[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6360576,"mediaKeyId","2174497-b18170f5be607705c4d8eb5dbc010056","parentId",2174497,"title","Tourism department seeks authority to match higher revenues; launches Destination Development and 'Forever 605' stewardship","audioSeconds",2696,"startMs",3835000,"endMs",6531000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2174497-b18170f5be607705c4d8eb5dbc010056&start=3835&end=6531","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2174497-b18170f5be607705c4d8eb5dbc010056/thumbnail_3835000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6360576/South-Dakota/Tourism-department-seeks-authority-to-match-higher-revenues-launches-Destination-Development-and-Forever-605-stewardship","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6360576-abecece9bdd35b6c087469488c909c2e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439571&Signature=l4zJyks6ZO1ahp9sKg0uHNSwRGyV5iS646j-nXJ3Pih6zGaJ-461jnF8uGjAqbpaNrzkptqdzUy1Ut11HHVcpzdqlwFYZ1c~XnyQMdOosIQT1IT5~XHV3H2VsmwTdoRociBxNBUWBNS8JGBS7~UUUeN8Df9cnTMeUpqKw1qt~SLTwMxo-JUmtsiU48OTZ7xrutB4e1Htf6uwBMibBx52oIHADaqJ0E-MQcART0zZo2CQ7ebZIku1mj1LJlBQk1qE5gg6vRmdiePl3D7UWPQSE5yvsI~EEb0h1ULdoMlXsQ454niJvNhRErZR~Fxs403cvZvTzKXl63CabILjWN~4Tw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","State of South Dakota","date","2025-01-30T00:00:00Z","article","Pierre — The South Dakota Department of Tourism told the Joint Committee on Appropriations it had a record year for visitation and visitor spending and asked for additional expenditure authority to align its budget with higher-than-expected tourism-promotion revenues and grant awards.

Secretary Jim Hagen (Hagen identified himself as the department head) led a broad briefing covering the department’s structure, fiscal requests and two new initiatives: Destination Development, a rural tourism development effort, and Forever 605, a stewardship campaign aimed at reducing overtourism impacts. \"I would rather have a better quality visitor who's staying longer and spending more money,\" Hagen told the committee in response to questions about overtourism.

The department reported FY 2024 totals of 14.9 million visitors and more than $5.0 billion in visitor spending, figures produced using taxable sales data and modeling from Tourism Economics (the department’s research contractor). Secretary Hagen said tourism supports close to 60,000 jobs and generates roughly $400 million in state and local tax revenue. He also described the funding model: a tourism-promotion tax on visitor-facing businesses and a portion of Deadwood gaming revenues provide the department’s operating funds; the department receives no general fund operating support.

Budget requests include $588,000 in other fund expenditure authority to match projected increases in the tourism-promotion tax, a $487,000 federal fund adjustment for National Endowment for the Arts awards to the South Dakota Arts Council and one-time authority requests tied to ARPA-funded grants that the department has been dispersing (scheduled to end after FY 2026). The department asked for a one-time $1.5 million other-fund authority contribution toward Cultural Heritage Center exhibit renovation.

Destination Development: Hagen said the department will create a new, sustained program to help communities under 30,000 people with product development (trails, signage, main-street improvements) and seed grants using existing tourism promotion funds. The department expects to work with outside consultants and local leaders; specific grant sizes will be developed after applications and priorities are set.

Forever 605 stewardship: The department described pillars for respectful travel — seasonal dispersal, outdoor preparedness, wildlife respect and shopping locally — designed to reduce concentrated pressure in the Black Hills and other popular sites.

Committee members asked about measurement and efficiency. Kirk Holstein, research director, explained the visitor-spending model uses taxable sales, feeds that data into tourism econometrics software (IMPLAN/Tourism Economics) and applies sector-specific multipliers. The committee also asked about the department’s ARPA-funded programs, staffing, and the sustainability of one-time spending once the ARPA allocation ends in 2026.

