MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2002 Regular Session

To: Appropriations

By: Senator(s) Gordon, Thames, Burton, Frazier, Chaney, Dawkins, Dearing, Farris, Posey, Scoper

Senate Bill 3145

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING TO DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF THE CONSOLIDATED OPERATION OF THE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CENTER, THE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CENTER AND MARIS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2003.

     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, to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, who is assigned custody and management of the center:  (1) to defray the expenses of operating and maintaining the Education and Research Center of Mississippi and the Mississippi Automated Resource Information System (MARIS), including, but not limited to, the maintenance of said buildings and grounds and expenses for fuel, water, electricity, telephones, supplies and salaries for personnel necessary therefor; and (2) to be used for the support and maintenance of the University Research Center for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2002, and ending June 30, 2003 . . . . . . . . . $     2,969,963.00.

SECTION 2.  The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized for expenditure out of any special funds which are collected by or otherwise become available and funds available from building use charge for the following purposes:  (1) to defray the expenses of operating and maintaining the Education and Research Center of Mississippi and the Mississippi Automated Resource Information System (MARIS), including, but not limited to, the maintenance of said buildings and grounds, and expenses for fuel, water, electricity, telephones, supplies and salaries for personnel necessary therefor; and (2) to be used for the support and maintenance of the University Research Center for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2002, and ending June 30, 2003...... $     1,606,344.00.

     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and/or other special funds which are being used for salaries authorized under the provisions of this act and which are withdrawn and no longer available.  Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with the terms, conditions and procedures established by law.

     SECTION 3.  Any funds appropriated pursuant to this act and paid as a fee to or deposited in a financial institution shall be in compliance with Section 109 of the Constitution of the State of Mississippi and Section 25-4-103, Mississippi Code of 1972.

     SECTION 4.  All fees charged and collected by the University Research Center for services provided by the Mississippi Automated Resource Information System (MARIS) shall be deposited in a special fund to be known as the "Mississippi Automated Resource Information System (MARIS) Revolving Fund."  All monies in the revolving fund shall be used by MARIS exclusively for the support of MARIS projects and activities.

     SECTION 5.  It is the intention of the Legislature that the agency's budget request for Fiscal Year 2004 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 2003 budget request process.

     SECTION 6.  Of the funds authorized for expenditure in Section 2, Four Hundred Seven Thousand Nine Hundred

Forty-one Dollars ($407,941.00) shall be derived from

the Education Enhancement Fund from funds deposited pursuant to Sections 27-65-75 and 27-67-31, Mississippi Code of 1972.

     SECTION 7.  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 8.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2002.