From the desk of Tim Neyhart, Executive Director
Happy New Year to everyone,
This document will explain the information and process for this year’s Legislative Updates provided by Disability Rights South Dakota (DRSD). These updates can be found on DRSD’s social media platforms (Facebook and Twitter) and website. Some people may also receive this information via email.
As we have done for the last few years, DRSD will provide information about the legislative calendar, legislative process, and a list of proposed bills that affect people with disabilities during this year’s legislative session. DRSD may also provide information about bills that could have an impact on the rights of people in general in South Dakota. For example, some of this information may be about voting, rights of the LBTQ + community, and the rights of other populations within the state.
From time to time, our Legislative Updates will provide information about the legislative process and calendar. This is in order to assist people with understanding the steps that the legislature takes as bills are introduced, assigned to committee, cross over from one house to another, etc. The purpose of the list of bills is to inform people of legislation being considered, where the bill may be in the legislative process, what committee the bills will be heard by, and which members of the legislature are assigned to that committee.
Updates will be provided at least weekly throughout the SD legislative session. The updates will allow readers to click on a specific bill number, which will link you directly to information about that bill. The staff at DRSD follow the legislative process closely to make sure that people with disabilities and their family members know about proposed changes in the laws of South Dakota. Our hope is that by providing this information, people will have a better chance of participating in the legislative process if they choose to do so.
The best way to have a productive and meaningful legislative session is through active involvement of the citizens of the state. I hope this introduction and the ongoing updates help you become more involved.
I hope this introduction helps people to understand the information that they are receiving from DRSD. I will be happy to talk with you about any questions that you have regarding the legislative process. I can also assist you in identifying the House or Senate members from your district and get you their contact information. I can be reached by e-mail at Tim.Neyhart@drsdlaw.org.
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