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House approves moving Brand Board oversight to School and Public Lands after producers press for audit
Summary
The House passed HB 12-66 to shift the South Dakota Brand Board’s financial reporting to the Office of School and Public Lands, a change supporters say will produce the long-sought audits requested by producers; opponents argued the Department of Agriculture is the appropriate home.
The House on Feb. 20 approved House Bill 12-66, a bill that moves the state Brand Board’s administrative reporting from the Department of Agriculture to the Office of School and Public Lands. The bill passed 47-22 with one member excused.
Sponsor Representative Lana Hunt said the change is limited: it only moves where the Brand Board files financial reports and does not alter the board’s functions or the governor’s authority to appoint board members. Hunt said producers, who fund the Brand Board, have repeatedly asked for a comprehensive audit; she told the House they had not received a detailed audit since 2008 and that moving reporting would produce the needed review before any fee increases.
Opponents, including Representative Goodwin and Representative Peterson, argued the Brand Board belongs with the Department of Agriculture and urged giving the new governor and department time to address problems. Peterson said she is a brand holder and opposed moving the board to an elected official’s agency. Supporters countered that producers have long raised jurisdictional and transparency concerns, that the Brand Board is funded by producers rather than state general revenue, and that the Office of School and Public Lands (Commissioner Brock Greenfield) had offered to take the responsibility.
Why it matters: The Brand Board administers brand inspections and related fees for livestock producers across the state. Supporters said shifting reporting will increase transparency and allow producers to see how their inspection fees are used. The bill does not change fee authority or board appointment powers; it changes the agency that receives the Brand Board’s financial reports.
Representative Hunt repeatedly emphasized producers’ request for an audit and said, "The state does not pay in any money to the Brand Board." The House approved final passage: ayes 47, nays 22, excused 1.
Provenance: Discussion begins at transcript segment 3399.51 where Representative Hunt introduces HB 12-66 and concludes at the voting display segment beginning 4533.295 where the clerk reads the tally.
