SB2152 (As Introduced) - 1997 Regular Session

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1997 Regular Session

To: Agriculture; Appropriations

By: Senator(s) Burton

Senate Bill 2152

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 69-7-263, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE THE MISSISSIPPI EGG MARKETING BOARD TO RETAIN INTEREST EARNED ON DEPOSITS; TO AMEND SECTION 27-104-27, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO EXEMPT SUCH BOARD FROM THE NORMAL BUDGETING PROCESS; TO AMEND SECTIONS 27-104-13 AND 31-17-123, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO EXEMPT SUCH BOARD FROM BUDGET CUTS DURING A REVENUE SHORTFALL; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 69-7-263, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

69-7-263. There is hereby imposed and levied an assessment at a rate not to exceed Three Cents (3¢) per case on all eggs produced in Mississippi wherever distributed or marketed and on all eggs marketed in Mississippi wherever distributed or produced. The rate of assessment shall be determined by the board. At the time of the sale, the egg producer shall provide evidence that all assessments provided herein have been paid. However, if the first sale of the eggs is made to a dealer or distributor, the producer shall pay to the dealer or the distributor the amount of the assessment owed; whereupon the dealer or distributor to whom such payment is made shall remit the assessment to the Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce in accordance with the rules and regulations established and promulgated by the board. The board or the commissioner shall have the power to cause any duly authorized agent or representative to enter upon the premises of any dealer or handler of eggs and examine, or cause to be examined by such agent, any books, papers and records which deal in any way with respect to the payment of the assessment or enforcement of the provisions of this article.

All costs incurred by the board or the commissioner in examining or causing the examination of such books, papers and records shall be taxed against the dealer or handler. Cost shall be assessed at the rate of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) per day or fraction thereof for each agent conducting the examination. Travel expenses shall be assessed in the manner and amount specified in Section 25-3-41, and other expenses shall be assessed at actual cost. All costs taxed against a dealer or handler for the examination of books, papers and records shall be paid within fifteen (15) days from the date such notice of cost is mailed to the dealer or handler.

The proceeds of the assessment levied under this article shall be collected by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce in such manner and method as shall be prescribed by him in accordance with the provisions of this article. The funds derived from the assessment shall be paid into the State Treasury on or before the fifteenth day of each month and shall be deposited in a special fund in the State Treasury, which shall be established by the State Treasurer to the credit of the Mississippi Egg Marketing Board. Any interest earned by investing monies in such special fund shall be credited to such special fund and shall not be deposited in the State General Fund. Monies in such fund, including any interest earned thereon, shall be used by the board solely for the administration of this article. All costs, expenses and obligations incurred by the board for its operation and carrying out the purposes of this article shall be paid out of the special fund herein * * *. * * * The Mississippi Egg Marketing Board shall render to the Mississippi Legislature a detailed annual report of all collections and expenditures of the monies collected under the provisions of this article. Any egg producer may request and receive a refund of the amount of assessment paid for the previous reporting period, provided he makes a written application with the Mississippi Egg Marketing Board within sixty (60) days from date of payment supported by bona fide copy of payment voucher and copy of canceled check. The application forms shall be prepared by the board and shall be available at the request of the producer. All such applications shall be processed and refunds paid within sixty (60) days after the funds have been received by the board.

SECTION 2. Section 27-104-27, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

27-104-27. Notwithstanding anything in Sections 27-103-101 through 27-103-139 and 27-104-1 through 27-104-29 contained, the same shall not be construed to apply to any agency supported wholly by funds granted or allotted under any act of Congress. * * * The State Fiscal Officer shall determine which special fund accounts in the State Treasury require an appropriation act and request an appropriation for such special fund accounts. For all other special fund accounts, * * * the State Fiscal Officer * * * shall certify that such accounts do not require an appropriation. The Legislative Budget Office shall recommend an appropriation for each special fund account existing in the State Treasury so certified as requiring an appropriation, unless exempted as hereinafter provided. In the event the Legislative Budget Committee and the State Fiscal Officer find that any state agency should not be included under the provisions of Sections 27-103-101 through 27-103-139 and 27-104-1 through 27-104-29, then such committee and officer may, in their discretion, exempt such state agency from the provisions thereof. Sections 27-103-101 through 27-103-139 and 27-104-1 through 27-104-29 shall not apply to funds collected and disbursed by a state agency created and existing under the provisions of Sections 73-3-101 through 73-3-169, nor shall they apply to the Mississippi Egg Marketing Board created under the provisions of Sections 69-7-251 through 69-7-275. Sections 27-103-101 through 27-103-139 and 27-104-1 through 27-104-29 shall not apply to funds deposited into the special fund created pursuant to Section 45-9-101.

