MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2007 Regular Session

To: Appropriations

By: Senator(s) Gordon

Senate Bill 2985

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 43-13-407, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DELAY CERTAIN REPAYMENT PROVISIONS IN THE TOBACCO SETTLEMENT HEALTH CARE TRUST FUND ACT; TO AMEND SECTION 27-65-75, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DELAY UNTIL 2008 THE SALES TAX DIVERSION THAT IS TO BE DEPOSITED INTO THE SPECIAL FUNDS TRANSFER FUND FOR THE REPAYMENT OF BORROWED FUNDS; TO AMEND SECTION 10, CHAPTER 595, LAWS OF 2004, TO CONFORM TO THE PRECEDING SECTION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

     SECTION 1.  Section 43-13-407, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     43-13-407.  (1)  In accordance with the purposes of this article, there is established in the State Treasury the Health Care Expendable Fund, into which shall be transferred from the Health Care Trust Fund the following sums:

          (a)  In fiscal year 2005, Four Hundred Fifty-six Million Dollars ($456,000,000.00);

          (b)  In fiscal year 2006, One Hundred Eighty-six Million Dollars ($186,000,000.00);

          (c)  In fiscal year 2007, One Hundred Forty-six Million Dollars ($146,000,000.00);

          (d)  In fiscal year 2008, One Hundred Six Million Dollars ($106,000,000.00);

          (e)  In fiscal year 2009, Sixty-six Million Dollars ($66,000,000.00);

          (f)  In fiscal year 2010 and each fiscal year thereafter, a sum equal to the average annual amount of the dividends, interest and other income, including increases in value of the principal, earned on the funds in the Health Care Trust Fund during the preceding four (4) fiscal years.

     (2)  In any fiscal year in which interest, dividends and other income from the investment of the funds in the Health Care Trust Fund are not sufficient to fund the full amount of the annual transfer into the Health Care Expendable Fund as required in subsection (1)(f) of this section, the State Treasurer shall transfer from tobacco settlement installment payments an amount that is sufficient to fully fund the amount of the annual transfer.

     (3)  On March 6, 2002, the State Treasurer shall transfer the sum of Eighty-seven Million Dollars ($87,000,000.00) from the Health Care Trust Fund into the Health Care Expendable Fund.  In addition, at the time the State of Mississippi receives thetobacco settlement installment payments for each of the calendar years 2002 and 2003, the State Treasurer shall deposit the full amount of each of those installment payments into the Health Care Expendable Fund.

     (4)  The total sum of Two Hundred Forty Million Dollars ($240,000,000.00) plus interest at the rate of five percent (5%) per annum shall be transferred into the Health Care Trust Fund from the State General Fund during fiscal years 2009 through 2016 to repay the trust fund for Two Hundred Forty Million Dollars ($240,000,000.00) of the total sum that is transferred from the trust fund to the Health Care Expendable Fund during fiscal year 2005 under subsection (1)(a) of this section.  The repayment shall be made according to the following schedule:  During each of fiscal years 2009 through 2015, the State Fiscal Officer shall transfer from the General Fund to the Health Care Trust Fund the sum of Thirty-eight Million Dollars ($38,000,000.00), and during fiscal year 2016 the State Fiscal Officer shall transfer from the State General Fund to the Health Care Trust Fund a sum in the amount certified by the State Treasurer as necessary to fully repay the balance of the Two Hundred Forty Million Dollars ($240,000,000.00) plus interest at the rate of five percent (5%) per annum.

     (5)  All income from the investment of the funds in the Health Care Expendable Fund shall be credited to the account of the Health Care Expendable Fund.  Any funds in the Health Care Expendable Fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund.

     (6)  The funds in the Health Care Expendable Fund shall be available for expenditure under specific appropriation by the Legislature beginning in fiscal year 2000, and shall be expended exclusively for health care purposes.

     (7)  The provisions of subsection (1) of this section may not be changed in any manner except upon amendment to that subsection by a bill enacted by the Legislature with a vote of not less than three-fifths (3/5) of the members of each house present and voting.

     (8)  Subsections (1), (2), (5) and (6) of this section shall stand repealed on July 1, 2009.

     SECTION 2.  Section 27-65-75, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     27-65-75.  On or before the fifteenth day of each month, the revenue collected under the provisions of this chapter during the preceding month shall be paid and distributed as follows:

     (1)  (a)  On or before August 15, 1992, and each succeeding month thereafter through July 15, 1993, eighteen percent (18%) of the total sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of this chapter, except that collected under the provisions of Sections 27-65-15, 27-65-19(3) and 27-65-21, on business activities within a municipal corporation shall be allocated for distribution to the municipality and paid to the municipal corporation.  On or before August 15, 1993, and each succeeding month thereafter, eighteen and one-half percent (18-1/2%) of the total sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of this chapter, except that collected under the provisions of Sections 27-65-15, 27-65-19(3) and 27-65-21, on business activities within a municipal corporation shall be allocated for distribution to the municipality and paid to the municipal corporation.