Hagen highlighted recent national recognition for department marketing and said the department plans to provide a 45-day visitation forecast to help industry partners plan. No formal committee action or vote on the budget request occurred during the hearing; the department will appear again in the appropriations schedule.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Committee on Appropriations - Day 12","oneSentenceSummary","The Department of Tourism briefed the Appropriations Committee on record visitation and spending, requested budget alignment authority, outlined a new Destination Development program for rural communities and highlighted the Forever 605 stewardship initiative to manage visitor impacts.","taxTitle","2025 Legislative SD, South Dakota","taxId",77845,"location","South Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6360580,"Appropriations committee defers bill to update tax refunds for elderly and disabled after outreach and eligibility questions",1188,1858000,3046000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2174497-b18170f5be607705c4d8eb5dbc010056&start=1858&end=3046","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2174497-b18170f5be607705c4d8eb5dbc010056/thumbnail_1858000.jpg","/articles/6360580/South-Dakota/Appropriations-committee-defers-bill-to-update-tax-refunds-for-elderly-and-disabled-after-outreach-and-eligibility-questions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6360580-755ef2daf9151f201e06f06f0fe88f1b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439571&Signature=nP-KWy6igHRx~vaQ68iYNdFJjWcicA8MXY69807TU9sqHnin995UjYiS631r1BdgpM8JothOGR4vTE8nVnfZ~5Y7HGsUPA-1vx1E7hOk3Hjys7pK46cBzbCzxFRgzjspB5RKxRpSb9EbtYf2ykUdV5ZLS~DeLtV1-RkFDEtdQX57-dKSAvldUjaJ20otYdKbsaQ3Q7pHmw~yarOxO1aF52NCIJN1BDH7TIc7eCrEu4dFlJVxf6PNZhzybndyX32FFsY~ecQGiKgZ03wW2vse~HXnOImMDhNFlU0-OUAvDnn4J5qX1V~clV~5s90Gz5nLljP9MP-txakZioo4CxURQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pierre — The Joint Committee on Appropriations deferred action on Senate Bill 44 after statistics and extensive testimony highlighted questions about eligibility thresholds, the program’s outreach and the frozen refund amounts.

Brandy Eckert, deputy director in the Department of Revenue’s Business Tax Division, described SB 44 as \"the annual special appropriation for sales or property tax refunds for elderly and disabled persons and declares an emergency,\" and summarized eligibility and recent participation. She said the program requires applicants to be age 65 or older for the full year, or declared disabled under Social Security or Veterans Administration guidelines. In calendar year 2024 the department approved 1,063 applicants and spent $356,195 on refunds; the average refund before any supplemental payment was about $241. A supplemental program may distribute up to $100 per applicant when funds remain.

Eckert explained that the bill raises income limits (to roughly 100–110% of the federal poverty level, as specified in the text) and that the department has added outreach measures this year, including a printable application, a QR code and electronic filing. She told the committee the department made the application easier to read and worked with community partners to spread the word. \"We had a 136 electronic applications received, so about 12%,\" she said.

Advocates pressed for larger changes. Kathy Brechtelsmauer, an advocate for low-income people, asked the committee to increase both eligibility and payment amounts. She noted the maximum refund levels — $258 for a single-person household and $581 for multi-person households — have not increased in decades and suggested indexing the maximums to poverty thresholds or inflation. She urged moving the program’s application earlier in the calendar so eligible taxpayers receive materials during tax season.

Eric Nelson of AARP South Dakota urged continued support and described a coordinated advertising campaign the organization ran to drive awareness. Committee members asked several operational questions, including how household income is defined and verified (the Department said applicants may provide federal returns if available or alternate proof such as W-2s or SSI letters) and how much of the appropriation is used for administration (the bill authorizes up to $20,000; the department said printing and mailing costs come from that allocation).

