MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1998 Regular Session

To: Appropriations

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

Senate Bill 3211

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF THE MISSISSIPPI EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY; AND FOR THE PURPOSE OF ESTABLISHING A DISASTER RELIEF RESERVE FUND AND DEFRAYING THE COSTS RELATED TO CERTAIN DISASTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, FOR FISCAL YEARS 1998 AND 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 funds in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency in accordance with the provisions of Section 33-15-1 et seq., Mississippi Code of 1972, for the fiscal year beginning

July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999 $ 873,424.00.

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 Mississippi Emergency Management Agency which is comprised of special source funds collected by or otherwise available to the agency, for the support and maintenance of the agency for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999

$ 2,292,157.00.

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 $ 1,667,459.00

Travel and Subsistence 94,700.00

Contractual Services 389,672.00

Commodities 92,029.00

Capital Outlay:

Other Than Equipment 0.00

Equipment 155,110.00

Subsidies, Loans and Grants 766,611.00

Total $ 3,165,581.00

FUNDING:

General Funds $ 873,424.00

Special Funds 2,292,157.00

Total $ 3,165,581.00

AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:

Permanent: Full Time. . . . . . . . . 43

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

Time-Limited: Full Time. . . . . . . . . 5

Part Time. . . . . . . . . 1

From the funds provided 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 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 4. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency may, upon the request of a local public emergency management organization in an area which has suffered a natural disaster, supply equipment to rural water associations to enable their continued operation when the local emergency management organization determines that such private entities provide services essential to the welfare of the community.

SECTION 5. 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 Emergency Management Agency to be used to establish a special reserve fund in the State Treasury for Disaster Relief, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999

$ 99,750.00.

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 Emergency Management Agency Fund Nos. 3725 and 3728 for the purpose of defraying certain administrative expenses and the federal share of the cost of the Disaster Relief Program, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999 $ 5,184,898.00.

SECTION 7. 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 Emergency Management Agency Fund No. 372U for the purpose of defraying certain administrative expenses and the federal share of the cost of the Hazard Mitigation Program, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999 $ 4,164,000.00.

SECTION 8. 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 Emergency Management Agency Fund Nos. 372M and 372P for the purpose of defraying certain administrative expenses and the state and federal share of the cost of the Public Assistance Program resulting from the February 1991 Flood, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999 $ 100,000.00.

SECTION 9. 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 Emergency Management Agency Fund No. 372T for the purpose of defraying certain administrative expenses and the federal share of the cost of the Public Assistance Program resulting from the April/May 1991 Flood, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999

$ 125,000.00.

SECTION 10. 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 Emergency Management Agency for the purpose of defraying certain administrative expenses and the state share of the cost of the Public Assistance Program resulting from the April/May 1991 Flood, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999 $ 611,000.00.

SECTION 11. 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 Emergency Management Agency Fund No. 3728 for the purpose of defraying certain administrative expenses and the federal share of the cost of the Public Assistance Program resulting from the Lauderdale County tornado, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999 $ 200,000.00.

SECTION 12. 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 Emergency Management Agency for the purpose of defraying certain administrative expenses and the state share of the cost of the Public Assistance Program resulting from the Lauderdale County tornado, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999 $ 50,000.00.

SECTION 13. 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 Emergency Management Agency Fund No. 3728 for the purpose of defraying certain administrative expenses and the federal share of the cost of the Public Assistance Program resulting from the Lowndes County Disaster, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999 $ 300,000.00.

SECTION 14. 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 Emergency Management Agency for the purpose of defraying certain administrative expenses and the state share of the cost of the Public Assistance Program resulting from the Lowndes County Disaster, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999 $ 79,250.00.

SECTION 15. 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 Emergency Management Agency Fund No. 3728 for the purpose of defraying certain administrative expenses and the federal share of the cost of the Public Assistance Program resulting from the November 1992 tornados, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999

$ 150,000.00.

SECTION 16. 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 Emergency Management Agency for the purpose of defraying certain administrative expenses and the state share of the cost of the Public Assistance Program resulting from the November 1992 tornados, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999 $ 150,000.00.

SECTION 17. 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 Emergency Management Agency Fund Nos. 3725 and 3728 for the purpose of defraying certain administrative expenses and the state and federal share of the cost of the Public Assistance Program resulting from the 1994 Ice Storm, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending

June 30, 1999 $ 2,980,000.00.

SECTION 18. 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 Emergency Management Agency Fund No. 372G for the purpose of defraying certain administrative expenses and the federal share of the cost of the Nuclear Preparedness Program, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999 $ 321,602.00.

SECTION 19. 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 Emergency Management Agency Fund No. 3724 for the purpose of defraying the expenses of providing individual and family disaster relief assistance for personal property losses and damages resulting from disasters declared by the federal government, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999 $ 1,000,000.00.

SECTION 20. The funds appropriated in Section 5 shall be expended only as provided in Sections 43-41-1 et seq. and 43-41-301 et seq., Mississippi Code of 1972, or for the purpose of matching federal funds in the event a disaster occurs within the state.

SECTION 21. In addition to any other funds herein authorized, the following sum is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency which is comprised of special source funds collected by or otherwise available to the agency, for the support and maintenance of the agency for the period from and after passage and ending June 30, 1999 $ 25,000.00.

This additional appropriation is provided for additional travel requirements of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

SECTION 22. The expenditure of the funds appropriated by this act shall be under the direction of the Governor and shall be paid by the State Treasurer out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, or the proper special funds, 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 23. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1998, except Section 21 which shall take effect and be in force from and after passage.