The South Dakota Legislative Research Council (LRC) was established by action of the 1951 Legislature.

By statute, the LRC consists of all members of the Legislature. It is the function of the LRC to consider legislative policies between sessions. The council is directed by a fifteen-member executive board, consisting of eight representatives and seven senators. The executive board employs the Director and the Code Counsel.

The mission of the LRC is to provide to the members of the Legislature legal analysis, fiscal analysis, and advice in addition to research, drafting, and budget services in a professional, confidential, and nonpartisan manner.

The staff of the LRC provides the following services to Legislators: bill and amendment drafting; research for the development of legislation; legal and fiscal research and analysis; federal and state case law research; legal and fiscal services for legislative committees; resolution drafting; and requests for attorney general opinions. These services will be provided on request to legislators and as part of legislative meetings including partisan caucuses.

The staff of the LRC will not provide the following services: policy advocacy; writing speeches; writing partisan press releases; compiling voting records; providing legal services to constituents or the public; and issuing official legal opinions.