MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1998 Regular Session

To: Appropriations

By: Senator(s) Hall, Burton, Woodfield, Carter, Gollott, Ross, Stogner, Walls

Senate Bill 3224

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 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 Economic and Community Development for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending

June 30, 1999 $ 27,305,937.00.

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 Economic and Community Development or the appropriate special fund for the purpose of defraying the expenses incurred in the operation of the various divisions of the department for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999

$ 121,968,908.00.

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

AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:

Permanent: Full Time. . . . . . . . . 327

Part Time. . . . . . . . . 7

Time-Limited: Full Time. . . . . . . . . 42

Part Time. . . . . . . . . 3

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.

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. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2, the amount of Four Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($450,000.00) shall be provided from the Motor Carrier Regulation Account to defray the expenses of the Department of Economic and Community Development in operating the state welcome centers.

SECTION 5. The acceptance and expenditure of funds, and interest on such funds, received from, or by virtue of consent or other orders of or agreements involving any agency, instrumentality, or judicial tribunal of any state or the United States for petroleum price compliance and allocation which may become available during the 1999 Fiscal Year for the support of the Department of Economic and Community Development or any programs sponsored under the terms of the receipt of these funds are hereby authorized not to exceed Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00) and approved, provided such receipts and expenditures are reported and otherwise accounted for in accordance with Section 27-103-101 et seq., and Section 27-104-1 et seq., Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 6. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Department of Economic and Community Development is hereby authorized to escalate and expend funds from any source not to exceed Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00) in accordance with rules and regulations of the Department of Finance and Administration in a manner consistent with the escalation of federal funds.

SECTION 7. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Department of Economic and Community Development 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 8. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1, the amount of Seven Million Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($7,200,000.00), or so much thereof as may be necessary, is provided for the purpose of supporting Mississippi Tourism Advertising and Promotion for Fiscal Year 1999. The expenditure of funds authorized in this section shall be exempt from Section 25-9-120, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 9. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1, the amount of Two Million Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,200,000.00), or so much thereof as may be necessary, is provided for the purpose of supporting, marketing, and facilitating Mississippi business growth for Fiscal Year 1999. The expenditure of funds authorized in this section shall be exempt from Section 25-9-120, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 10. In compliance with the "Mississippi Performance Budget and Strategic Planning Act of 1994," it is the intent of the Legislature that the funds provided herein shall be utilized in the most efficient and effective manner possible to achieve the intended mission of this agency. Based on the funding authorized, this agency shall make every effort to attain the targeted performance measures provided below:

Performance Measures FY99 Target National Development

Recruitment contacts (Actions) 2,000

Minority business contacts (Actions) 4,087

Minority business certifications (Actions) 270

Qualified prospects (Prospects) 200

International Development

Investment contacts (Entities) 300

Trade contacts (Entities) 1,000

Investment prospects (Prospects) 44

Financial Resources

Requests for financing or incentives (Actions) 360

Tourism Development

Number of tourist inquiries generated(#) 444,737

Welcome Centers

Tourists registered (Persons) 3,260,000

Existing Industry & Business

Interactions with interested businesses (actions) 7,560

Businesses assisted (Entities) 2,700

Energy

BTUs saved (Units in trillions) 65.00

Clients served (Entities) 31,500

Employment Training

Successful program completion by clients (%) 78

Clients served (Persons) 12,460

Community Services

Amount of grants awarded ($) 55,000,000

Grants and loans awarded (Items) 185

Community programs delivered (Programs) 165

A reporting of the degree to which the performance targets set above have been or are being achieved shall be provided in the agency's budget request submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee for Fiscal Year 2000.

SECTION 11. Of the funds provided herein, the amount of Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000.00), or so much thereof as may be necessary, is provided for advertising/promotion of The United States Women's Open Championship Tournament, if the tournament is held in the State of Mississippi.

SECTION 12. 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, to the Department of Economic and Community Development for the purpose of providing funds for the Institute for Technology Development, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and ending June 30, 1999

$ 750,000.00.

The funds appropriated under the provisions of this section are provided for the specific purpose of providing state funds for support of the Institute for Technology Development to equip, operate and maintain a post-graduate, integrated circuit design, engineering training program, known as ComPEET. The funds herein appropriated shall be held separate and apart from all other funds appropriated to the Department of Economic and Community Development.

SECTION 13. It is the intent of the Legislature that, to the extent the Department of Economic and Community Development has primary responsibility for announcements of new or expanded facilities, the department shall notify members of the Legislature in whose district or part of whose district the new or expanded facilities are located, of such announcements. However, notice shall not be required under this section if such notice would disclose confidential client information concerning a project, which information is exempt from the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983 as provided under Section 57-1-14, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 14. With the funds provided herein, it is the intention of the Legislature that Seventeen Thousand Seven Hundred Twenty-six Dollars ($17,726.00) shall be transferred to the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services for the statewide data network backbone.

SECTION 15. 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 16. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1998.