2006 Session Laws Chapter 3

ENTITLED, An Act to create a life protection litigation subfund within the extraordinary litigation fund and provide for its use and to declare an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:

Section 1. That § 1-14-3.1 be amended to read as follows:

1-14-3.1. There is established in the state treasury the extraordinary litigation fund. The fund shall be maintained separately and administered by the Bureau of Administration. The fund may be used for plaintiff attorney fee awards, retention of outside counsel, settlement costs, or other litigation expenses not otherwise eligible to be paid under § 3-22-1. Unexpended money and any interest that may be credited to the fund shall remain in the fund. The extraordinary litigation fund , including any subfunds created within it, is hereby continuously appropriated and shall be budgeted through the informational budget process. The creation and funding of this fund does not constitute a waiver of the state's sovereign immunity.

The life protection subfund is established within the extraordinary litigation fund. The subfund shall be used to cover the litigation costs, including expert witness fees and attorney fees awarded under 42 U.S.C. § 1988 or other applicable statutes, associated with defending South Dakota statutes that regulate or proscribe abortion or contraception. In addition to moneys that the Legislature may appropriate to the subfund, the commissioner of the Bureau of Administration may accept private contributions for the subfund's purposes and deposit those moneys in the subfund. The life protection litigation subfund shall retain the interest income derived from the moneys credited to the subfund in accordance with § § 4-5-30 and 4-5-30.1.

Section 2. Whereas, this Act is necessary for the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, and this Act shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval.