MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1998 Regular Session

To: Appropriations

By: Senator(s) Hall, Burton, Blackmon, Hamilton, Minor, Scoper, Thames, Turner

Senate Bill 3195

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 1999. 

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

SECTION 1. The following sum of money, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, to defray the expenses of the Department of Finance and Administration for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999

$ 13,934,617.00.

SECTION 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Department of Finance and Administration for the purpose of defraying the expenses incurred in the operation of the various offices of the department for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999

$ 15,758,676.00.

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

AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:

Permanent: Full Time. . . . . . . . . 349

Part Time. . . . . . . . . 5

Time-Limited: Full Time. . . . . . . . . 0

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

Provided that a report based on expenditures incurred during the current and immediate-past fiscal years shall be provided to each regularly scheduled legislative session. This report should reflect expenditures as a result of the operation of the Robert E. Lee Building, the Woolfolk State Office Building, the Gartin and Sillers Buildings, the Capitol Buildings, the Central High School Building, the 301 Building and other state buildings, and this report should contain any steps taken to reduce operating costs.

It is also the intention of the Legislature that no state-owned aircraft shall be utilized by any person except for official business only.

SECTION 4. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 2, the amount of Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), or so much thereof as may be necessary, shall be expended for premium payments for flood insurance on state-owned facilities. However, no such premium shall be paid until reviewed and approved by the Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real Property Management. Said payments are to be made from accrued interest earnings from loans under the Disaster Assistance Program.

SECTION 5. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, 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 Tort Claims Fund for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Tort Claims Board in the administration of the Tort Claims Act for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999

$ 8,277,785.00.

SECTION 6. With the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 5, the following positions are authorized:

AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:

Permanent: Full Time. . . . . . . . . 6

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

Time-Limited: Full Time. . . . . . . . . 0

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

SECTION 7. From the funds provided in this act in the budget category "Personal Services: Salaries, Wages and Fringe Benefits," 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 within each specific budget or escalations shall be made in accordance with the terms, conditions and procedures established by 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.

SECTION 8. The Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real Property Management of the Office of General Services is hereby expressly authorized and empowered to receive, budget and expend any state, local or other source funds designated for supplemental funding of construction and/or repairs and renovation projects.

SECTION 9. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2, the following amounts are authorized to be spent out of the Statewide Cost Allocation Fund No. 3143 by the Department of Finance and Administration:

(a) One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00) for the purpose of defraying computer expenses.

(b) Five Hundred Sixty Thousand Eight Hundred Thirty-nine Dollars ($560,839.00) for the purpose of defraying the cost of the acquisition, development and implementation of the Statewide Automated Accounting System.

(c) One Hundred Fifty-three Thousand Four Hundred Dollars ($153,400.00) for an imaging/electronic processing feasibility study and initial phase of implementation.

SECTION 10. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2, One Hundred Forty-five Thousand Dollars ($145,000.00) is authorized to be spent out of the Local Disaster Loan Fund No. 3144 by the Department of Finance and Administration for the purpose of defraying the cost of the Air Transport Services.

SECTION 11. The Office of Capitol Facilities, Department of Finance and Administration, is hereby expressly authorized and empowered to receive funds from state agencies for the rent of office space in the Eldon Bolton Office Building in Biloxi, Mississippi, and the State Service Center in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The Office of Capitol Facilities is further authorized and empowered to budget and expend any such funds received to operate and maintain, and up to Five Dollars ($5.00) per square foot of rental receipts to finish tenant space, in the Eldon Bolton Office Building in Biloxi, Mississippi, and the State Service Center in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, as state office buildings. Monies received for rent of such office space are to be deposited in a special fund in the State Treasury. Any funds on hand at the end of the fiscal year shall lapse into the State General Fund.

SECTION 12. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2, One Million Two Hundred Eighty Thousand Six Hundred Dollars ($1,280,600.00) shall be used for defraying the expenses incurred in the operation of the Eldon Bolton Office Building in Biloxi, Mississippi, and the State Service Center in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

SECTION 13. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Department of Finance and Administration 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. 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 1999 budget request process.

SECTION 14. Funds are provided herein to realign the starting salary for Capitol Police Officers (Occu Code 3404) to $20,036.00 (Step 231).

SECTION 15. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, 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, for the purpose of providing funds to the Mississippi Military Communities Council for support of its work with local governmental units or their designated agents, in communities with military installations and facilities, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999 $ 200,000.00.

The funds appropriated in this section may defray, without limitation, expenses in connection with the costs of responding to military installations and facilities closure inquiries and pursuing military installations and facilities improvement opportunities.

SECTION 16. 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 17. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1998.