     A municipal corporation, for the purpose of distributing the tax under this subsection, shall mean and include all incorporated cities, towns and villages.

     Monies allocated for distribution and credited to a municipal corporation under this subsection may be pledged as security for a loan if the distribution received by the municipal corporation is otherwise authorized or required by law to be pledged as security for such a loan.

     In any county having a county seat that is not an incorporated municipality, the distribution provided under this subsection shall be made as though the county seat was an incorporated municipality; however, the distribution to the municipality shall be paid to the county treasury in which the municipality is located, and those funds shall be used for road, bridge and street construction or maintenance in the county.

          (b)  On or before August 15, 2006, and each succeeding month thereafter, eighteen and one-half percent (18-1/2%) of the total sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of this chapter, except that collected under the provisions of Sections 27-65-15, 27-65-19(3) and 27-65-21, on business activities on the campus of a state institution of higher learning or community or junior college whose campus is not located within the corporate limits of a municipality, shall be allocated for distribution to the state institution of higher learning or community or junior college and paid to the state institution of higher learning or community or junior college.

     (2)  On or before September 15, 1987, and each succeeding month thereafter, from the revenue collected under this chapter during the preceding month, One Million One Hundred Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($1,125,000.00) shall be allocated for distribution to municipal corporations as defined under subsection (1) of this section in the proportion that the number of gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel sold by distributors to consumers and retailers in each such municipality during the preceding fiscal year bears to the total gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel sold by distributors to consumers and retailers in municipalities statewide during the preceding fiscal year.  The State Tax Commission shall require all distributors of gasoline and diesel fuel to report to the commission monthly the total number of gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel sold by them to consumers and retailers in each municipality during the preceding month.  The State Tax Commission shall have the authority to promulgate such rules and regulations as is necessary to determine the number of gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel sold by distributors to consumers and retailers in each municipality.  In determining the percentage allocation of funds under this subsection for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1987, and ending June 30, 1988, the State Tax Commission may consider gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel sold for a period of less than one (1) fiscal year.  For the purposes of this subsection, the term "fiscal year" means the fiscal year beginning July 1 of a year.

     (3)  On or before September 15, 1987, and on or before the fifteenth day of each succeeding month, until the date specified in Section 65-39-35, the proceeds derived from contractors' taxes levied under Section 27-65-21 on contracts for the construction or reconstruction of highways designated under the highway program created under Section 65-3-97 shall, except as otherwise provided in Section 31-17-127, be deposited into the State Treasury to the credit of the State Highway Fund to be used to fund that highway program.  The Mississippi Department of Transportation shall provide to the State Tax Commission such information as is necessary to determine the amount of proceeds to be distributed under this subsection.

     (4)  On or before August 15, 1994, and on or before the fifteenth day of each succeeding month through July 15, 1999, from the proceeds of gasoline, diesel fuel or kerosene taxes as provided in Section 27-5-101(a)(ii)1, Four Million Dollars ($4,000,000.00) shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of a special fund designated as the "State Aid Road Fund," created by Section 65-9-17.  On or before August 15, 1999, and on or before the fifteenth day of each succeeding month, from the total amount of the proceeds of gasoline, diesel fuel or kerosene taxes apportioned by Section 27-5-101(a)(ii)1, Four Million Dollars ($4,000,000.00) or an amount equal to twenty-three and one-fourth percent (23-1/4%) of those funds, whichever is the greater amount, shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the "State Aid Road Fund," created by Section 65-9-17.  Those funds shall be pledged to pay the principal of and interest on state aid road bonds heretofore issued under Sections 19-9-51 through 19-9-77, in lieu of and in substitution for the funds previously allocated to counties under this section.  Those funds may not be pledged for the payment of any state aid road bonds issued after April 1, 1981; however, this prohibition against the pledging of any such funds for the payment of bonds shall not apply to any bonds for which intent to issue those bonds has been published, for the first time, as provided by law before March 29, 1981.  From the amount of taxes paid into the special fund under this subsection and subsection (9) of this section, there shall be first deducted and paid the amount necessary to pay the expenses of the Office of State Aid Road Construction, as authorized by the Legislature for all other general and special fund agencies.  The remainder of the fund shall be allocated monthly to the several counties in accordance with the following formula:

          (a)  One-third (1/3) shall be allocated to all counties in equal shares;

          (b)  One-third (1/3) shall be allocated to counties based on the proportion that the total number of rural road miles in a county bears to the total number of rural road miles in all counties of the state; and

          (c)  One-third (1/3) shall be allocated to counties based on the proportion that the rural population of the county bears to the total rural population in all counties of the state, according to the latest federal decennial census.

     For the purposes of this subsection, the term "gasoline, diesel fuel or kerosene taxes" means such taxes as defined in paragraph (f) of Section 27-5-101.

     The amount of funds allocated to any county under this subsection for any fiscal year after fiscal year 1994 shall not be less than the amount allocated to the county for fiscal year 1994.

     Any reference in the general laws of this state or the Mississippi Code of 1972 to Section 27-5-105 shall mean and be construed to refer and apply to subsection (4) of Section 27-65-75.

     (5)  One Million Six Hundred Sixty-six Thousand Six Hundred Sixty-six Dollars ($1,666,666.00) each month shall be paid into the special fund known as the "State Public School Building Fund" created and existing under the provisions of Sections 37-47-1 through 37-47-67.  Those payments into that fund are to be made on the last day of each succeeding month hereafter.

     (6)  An amount each month beginning August 15, 1983, through November 15, 1986, as specified in Section 6 of Chapter 542, Laws of 1983, shall be paid into the special fund known as the Correctional Facilities Construction Fund created in Section 6 of Chapter 542, Laws of 1983.

     (7)  On or before August 15, 1992, and each succeeding month thereafter through July 15, 2000, two and two hundred sixty-six one-thousandths percent (2.266%) of the total sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of this chapter, except that collected under the provisions of Section 27-65-17(2) shall be deposited by the commission into the School Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund created under Section 37-61-35.  On or before August 15, 2000, and each succeeding month thereafter, two and two hundred sixty-six one-thousandths percent (2.266%) of the total sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of this chapter, except that collected under the provisions of Section 27-65-17(2), shall be deposited into the School Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund created under Section 37-61-35 until such time that the total amount deposited into the fund during a fiscal year equals Forty-two Million Dollars ($42,000,000.00).  Thereafter, the amounts diverted under this subsection (7) during the fiscal year in excess of Forty-two Million Dollars ($42,000,000.00) shall be deposited into the Education Enhancement Fund created under Section 37-61-33 for appropriation by the Legislature as other education needs and shall not be subject to the percentage appropriation requirements set forth in Section 37-61-33.

     (8)  On or before August 15, 1992, and each succeeding month thereafter, nine and seventy-three one-thousandths percent (9.073%) of the total sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of this chapter, except that collected under the provisions of Section 27-65-17(2), shall be deposited into the Education Enhancement Fund created under Section 37-61-33.

     (9)  On or before August 15, 1994, and each succeeding month thereafter, from the revenue collected under this chapter during the preceding month, Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) shall be paid into the State Aid Road Fund.

     (10)  On or before August 15, 1994, and each succeeding month thereafter through August 15, 1995, from the revenue collected under this chapter during the preceding month, Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00) shall be deposited into the Motor Vehicle Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund established in Section 27-51-105.

     (11)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this section to the contrary, on or before February 15, 1995, and each succeeding month thereafter, the sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of Section 27-65-17(2) and the corresponding levy in Section 27-65-23 on the rental or lease of private carriers of passengers and light carriers of property as defined in Section 27-51-101 shall be deposited, without diversion, into the Motor Vehicle Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund established in Section 27-51-105.

     (12)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this section to the contrary, on or before August 15, 1995, and each succeeding month thereafter, the sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of Section 27-65-17(1) on retail sales of private carriers of passengers and light carriers of property, as defined in Section 27-51-101 and the corresponding levy in Section 27-65-23 on the rental or lease of these vehicles, shall be deposited, after diversion, into the Motor Vehicle Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund established in Section 27-51-105.

     (13)  On or before July 15, 1994, and on or before the fifteenth day of each succeeding month thereafter, that portion of the avails of the tax imposed in Section 27-65-22 that is derived from activities held on the Mississippi State Fairgrounds Complex, shall be paid into a special fund that is created in the State Treasury and shall be expended upon legislative appropriation solely to defray the costs of repairs and renovation at the Trade Mart and Coliseum.

     (14)  On or before August 15, 1998, and each succeeding month thereafter through July 15, 2005, that portion of the avails of the tax imposed in Section 27-65-23 that is derived from sales by cotton compresses or cotton warehouses and that would otherwise be paid into the General Fund, shall be deposited in an amount not to exceed Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00) into the special fund created under Section 69-37-39.

     (15)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this section to the contrary, on or before September 15, 2000, and each succeeding month thereafter, the sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of Section 27-65-19(1)(f) and (g)(i)2, shall be deposited, without diversion, into the Telecommunications Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund established in Section 27-38-7.

