To address the continuing threat of terrorism and to work with the federal Department of Homeland Security (created in 2002 following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001), homeland security in South Dakota in 2003 operated under the authority of the governor; a homeland security coordinator was appointed to oversee the state's homeland security activities.
The Department of Education and Cultural Affairs oversees all elementary, secondary, higher, vocational, and cultural education programs.
The Department of Human Services administers a variety of welfare programs, the Department of Labor aids the unemployed and underemployed, and the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation serves disabled South Dakotans. Special agencies within the executive branch include the Office of Indian Affairs, the Office of Economic Development, and the Office of Energy Policy.