Governor Kristi Noem has signed an executive order aimed at enhancing financial accountability within state government.
Noem says the enhanced measures will strengthen the state government’s financial infrastructure and make sure taxpayer dollars are being used responsibly. She says the enhancements will also help “guarantee that state employees are responsible stewards for the people that they serve.”
The four cornerstones of Noem’s approach to “fiscal fortitude” are:
- Additional annual state employee trainings as outlined in Executive Order 2024-07;
- Enhancements to policies, procedures, systems, and technology to strengthen internal controls of taxpayer dollars;
- Increasing resources to assist with the mission of the State Board of Internal Control – Governor Noem has already taken action and hired one additional Internal Control Officer; and
- A legislative package for the 2025 legislative session, including clearer and stronger accountability measures.
Noem says the upcoming implementation of the new BISON state accounting system and the 605 Drive motor vehicle system will provide additional safeguards to protect taxpayer dollars– safeguards that are not possible using the state’s current, aging technology systems. She says several actions have already been made as state agencies are onboarded through the Board of Internal Control process. The State Board of Internal Control was created in 2016 with the goal of establishing and maintaining guidelines for an effective system of accountability to be implemented by state agencies, a code of conduct for use by state agencies, and a conflict of interest policy for use by state agencies defines an internal control as “a process that integrates the… procedures, systems, resources, and efforts of an organization and that is designed to detect and prevent financial malfeasance.”