     (16)  On or before August 15, 2000, and each succeeding month thereafter, the sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of this chapter on the gross proceeds of sales of a project as defined in Section 57-30-1 shall be deposited, after all diversions except the diversion provided for in subsection (1) of this section, into the Sales Tax Incentive Fund created in Section 57-30-3.

     (17)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this section to the contrary, on or before April 15, 2002, and each succeeding month thereafter, the sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under Section 27-65-23 on sales of parking services of parking garages and lots at airports shall be deposited, without diversion, into the special fund created under Section 27-5-101(d).

     (18)  On or before August 15, 2008, and each succeeding month thereafter through July 15, 2009, from the sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of this chapter, Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000.00) shall be deposited into the Special Funds Transfer Fund created in Section 4 of Chapter 556, Laws of 2003.

     (19)  (a)  On or before August 15, 2005, and each succeeding month thereafter, the sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of this chapter on the gross proceeds of sales of a business enterprise located within a redevelopment project area under the provisions of Sections 57-91-1 through 57-91-11, and the revenue collected on the gross proceeds of sales from sales made to a business enterprise located in a redevelopment project area under the provisions of Sections 57-91-1 through 57-91-11 (provided that such sales made to a business enterprise are made on the premises of the business enterprise), shall, except as otherwise provided in this subsection (19), be deposited, after all diversions, into the Redevelopment Project Incentive Fund as created in Section 57-91-9.

          (b)  For a municipality participating in the Economic Redevelopment Act created in Sections 57-91-1 through 57-91-11, the diversion provided for in subsection (1) of this section attributable to the gross proceeds of sales of a business enterprise located within a redevelopment project area under the provisions of Sections 57-91-1 through 57-91-11, and attributable to the gross proceeds of sales from sales made to a business enterprise located in a redevelopment project area under the provisions of Sections 57-91-1 through 57-91-11 (provided that such sales made to a business enterprise are made on the premises of the business enterprise), shall be deposited into the Redevelopment Project Incentive Fund as created in Section 57-91-9, as follows:

               (i)  For the first six (6) years in which payments are made to a developer from the Redevelopment Project Incentive Fund, one hundred percent (100%) of the diversion shall be deposited into the fund;

              (ii)  For the seventh year in which such payments are made to a developer from the Redevelopment Project Incentive Fund, eighty percent (80%) of the diversion shall be deposited into the fund;

              (iii)  For the eighth year in which such payments are made to a developer from the Redevelopment Project Incentive Fund, seventy percent (70%) of the diversion shall be deposited into the fund;

              (iv)  For the ninth year in which such payments are made to a developer from the Redevelopment Project Incentive Fund, sixty percent (60%) of the diversion shall be deposited into the fund; and

              (v)  For the tenth year in which such payments are made to a developer from the Redevelopment Project Incentive Fund, fifty percent (50%) of the funds shall be deposited into the fund.

     (20)  On or before January 15, 2007, and each succeeding month thereafter, eighty percent (80%) of the sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of this chapter from the operation of a tourism project under the provisions of Sections 57-28-1 through 57-28-5, shall be deposited, after the diversions required in subsections (7) and (8) of this section, into the Tourism Sales Tax Incentive Fund created in Section 57-28-3.

     (21)  The remainder of the amounts collected under the provisions of this chapter shall be paid into the State Treasury to the credit of the General Fund.

     (22)  It shall be the duty of the municipal officials of any municipality that expands its limits, or of any community that incorporates as a municipality, to notify the commissioner of that action thirty (30) days before the effective date.  Failure to so notify the commissioner shall cause the municipality to forfeit the revenue that it would have been entitled to receive during this period of time when the commissioner had no knowledge of the action.  If any funds have been erroneously disbursed to any municipality or any overpayment of tax is recovered by the taxpayer, the commissioner may make correction and adjust the error or overpayment with the municipality by withholding the necessary funds from any later payment to be made to the municipality.

     SECTION 3.  Section 10, Chapter 595, Laws of 2004, is amended as follows:

     Section 4.  (1)  There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be known as the Special Funds Transfer Fund, which shall be comprised of the monies required to be deposited into the fund under Section 27-65-75(18) for the repayment of certain funds transferred to the Budget Contingency Fund.  Upon receipt of monies deposited into the fund under Section 27-65-75(18), the State Treasurer shall transfer those monies to the special funds from which transfers were made under Sections 2 and 3 of Chapter 556, Laws of 2003.

     (2)  Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund on September 30, 2009, shall lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned or investment earnings on amounts in the fund shall be deposited to the credit of the fund.

     SECTION 4.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.