MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1998 Regular Session

To: Appropriations

By: Senator(s) Hall, Burton, Stogner, Jordan (18th), Kirby, Mettetal, Posey, White (5th)

Senate Bill 3222

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE MISSISSIPPI BOARD OF ANIMAL HEALTH FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFRAYING THE EXPENSES OF THE BOARD, INCLUDING DISEASE CONTROL PROGRAMS; AND FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFRAYING THE OPERATING EXPENSES OF THE VETERINARY DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY FOR 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, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Mississippi Board of Animal Health, including disease control programs; and for the payment of salaries, expenses and other annual costs necessary for the operation of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, in accordance with the provisions of Section 69-15-11, Mississippi Code of 1972, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending

June 30, 1999 $ 2,091,856.00.

SECTION 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized for expenditure out of any special source funds which are collected by or otherwise become available for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Mississippi Board of Animal Health, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999 $ 637,302.00.

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 $ 1,774,619.00

Travel and Subsistence 39,794.00

Contractual Services 453,108.00

Commodities 195,140.00

Capital Outlay:

Other Than Equipment 0.00

Equipment 74,598.00

Subsidies, Loans and Grants 191,899.00

Total $ 2,729,158.00

FUNDING:

General Funds $ 2,091,856.00

Special Funds 637,302.00

Total $ 2,729,158.00

AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:

Permanent: Full Time. . . . . . . . . 50

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

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

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

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. Contingent upon the passage of House Bill 1584 of the 1998 Session, it is the intention of the Legislature that certain funds and employment positions authorized under the provisions of this appropriation shall be transferred from the Board of Animal Health to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Board.

All authorized positions which were associated, in whole or in part, with the Board of Animal Health's diagnostic laboratory in fiscal year 1998 shall be transferred to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Board on July 1, 1998. The transfer of said funds and positions shall be based upon consultation with the Legislative Budget Office staff and upon the estimated fiscal year 1998 expenditure and position data contained within the fiscal year 1999 budget request of the Board of Animal Health.

It is further the intention of the Legislature that all office equipment, computer equipment and other equipment currently utilized, in whole or in part, by the personnel occupying the positions being transferred shall also be transferred to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Board.

It is further the intention of the Legislature that the transfer of funds referenced herein shall include both the transfer of General Funds and the transfer of special fund expenditure authority and that said special fund expenditure authority shall allow the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Board to receive, budget and expend any special funds which are collected or otherwise become available to the Board.

Before the establishment and allotment of such resources for fiscal year 1999, copies of the proposed division of resources shall be provided to the Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, the Legislative Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review for their review.

The FY99 Appropriation contains funding for a Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Director position that shall be established only in the event that House Bill No. 1584, Regular Session of 1998, is enacted into law. If enacted into law, the new Laboratory Director position will be transferred to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Board.

SECTION 5. 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 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1998.