Repairs to water-damaged, cracking plaster at the South Dakota Capitol in Pierre will be complete by the time lawmakers convene in the building for the 2026 legislative session in January.

Darin Seeley, commissioner of the Bureau of Human Resources and Administration, told lawmakers Tuesday on the Joint Appropriations Committee that the fixes are the first phase of a three-phase restoration effort.

The money for the current work came from a $3 million pool of funds approved by legislators earlier this year.

Once the plaster repairs are complete in the hallways and the galleries of the Senate and House of Representatives, second phase work can begin with repairs to the Rotunda. That work is set to begin after the 2026 session’s March conclusion, and is expected to be complete by November

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