The State Fiscal Officer shall not promulgate or attempt to enforce any rule, order or regulation which is not in accordance with the provisions of a legally executed trust indenture agreement, nor shall Sections 27-103-101 through 27-103-139 and 27-104-1 through 27-104-29 be construed to apply to funds collected and disbursed by a state agency under Sections 65-33-45 and 65-33-47.

SECTION 3. Section 27-104-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

27-104-13. The State Fiscal Officer shall have the right to disapprove or reduce and revise such estimates of general funds and state-source special funds for any general fund or special fund agency, and for the "administration and other expenses" budget of the Department of Transportation, in an amount not to exceed five percent (5%) if he finds that funds will not be available within the period for which the budget is drawn, or if he finds that the requested expenditures, or any part thereof, are not authorized by law, and such action shall be reported to the Legislative Budget Office. The State Fiscal Officer may, upon his determination of need based upon a finding that funds will not be available within the period for which the budget is drawn, transfer funds as provided in Section 27-103-203, from the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund to the General Fund to supplement the general fund revenue. In the event that the estimates of general funds and state-source special funds of all general fund and special fund agencies, and of the "administration and other expenses" budget of the Department of Transportation, have been reduced by five percent (5%), additional reductions may be made but shall consist of a uniform percentage reduction of general funds and state-source special funds to all general fund and special fund agencies, and to the "administration and other expenses" budget of the Department of Transportation. Any state-source special funds reduced under the provisions of this section shall be transferred to the State General Fund upon requisitions for warrants signed by the respective agency head and said transfer shall be made within a reasonable period to be determined by the State Fiscal Officer.

For the purpose of this section, "state-source special funds" shall be construed to mean any special funds in any agency derived from any source, but shall not include the following special funds: special funds derived from federal sources, from local or regional political subdivisions, or from donations; special funds held in a fiduciary capacity for the benefit of specific persons or classes of persons; self-generated special funds of the state institutions of higher learning or the state junior colleges; special funds of the Mississippi Egg Marketing Board, Mississippi Industries for the Blind, the State Port at Gulfport, Yellow Creek Inland Port, Pat Harrison Waterway District, Pearl River Basin Development District, Pearl River Valley Water Management District, Tombigbee River Valley Water Management District, Yellow Creek Watershed Authority, or Coast Coliseum Commission; special funds of the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks derived from the issuance of hunting or fishing licenses; and special funds generated by agencies whose primary function includes the establishment of standards and the issuance of licenses for the practice of a profession within the State of Mississippi.

SECTION 4. Section 31-17-123, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

31-17-123. The intent of the Legislature is to authorize borrowing funds under the provisions of Sections 31-17-101 through 31-17-123 to offset any temporary cash flow deficiencies and should not be construed to authorize the borrowing of any funds in an amount which cannot be repaid during the fiscal year in which such funds are borrowed. The State Tax Commission and University Research Center, utilizing all available revenue forecast data, shall annually develop a general fund revenue estimate to be adopted by the Legislative Budget Office as of the date of sine die adjournment. If, at the end of October, or at the end of any month thereafter of any fiscal year, the revenues received for the fiscal year shall fall below ninety-eight percent (98%) of the Legislative Budget Office general fund revenue estimate at the date of sine die adjournment, the State Fiscal Officer shall reduce allocations of general funds and state-source special funds to general fund and special fund agencies and to the "administration and other expenses" budget of the Department of Transportation in an amount necessary to keep expenditures within the sum of actual general fund receipts including any transfers to the General Fund from the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund for the fiscal year. The State Fiscal Officer may, upon his determination of need based on the revenue shortfall, transfer funds as provided in Section 27-103-203, from the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund to the General Fund to supplement the general fund revenue. State-source special funds in an amount equal to any reduction made under the provisions of this section shall be transferred to the State General Fund upon requisitions for warrants signed by the respective agency head and such transfer shall be made within a reasonable period to be determined by the State Fiscal Officer. No agency's allocation shall be reduced in an amount to exceed five percent (5%); however, in the event that the allocations of general funds and state-source special funds to all general fund and special fund agencies and to the "administration and other expenses" budget of the Department of Transportation have been reduced by five percent (5%), any additional reductions required to be made hereunder shall consist of a uniform percentage reduction of general funds and state-source special funds to all general fund and special fund agencies, and to the "administration and other expenses" budget of the Department of Transportation. Any receipt from loans authorized by Sections 31-17-101 through 31-17-123 shall not be included as revenue receipts. The State Fiscal Officer shall immediately send notice of any action taken under authority of this section to the Legislative Budget Office.

SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1997.