MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1998 Regular Session

To: Appropriations

By: Senator(s) Hall, Burton, Dearing, Kirby, Mettetal, Ross, Walls

Senate Bill 3201

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF THE STATE TREASURER'S OFFICE 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 office of the State Treasurer for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998 and ending June 30, 1999

$ 741,456.00.

SECTION 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any funds in the special fund entitled Abandoned Property Fund in the State Treasury for the purpose of defraying expenses of the State Treasurer in administering the Uniform Disposition of Unclaimed Property and certain other expenses of the office, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999

$ 1,115,477.00.

SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Sections 1 and 2, not more than the amounts set forth below shall be expended for the respective major objects or purposes of expenditure:

MAJOR OBJECTS OF EXPENDITURE:

Personal Services:

Salaries, Wages and Fringe Benefits $ 1,239,396.00

Travel and Subsistence 13,565.00

Contractual Services 515,972.00

Commodities 40,000.00

Capital Outlay:

Other Than Equipment 0.00

Equipment 48,000.00

Subsidies, Loans and Grants 0.00

Total $ 1,856,933.00

FUNDING:

General Funds $ 741,456.00

Special Funds 1,115,477.00

Total $ 1,856,933.00

AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:

Permanent: Full Time. . . . . . . . . 28

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

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

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

SECTION 4. From the funds provided in this act, funds may be expended for the following purposes: The State Treasurer may invest up to one-half of the monies of the tobacco settlement in any of the investments authorized for the Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition Program under Section 37-155-9, and such investments shall be subject to the limitations prescribed by Section 37-155-9. For purposes of this section, "tobacco settlement" means the settlement of the case of Mike Moore, Attorney General ex rel. State of Mississippi v. The American Tobacco Company et al. (Chancery Court of Jackson County, Mississippi, Cause No. 94-1429) and the settlement of any case brought against tobacco companies by another state.

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 State Treasury to the credit of the Education Improvement Trust Fund No. 3219 for the purpose of investing funds for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999

$ 87,000.00.

SECTION 6. 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 Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition Administrative Fund to defray the costs of the Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition Program for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999

$ 1,607,596.00.

With the funds appropriated in this section, the following positions are authorized:

AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:

Permanent: Full Time . . . . . . . 3

SECTION 7. From the funds provided in this act, 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.

SECTION 8. It is the intention of the Legislature that the State Treasurer is hereby authorized to accept, budget and expend an amount not to exceed Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) from administrative fees charged for the administration of the Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition Program and deposited in the Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition Administrative Fund. Such funds shall be escalated in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Department of Finance and Administration in a manner consistent with the escalation of federal funds.

SECTION 9. It is the intention of the Legislature that the State Treasurer is hereby authorized to accept, budget and expend funds for the purpose of defraying the cost of administering the Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition Program in an amount not to exceed Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) which become available from interest earnings on any funds authorized for administration of said program. Such funds shall be escalated in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Department of Finance and Administration in a manner consistent with the escalation of federal funds.

SECTION 10. 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 Treasury to the credit of the Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition Trust Fund for the purpose of paying all amounts due for prepaid tuition contracts of the Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition Program, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999 $ 500,000.00.

SECTION 11. No part of the funds appropriated herein shall be used in the payment of attorney's fees, nor shall any of said funds be used either directly or indirectly, for the purpose of paying any clerk, stenographer, assistant, deputy or other person who may be related by blood or marriage within the third degree, computed by the rules of the civil law, to the official employing or having the right of employment or selection thereof; and in the event of any such payment, then the official or person approving and making or receiving such payment shall be jointly and severally liable to return to the State of Mississippi and to pay into the State Treasury three (3) times any such amount so paid or received, to be recovered at suit of the Attorney General; provided that when the relationship is by affinity and the person through whom the relationship was established is dead, this provision shall not apply.

SECTION 12. Funds are provided in Section 2 and allocated in Section 3 for the purpose of reallocating and realigning six (6) positions at an annualized cost of not to exceed Forty-one Thousand Eight Hundred Seven Dollars ($41,807.00).

SECTION 13. 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 14. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1998.