2-9-4. Powers and duties of executive board. The executive board shall:

(1) Instigate research and collect information concerning the government and general welfare of the state;

(2) Investigate and make recommendations concerning important issues of public policy and questions of statewide interest;

(3) Prepare a legislative program in the form of bills, or otherwise, as in its opinion the welfare of the state may require, to be presented to the Legislature;

(4) Cooperate with the administration in devising means of enforcing the law;

(5) Study, inquire, make recommendations and propose bills in any phase or branch of state government so deemed advisable and necessary;

(6) Appoint and name committees from the members of the State Legislative Research Council, and assign to such committee or committees appropriate subjects and projects of whatever character and nature the executive board deems advisable. Each member of the council is entitled to membership on one study committee of the member's choice insofar as practicable;

(7) Conduct legislative oversight and management analysis of the executive branch of government by means of a selective program of performance auditing and cooperate with the administration in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of administrative methods;

(8) Review and make recommendations for further legislative action regarding the opinions of state and federal courts which have sought to interpret the intent of South Dakota legislative acts; and

(9) Allocate funds to the House of Representatives and the Senate to pay for out-of-state travel and salary or per diem costs incurred by members, and to pay for in-state travel and salary or per diem costs incurred by members, excluding costs associated with any legislative session. The Legislative Research Council shall make payments to representatives for costs and travel approved by the speaker of the House of Representatives, from the funds allocated to the House of Representatives, and shall make payments to senators for costs and travel approved by the president pro tempore of the Senate, from the funds allocated to the Senate. Any payment decision of the speaker of the House of Representatives may be appealed to the members of the executive board from the House of Representatives. Any payment decision of the president pro tempore of the Senate may be appealed to the members of the executive board from the Senate. No funds may be paid beyond the amounts allocated to each body.Source: SL 1951, ch 286, § 3; SDC Supp 1960, § 55.05A03; SL 1963, ch 299; SL 1977, ch 20, §§ 1, 2; SL 1982, ch 26, § 1; SL 1993, ch 31; SL 2015, ch 16, § 3; SL 2016, ch 27, § 1.