Screen capture from SDPB.
PIERRE, S.D. (KELO.com) — Groups and individuals wanting to provide testimony to legislative committees during the 2021 Legislative Session can now do so without making a trip to the Capitol in Pierre.
As part of the South Dakota Legislature’s COVID-19 protocols to keep the Session open, testifiers may appear electronically either by audio or video through the use of Microsoft Teams. People wishing to speak may also submit reference materials electronically for viewing by committee members.
The South Dakota Legislature has 30 standing committees covering a variety of topics and issues. Twenty-one of them meet on a regularly scheduled basis while the remaining nine are convened at the discretion of the committee Chair. The remote testifying option will be available for all committees. Each committee will have its own separate email address testifiers must use to submit a “testifier request”.
Those wishing to testify before the committee remotely must submit their request to the committee Chair at least 24 hours before the start of the committee meeting at which they want to speak. Requests can be submitted using the email addresses posted on the LRC website. The email request should include the testifier’s full name, whom they are representing (self, organization, etc.), city of residence, meeting date, the bill number they wish to address, and whether they are a proponent or opponent of the bill. Proposed handouts and reference materials should be attached to the email as Word documents or PDF’s.
Testifiers who are approved by the committee Chair to join the meeting remotely will receive a Microsoft Teams invitation to the committee meeting. During the meeting, the Chair will call on them by name at the appropriate time to offer their comments.
Written testimony is also welcome. Those wishing to provide written testimony may make a request to the committee Chair prior to the start of the meeting for which the bill has been scheduled. Requests can be submitted using the email addresses posted on the LRC website. The request should include their full name, whom they are representing, city of residence, the number of the bill they wish to address, meeting date, whether they are a proponent or opponent of the bill, and any brief comments they want to be considered by the committee.
To access legislative committee detail and agendas, choose the committee from the menu on the left side of the 2021 Legislative Chambers and Committees page of the LRC website.
(The LRC contributed this report/news release.)
