MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1998 Regular Session

To: Appropriations

By: Representatives McCoy, Scott (17th), Barnett (92nd), Frierson, Livingston, McInnis, Peranich, Read, Vince

House Bill 1774

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFRAYING THE EXPENSES OF THE MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND THE MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1999.  

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

SECTION 1. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, to the State Board of Education for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Mississippi School for the Blind and the Mississippi School for the Deaf for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999 $ 9,833,756.00.

SECTION 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the special fund in the State Treasury to the credit of the State Board of Education for the support of the Mississippi School for the Blind or the Mississippi School for the Deaf which is comprised of special source funds collected by or otherwise available to the schools, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the schools for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999 $ 1,336,866.00.

SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 1 and Section 2, the following positions are authorized:

AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:

Permanent: Full Time. . . . . . . . . 215

Part Time. . . . . . . . . 40

 

 

Time-Limited: Full Time. . . . . . . . . 3

Part Time. . . . . . . . . 0

From the funds provided herein, funds may be expended for the following purposes, in compliance with the policies established by the State Personnel Board and any conditions placed on such expenditures:

(a) The components of the Variable Compensation Plan shall be maintained within the constraints of the funds appropriated herein. Unless otherwise permitted by law, no single event, including promotion, reclassification or reallocation, shall exceed the greater of (1) the difference between the starting salary (start step) of the current classification and the new classification added to the employee's current salary (current step), or (2) the salary that could be paid to an equally qualified, newly hired employee. If an eligible employee is currently at or above the end salary for his or her job classification, then the increase authorized by subparagraphs (b), (c) and (d) shall be built into the employee's base salary. To be eligible, employees may not have a current performance rating below "meets expectations" (2.0), as of the effective date of the increase. Employees who subsequently receive a performance rating of "meets expectations" or above during Fiscal Year 1999 shall receive the salary increase effective the date of the rating.

(b) Funds are provided to adjust the Variable Compensation Plan, including realignment, to ensure that all full time employees receive a minimum increase of Six Hundred Dollars ($600.00) and not more than Nine Hundred Dollars ($900.00), to the next higher step.

(c) Funds are provided for MH-Direct Care Worker Classifications to receive an average increase of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00). It is the intention of the Legislature that MH-Direct Care Worker Classifications increases resulting from the provisions of Senate Bill No. 2100, 1997 Regular Session, may be fully implemented as funds become available.

(d) Funds are provided for a Nine Hundred Dollar ($900.00) increase for Information Technology positions. Agencies may effect additional increases in accordance with the Information Technology Special Compensation Plan established by the State Personnel Board as funds become available.

It is the agency's responsibility to make certain that funds required to be appropriated for "Personal Services" for Fiscal Year 2000 do not exceed Fiscal Year 1999 funds appropriated for that purpose unless programs or positions are added to the agency's budget by the Mississippi Legislature.

Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with the terms, conditions, and procedures established by general law.

No general funds authorized to be expended herein shall be used to replace federal funds and/or other special funds which are being used for salaries authorized under the provisions of this act and which are withdrawn and no longer available.

None of the funds herein provided shall be expended to hire any person on a contractual basis, for any period for any purpose, without the express prior approval of the State Personnel Director. The State Personnel Director shall consider, in approving such contracts, the availability of funds, the need for services, compliance with the State Compensation Plan and the qualifications of the persons offering to perform the services. The State Fiscal Officer shall not pay any warrant that is in violation of this section.

SECTION 4. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi School for the Blind and the Mississippi School for the Deaf shall maintain complete accounting and personnel records related to the expenditure of all funds appropriated under this act and that such records shall be in the same format and level of detail as maintained for Fiscal Year 1998. The Department of Finance and Administration shall insure that financial controls comparable to those utilized for Fiscal Year 1998 are maintained throughout Fiscal Year 1999 for this agency. The State Personnel Board shall insure that personnel controls and records comparable to those utilized for Fiscal Year 1998 are maintained throughout Fiscal Year 1999 for this agency. It is further the intention of the Legislature that the agency's budget request for Fiscal Year 2000 shall be submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee in a format and level of detail comparable to the format and level of detail provided during the Fiscal Year 1998 budget request process.

SECTION 5. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2, Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00), or so much thereof as may be necessary, shall be transferred out of the Mississippi Schools for the Blind and Deaf Repair and Renovation Fund 3912 to the Department of Finance and Administration, Office of General Services, in accordance with Section 65-1-163, Mississippi Code of 1972, for the purpose of funding repair and renovation needs for various building and grants projects at the Mississippi Schools for the Blind and Deaf.

SECTION 6. With the funds provided herein, it is the intention of the Legislature that the academic teachers at the Mississippi School for the Blind and the Mississippi School for the Deaf shall receive their annual increment and a three percent (3%) or realignment, whichever is greater, salary increase to their Fiscal Year 1998 salary level.

SECTION 7. Funds are provided in this act for the reallocations of five (5) positions not to exceed Nineteen Thousand One Hundred Seventy-three Dollars ($19,173.00).

SECTION 8. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in this act, upon warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal Officer shall issue his warrants upon requisitions signed by the proper person, officer or officers in the manner provided by law.

SECTION 9. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1998.