Senate approves measure to require legislative review of permanent budget transfers

Senate Bill 146, a measure to tighten oversight of interim budget transfers by state agencies, passed the South Dakota Senate after brief floor remarks from the bill's sponsor.

Senator Brock L. Carr, sponsor of the bill, told the Senate that SB 146 "deals with transparency and oversight in the transfer process of state government," and that it would prevent agencies from making permanent base transfers while the Legislature is not in session unless they present the proposal to the Joint Committee on Appropriations for approval.

The bill requires agencies that want to make a permanent change to a budget base during the interim to appear before the JCA or the special appropriations committee to explain the change and obtain approval. "It doesn't allow those agencies to make those permanent transfers," Carr said, adding the change "protects that from happening" so the budget adopted at the end of session is not permanently altered while lawmakers are away.

Floor debate on SB 146 was limited. No formal amendments were offered during the final-passage sequence, and the clerk conducted a roll-call vote. The secretary reported "35 yeas, 0 nays," and the President declared the bill passed. The title was deemed correct.

Because the bill changes the process for when and how agencies can make permanent budget changes, it affects legislative oversight procedures and the authority of the JCA. The Senate record does not show any technical amendments to the bill on the floor, nor does it show a recorded separate fiscal-note discussion during the floor remarks.

Senate Bill 146 now moves on as passed by the Senate; the text and any committee reports will determine the next steps for enactment.

Ending: The floor action concluded with the roll call and the President's declaration that SB 146 had passed; the title was read and deemed correct.