Amendment_Report_for

SECTION 1. 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 Mississippi Institute for Forest Inventory which is comprised of special source funds and donations collected by or otherwise available to the Institute for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Institute for the period beginning July 1, 2006, and ending June 30, 2007...........................................

............................................ $ 282,083.00.

SECTION 2. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 1, not more than the amounts set forth below shall be under the authority of the State Personnel Board:

AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:

Permanent: Full Time........... 3

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

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

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

For the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2006, funds are provided herein to adjust the annual compensation of each employee who has been employed for twelve (12) months or longer by an amount equal to One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), effective on July 1, 2006.

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 2008 do not exceed Fiscal Year 2007 funds appropriated for that purpose, unless programs or positions are added to the agency's Fiscal Year 2008 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 2007 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 2007 "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 3. This appropriation is made for the purpose of providing funds to defray the expenses of the Mississippi Institute for Forest Inventory as established in Section 49-19-403, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 4. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Institute for Forest Inventory is hereby authorized to accept, budget and expend funds, not to exceed One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00), 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 5. It is the intention of the Legislature that whenever two (2) or more bids are received by this agency for the purchase of commodities or equipment, and whenever all things stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, quality and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to the Mississippi Industries for the Blind whenever purchases are made without competitive bids.

SECTION 6. All expenditures of funds appropriated by this act for the purposes of advertising through the media shall comply with the provisions of this section. All notices, advertisements, or announcements designed to accomplish distribution of vital information paid for wholly or in part through funds appropriated by this act and distributed through the media shall be placed according to a formula based upon the following criteria:

(a) Outlets of the Mississippi Public Broadcasting System shall receive twenty percent (20%) of all expenditures allotted for any advertising campaign undertaken by the agency to which funds are appropriated by this act. All distribution of information undertaken by the Mississippi Broadcasting System under these requirements shall conform to the accepted standards of information distribution common to public media.

(b) Media outlets, other than outlets of the Mississippi Public Broadcasting System, shall receive placement of such notices through the following method of distribution and based upon commonly accepted boundaries of distribution:

(i) Newspapers. Newspapers demonstrating established market reach through verifiable and auditable circulation numbers shall receive twenty-five percent (25%) of all expenditures allotted for distribution of vital information, and such expenditures to the individual newspapers shall be determined and prorated based upon the verifiable and auditable share of total circulation within the individual counties. This requirement does not replace the requirements and systems currently in place regarding legal notices in the newspapers.

(ii) Radio. Radio stations demonstrating established market reach through verifiable and auditable market share information as recorded through reputable and established rating services shall receive twenty percent (20%) of all expenditures allotted for such distribution of vital information, and such expenditures to the individual stations shall be determined and prorated based upon the verifiable and auditable share of total market reach within the individual counties.

(iii) Television. Television stations and television cable outlets demonstrating established market reach through verifiable and auditable market share information as recorded through reputable and established rating services shall receive twenty percent (20%) of all expenditures allotted for such distribution of vital information, and such expenditures to the individual stations shall be determined and prorated based upon the verifiable and auditable share of total market reach within the individual demonstrated market reach area of the station or cable outlet.

(iv) Magazines. Magazines demonstrating established market reach through verifiable and auditable circulation numbers shall receive ten percent (10%) of all expenditures allotted for such distribution of vital information, and such expenditures to the individual magazines shall be determined and prorated based upon the verifiable and auditable circulation numbers within the counties. If no magazine exists which meets the criteria stated above, the portion of those funds so allotted shall be distributed among the other media outlets equally.

(v) Electronic media. Electronic media demonstrating established market reach through verifiable and auditable circulation numbers shall receive five percent (5%) of all expenditures allotted for such distribution of vital information, and such expenditures to the individual electronic media outlets shall be determined and prorated based upon the verifiable and auditable circulation numbers within the counties. If no electronic media exists which meets the criteria stated above, the portion of those funds so allotted shall be distributed equally among the other media outlets.

Provisions of this section do not apply to the placement of advertisements in national media outlets to recruit economic development or to promote tourism in the state.

SECTION 7. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by the State Treasurer out of any money in 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, 2006.