REPORT OF CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

 

MADAM PRESIDENT AND MR. SPEAKER:

 

   We, the undersigned conferees, have had under consideration the amendments to the following entitled BILL:

 

S. B. No. 3106:  Appropriation; Finance & Admin. Consol.

 

  We, therefore, respectfully submit the following report and recommendation:

 

  1.  That the House recede from its Amendment No. 1.

 

  2.  That the Senate and House adopt the following amendment:

 

     Amend by striking all after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

 


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 defray the expenses of the Department of Finance and Administration for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2004, and ending June 30, 2005..........

............................................ $    11,236,200.00.

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 Finance and Administration for the purpose of defraying the expenses incurred in the operation of the various offices of the department for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2004, and ending June 30, 2005.........................

............................................ $    18,959,609.00.

     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$    15,718,961.00

Travel and Subsistence..............        167,548.00

Contractual Services.....................     11,789,379.00

Commodities..............................        931,202.00

     Capital Outlay:

Other Than Equipment................              0.00

Equipment...........................        695,724.00

Subsidies, Loans and Grants..............        892,995.00

Total.............................. $    30,195,809.00

  FUNDING:

General Funds........................... $    11,236,200.00

Special Funds............................     18,959,609.00

Total.............................. $    30,195,809.00

  AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:

Permanent:    Full Time...........      337

Part Time...........        2

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

Part Time...........        0

     Provided that a report based on expenditures incurred during the current and immediate-past fiscal years shall be provided to each regularly scheduled legislative session.  This report should reflect expenditures as a result of the operation of the Robert E. Lee Building, the Woolfolk State Office Building, the Gartin and Sillers Buildings, the Capitol Buildings, the Central High School Building, the 301 Building and other state buildings, and this report should contain any steps taken to reduce operating costs.

     It is also the intention of the Legislature that no state-owned aircraft shall be utilized by any person except for official business only.

SECTION 4.  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 special fund in the State Treasury to the credit of the Tort Claims Fund for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Tort Claims Board in the administration of the Tort Claims Act for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2004, and ending June 30, 2005..................................................

........................................... $     10,304,992.00.

     Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of this section, 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$       345,406.00

Travel and Subsistence..............         17,400.00

Contractual Services.....................      4,022,678.00

Commodities..............................          8,300.00

     Capital Outlay:

Other Than Equipment................              0.00

Equipment...........................          3,000.00

Subsidies, Loans and Grants..............      5,908,208.00

Total.............................. $    10,304,992.00

  FUNDING:

General Funds........................... $             0.00

Special Funds............................     10,304,992.00

Total.............................. $    10,304,992.00

  AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:

Permanent:    Full Time...........        6

Part Time...........        0

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

Part Time...........        0

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 Medical Malpractice Fund for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Tort Claims Board in administering the Medical Malpractice Insurance Availability Plan,  for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2004, and ending June 30, 2005........................ $   250,000.00.

     Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of this section, 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$       238,878.00

Travel and Subsistence..............              0.00

Contractual Services.....................         11,122.00

Commodities..............................              0.00

     Capital Outlay:

Other Than Equipment................              0.00

Equipment...........................              0.00

Subsidies, Loans and Grants..............              0.00

Total.............................. $       250,000.00

  FUNDING:

General Funds........................... $             0.00

Special Funds............................        250,000.00

Total.............................. $       250,000.00

  AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:

Permanent:    Full Time...........        5

Part Time...........        0

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

Part Time...........        0

     SECTION 6.  With the funds herein appropriated, it is the intention of the Legislature that it shall be the agency's responsibility to make certain that funds required to be appropriated for "Personal Services" for Fiscal Year 2006 do not exceed Fiscal Year 2005 funds appropriated for that purpose, unless programs or positions are added to the agency's Fiscal Year 2006 budget by the Mississippi Legislature.  Based on data provided by the Legislative Budget Office, the State Personnel Board shall determine and publish the projected annual cost to fully fund all appropriated positions in compliance with the provisions of this act.  It shall be the responsibility of the agency head to insure that no single personnel action increases this projected annual cost and/or the Fiscal Year 2005 appropriation for "Personal Services" when annualized, with the exception of escalated funds.  If, at the time the agency takes any action to change "Personal Services," the State Personnel Board determines that the agency has taken an action which would cause the agency to exceed this projected annual cost or the Fiscal Year 2005 "Personal Services" appropriated level, when annualized, then only those actions which reduce the projected annual cost and/or the appropriation requirement will be processed by the State Personnel Board until such time as the requirements of this provision are met.

     Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with the terms, conditions and procedures established by law or allowable under the terms set forth within this act.  The State Personnel Board shall not escalate positions without written approval from the Department of Finance and Administration.  The Department of Finance and Administration shall not provide written approval to escalate any funds for salaries and/or positions without proof of availability of new or additional funds above the appropriated level.

     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 7.  The Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real Property Management of the Office of General Services is hereby expressly authorized and empowered to receive, budget and expend any state, local or other source funds designated for supplemental funding of construction and/or repairs and renovation projects.

     SECTION 8.  Of the funds appropriated in Section 2, the following amounts are authorized to be spent out of the Local Disaster Loan Fund No. 3144 by the Department of Finance and Administration:

          (a)  Sixty Thousand Dollars ($60,000.00) for premium payments for flood insurance on state-owned facilities.

          (b)  One Hundred Sixty-five Thousand Dollars ($165,000.00) for the purpose of defraying the cost of the Office of Air Transport Services.

     SECTION 9.  Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 2, the following amounts are authorized to be spent out of the Statewide Cost Allocation Fund No. 3143 by the Department of Finance and Administration:

(a)          Three Hundred Two Thousand Fifty Dollars ($302,050.00) for the purpose of defraying computer expenses.

(b)          Eight Hundred Eleven Thousand Five Hundred Ninety-four Dollars ($811,594.00) for the purpose of defraying the cost of the acquisition, development and implementation of the Statewide Automated Accounting System, which includes implementation and operation of an imaging/electronic processing system and records management.

(c)          One Million One Hundred Eighty-six Thousand Three Hundred Fifty-six Dollars ($1,186,356.00) for the purpose of defraying the expenses of administration of the Statewide Cost Allocation Plan, utilities for the Capitol Complex, and Air Transport Services.

     SECTION 10.  It is the intention of the Legislature that the Department of Finance and Administration 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 2004.  It is further the intention of the Legislature that the agency's budget request for Fiscal Year 2006 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 2005 budget request process.

     SECTION 11.  It is the intention of the Legislature that the Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration may authorize increases in major objects of expenditure in total amounts not to exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the appropriated amount of each major object of expenditure, provided that other major objects of expenditure are decreased by a corresponding dollar amount.  However, no transfers shall be authorized which increase the major object of expenditure "Salaries, Wages and Fringe Benefits."

     SECTION 12.  It is the intention of the Legislature that the Department of Finance and Administration is hereby authorized to accept, budget and expend funds, not to exceed Three Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($3,500,000.00), from any source in accordance with rules and regulations of the Department of Finance and Administration in a manner consistent with the escalation of federal funds.

     SECTION 13.  With the funds appropriated herein, the Department of Finance and Administration is authorized to pay an invoice dated March 2, 2004, from the USDA Forest Services in the amount of Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000.00) for a United States government surplus vehicle received by the Department of Finance and Administration prior to Fiscal Year 2003.

     SECTION 14.  It is the intention of the Legislature that the Department of Finance and Administration is hereby authorized to escalate funds in an amount not to exceed Three Hundred Ninety-six Thousand Eight Hundred Twenty-one Dollars ($396,821.00) and Six (6) Permanent Full-Time PINS, contingent upon passage of legislation that creates the Office of Administrative Services (OAS) within the Department of Finance and Administration, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of said office for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2004, and ending June 30, 2005.

     SECTION 15.  It is the intention of the Legislature that the Department of Finance and Administration is hereby authorized to escalate funds in an amount not to exceed Two Hundred Sixteen Thousand Nine Hundred Dollars ($216,900.00) and Six (6) Permanent Full-Time PINS for costs associated with additional Capitol Facilities duties contingent upon passage of House Bill 1370 of the 2004 Regular Session.

SECTION 16.  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 17.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2004, except for Sections 12 and 13 which shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.


     Further, amend by striking the title in its entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:



     AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION FOR FISCAL YEARS 2004 AND 2005.


 

CONFEREES FOR THE SENATE          CONFEREES FOR THE HOUSE

 

 

X (SIGNED)

X (SIGNED)

Jack Gordon

Johnny W. Stringer

 

 

X (SIGNED)

X (SIGNED)

Bob M. Dearing

George Flaggs, Jr.

 

 

X (SIGNED)

X (SIGNED)

Gary Jackson

J. B. Markham