss bills.
House Appropriations
SB 86-establish reports on the price of government and to make the data available to the public. A motion to move SB 86 to the 41st legislative Day and passed with a unanimous 9-0 vote.
SB 168-revise certain provisions regarding certain state purchases of supplies and services. Motion was made to Do Pass SB 168 and did so with a unanimous 9-0 vote.
SB 184-make appropriations from the water and environment fund, the water pollution control revolving fund subfund, and the drinking water revolving fund subfund for various water and environmental purposes, to revise the state water plan, and to declare an emergency. A motion was made to Do Pass SB 184 with a unanimous 9-0 vote.
SB 186-revise certain provisions related to distribution of funds to sparse school districts. A motion was made to Do Pass SB 186 with a narrow 5-4 vote.
SB 189-revise certain budgetary provisions relating to certain funds received from the federal government. A motion was made to Do Pass SB 189 with a unanimous 9-0 vote.
SB 192-revise certain allocations for disabilities in the state aid for special education formula. A motion was made to Do Pass SB 192 with a unanimous 9-0 vote.
TAS Day 29
The Senate, and House Appropriations Committees met separately on the 29th legislative day to discuss bills.
Senate Appropriations
HB 1231-provide for the sale of certain surplus real estate, to appropriate the proceeds to the revolving economic development and initiative fund, and to revise certain provisions relating to the sale of certain surplus property. The motion was made Do Pass HB1231 with a 6-1 vote.
HB 1232-Provide for the sale of certain surplus real estate, to provide for the deposit of the proceeds, and to revise certain provisions relating to the sale of certain surplus property. The motion was made Do Pass HB 1232 with an 8-0 unanimous vote.
HB 1244-make an appropriation for costs related to disasters in the state. The motion was made to Do Pass HB1244 and prevailed with a unanimous 7-0 vote.
With the passage of these bills, the Senate Appropriations Committee has no more bills on their agenda.
House Appropriations
SB 124-appropriate money for the Northern Crops Institute. The motion was to table SB 124 and unanimously passed 9-0.
SB 133-change the day of the month on which state aid to general education payments are made to school districts, and to provide for the redistribution of certain funds appropriated for state aid to education. The motion was to table SB 133 and so passed unanimously 9-0.
SB 152-require that any reduction in the general fund levies of a school district only account for increases in the taxable valuation of property and to revise the property tax levies for the general fund of a school district. SB 152 was deferred to a later day.
SB 185-revise and provide for the adjustment of the per student allocation for the state aid to general education formula. SB 185 had an amendment added to the bill, the amendment passed. The committee then made a motion to Do Pass the bill and it did so with a 6-3 vote.
SB 187-revise certain provisions regarding the dairy inspection fund. Motion was made to Do Pass and it did so with a unanimous 9-0 vote.
SB 188-revise certain provisions regarding the eligibility of National Guard members for certain graduate tuition reductions. SB 188 had a motion to Do Pass and it did so with a 7-2 vote.
SB 190-revise the General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2011. Motion was made to Do Pass SB 190 with a unanimous 9-0 vote.
SB 191-revise certain provisions providing for the sales tax on food refund program. SB 191 was amended and had a Do Pass as amended with a unanimous vote of 9-0.