Committee disposition: the chair announced that SB 44 is deferred to a later date to refine numbers and outreach plans. No final vote was taken.","Senate Bill 44, which would raise income limits for sales and property tax refunds for seniors and people with disabilities, was deferred after testimony on eligibility, outreach and refund amounts; committee members asked for more data on participation and inflation adjustments.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6360584,"Appropriations committee approves roughly $2 million to reimburse rural health recruits",1324,521000,1845000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2174497-b18170f5be607705c4d8eb5dbc010056&start=521&end=1845","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2174497-b18170f5be607705c4d8eb5dbc010056/thumbnail_521000.jpg","/articles/6360584/South-Dakota/Appropriations-committee-approves-roughly-2-million-to-reimburse-rural-health-recruits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6360584-c872a4519586cf3cb02124d63bce87d4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439571&Signature=iWIKg8-TLT2~ax-o4KlFdtiiceQzZmujPhUM0jD173c-m9HxXPH8C53C89pEf69T9WHLtEU5Mwnyo6gwbR16vSsZXEkis-usGBJCBNzyJ-vxtovqp8dnOmRcvzDEg~DwArrPRatd~7cCynQGtuchy~W9AxfzY5KFXuKklYHEcMyJpoTezIaKO16dpKSk9SL33h-8k3K-WFHiTj0zTisLXuIutfE0aL3IbOMvZleEzUkLRfOOjk2qx72UROGcj8VqkJ5qPtr5pykemLI7YJHZN2459vCAuImRGvOAGdEUGkXzBcKPGCH6LJ95cAgLTkKrTPRPBT0HfOT5tEOarC9Tbg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pierre — The Joint Committee on Appropriations approved House Bill 1047 as amended on a 17-0 vote, moving roughly $2 million in general funds to reimburse health-care professionals who completed the state’s rural recruitment assistance programs.

The bill, presented by Emily Kiel, division director of health care access at the South Dakota Department of Health, would appropriate $1,600,000 to reimburse clinicians recruited under the Department’s rural recruitment assistance program and, as amended, an additional $402,500 to reimburse 56 eligible health-care professionals under the facility recruitment assistance program. \"So with that, Mister Chair, I would respectfully, request your support for the appropriations of House Bill 1047,\" Kiel told the committee.

The programs reimburse clinicians in exchange for a three-year service commitment in participating rural communities. Darcy McGuigan, finance officer for the Department of Health, told the committee: \"None of the participants are paid anything until the end of the 3 years. So if they do not complete the 3 years, they do not receive anything.\" Kiel said the two programs are popular and have strong retention rates: the facility recruitment assistance program has 60 slots filled each year and, since 2012, has enrolled 898 health-care professionals with 611 (68%) either completing the program or still serving in the recruiting community.

Multiple interest groups testified in favor of the bill. Dean Krogman of the South Dakota State Medical Association, Paul Knecht of the South Dakota Dental Association, Jacob Parsons of the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations, Grace Beck of Sanford Health and Mark Dayock of the South Dakota Health Care Association all urged committee approval, citing the programs’ role in placing and retaining providers in rural hospitals, long-term care and private practices.

During committee questions, members pressed for program details including how payments are made and how the state splits incentive costs with communities. Kiel and McGuigan explained that the state’s share varies by community population (e.g., the state pays 75% for communities under 2,500, 50% for some mid-sized communities and 25% for communities between 5,000 and 10,000) and that reimbursement amounts are tied to tuition rates and vary year to year.

Disposition and vote: Representative Cassin moved that the committee give HB 1047 a \"do pass\" recommendation as amended (1047A); Representative May seconded. The roll call recorded 17 ayes, 0 nays. The committee chair announced, \"And HB 1047 moves on down to the floor.\"","The Joint Committee on Appropriations voted 17-0 to pass House Bill 1047 as amended, approving roughly $2 million in general funds to reimburse health-care professionals who completed South Dakota rural recruitment assistance programs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Tourism department seeks authority to match higher revenues; launches Destination Development and 'Forever 605' stewardship

Appropriations committee defers bill to update tax refunds for elderly and disabled after outreach and eligibility questions

Appropriations committee approves roughly $2 million to reimburse rural health recruits