12-13-9. Attorney general's statement regarding constitutional amendment proposed by legislature or referred law. Before the third Tuesday in May, the attorney general shall deliver to the secretary of state an attorney general's statement for each amendment to the Constitution proposed by the Legislature, and any referred law from an odd year. The attorney general's statement for each referred law from an even year shall be delivered to the secretary of state before the second Tuesday in July. The attorney general's statement shall be written by the attorney general and shall consist of a title, an explanation, and a recitation as provided in this section. The title shall be a concise statement of the subject of the proposed amendment to the Constitution or referred law. The explanation shall be an objective, clear, and simple summary to educate the voters of the purpose and effect of the proposed amendment to the Constitution or referred law. The recitation for each proposed amendment to the Constitution shall state "Vote 'Yes' to adopt the amendment" and "Vote 'No' to leave the Constitution as it is". The recitation for each referred law shall state "Vote 'Yes' to allow the Act of the Legislature to become law" and "Vote 'No' to reject the Act of the Legislature". The attorney general shall include a description of the legal consequences of the proposed amendment to the Constitution or referred law, including the likely exposure of the state to liability if the proposed amendment to the Constitution or referred law is adopted. The explanation may not exceed two hundred words in length. On the printed ballots, the title shall be followed by the explanation and the explanation shall be followed, if applicable, by any cost estimate prepared pursuant to § 2-9-34 or fiscal note prepared pursuant to § 2-9-32 and then followed by the recitation.

Source: SL 1915, ch 181, § 1; RC 1919, § 7216; SL 1921, ch 219; SDC 1939, § 16.1302; SL 1959, ch 99, § 15; SDC Supp 1960, § 16.2215; SDCL §§ 12-13-10, 12-13-12; SL 1971, ch 90, §§ 1, 2; SL 1974, ch 118, § 58; SL 1976, ch 105, § 30; SL 1979, ch 97, § 4; SL 1994, ch 108, § 8; SL 2006, ch 67, § 3; SL 2007, ch 14, § 2; SL 2007, ch 77, § 1; SL 2009, ch 64, § 10, eff. July 1, 2010; SL 2013, ch 101, § 74; SL 2017, ch 16, § 5; SL 2018, ch 77, § 2.