House Bill 1631

(As Passed the House)

AN ACT MAKING AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION OF CAPITAL EXPENSE FUNDS, AND SPECIAL FUNDS TO DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022 AND FISCAL YEAR 2023; THE WIRELESS COMMUNICATION COMMISSION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022; THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON REAPPORTIONMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022; THE STATE VETERANS AFFAIRS BOARD FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022; THE OFFICE OF STUDENT FINANCIAL AID FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022; THE GOVERNORS OFFICE – DIVISION OF MEDICAID FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022; THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of paying for certain outside legal assistance, expert witness fees, court fees, judgments and settlement agreements incurred by the Office of the Attorney General for the period July 1,2021, and ending June 30, 2022.................................. $ 1,398,000.00.

Of the funds appropriated in this section, the following amounts are provided:

(a) Settlement between the United States Environmental Protection Agency and State of Mississippi; Chemfax Inc., Superfund Site, Gulfport, Harrison County, Mississippi, Site/Spill ID Number: 04JF, CERCLA ID Number: MSD008154486, Settlement Agreement for the Recovery of Response Costs, Docket No. CERCLA-04-2014-3756.............. $ 3,000.00.

(b) Olivia Y., et al v. Phil Bryant, as Governor of the State of Mississippi and the Department of Human Services, United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Jackson Division, Cause No. 3:03cv251(L)(N)................................. $400,000.00.

(c) Pickett v. Mississippi Board of Animal Health, 2:18-cv-00214-KS-JCG (S.D. Miss).............................. $ 220,000.00.

(d) IHS Pharmacy v. Mississippi Department of Corrections, Hinds County Circuit Court, Cause No. 17-572..........................

............................................... $ 625,000.00.

(e) Tyler Edmonds v. State of Mississippi, Circuit Court of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, Claimant No. 2009-0457-CV.........

................................................ $ 50,000.00.

(f) Curtis Flowers v. State of Mississippi, Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Mississippi, Case No. 1:20-cv-00150...........

................................................. $ 50,000.00.

(g) Harvill Payne Richardson v. State of Mississippi, Circuit Court of Harrison County, Mississippi, Second Judicial District, Cause No. A2402-2020-87.................................... $ 50,000.00.

SECTION 2. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of paying for certain outside legal assistance, expert witness fees, court fees, judgments and settlement agreements incurred by the Office of the Attorney General for the period beginning upon passage of this act and ending June 30, 2023................ $ 675,000.00.

(a) Amos et al. v Taylor et al. 20-cv-00007-DMB-JMV (N.D. Miss); Lang, et al. v Cain et al., 4:20-cv-030-DMB-RP (N.D. Miss) and Brittany Waddell, et al. v. Taylor et al., Civil Action No. 3:20-cv-340-TSL-RHW (S.D. Miss)(attorney fees)....................... $ 300,000.00.

(b) Jackson Women’s Health Organization et al v. Dobbs et al., 3:18-cv-00171-CWR-FKB (S.D. Miss)(expert payments)...............

................................................ $ 100,000.00.

(c) United States v. State of Mississippi, 3:16-cv-622-CWR-FKB (S.D. Miss)(attorney fees)......................................

................................................ $ 200,000.00.

(d) Special Master as Required by Order of the Federal Court for United States v. State of Mississippi, 3:16-cv-00622-CWR-FKS (S.D. Miss)................................................ $ 75,000.00.

SECTION 3. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer’s Office, to defray the expenses of the Wireless Communication Commission for the period July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2022.................. $ 606,242.00.

This additional appropriation is made for contractually obligated system maintenance.

SECTION 4. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer’s Office, to defray the expenses of the Joint Committee on Reapportionment for the period July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2022................... $ 25,000.00.

This additional appropriation is for the purpose of agency operations.

SECTION 5. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer’s Office, to defray the expenses of the State Veterans Affairs Board for the period July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2022........................ $ 103,113.00.

This additional appropriation is for the purpose of paying an ACA penalty.

SECTION 6. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of Office of Student Financial Aid and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer’s Office to defray the expenses of the department for the period July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2022..................................................

.............................................. $ 3,500,000.00.

This additional appropriation is for administration of a summer grant program.

SECTION 7. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Governor’s Office – Division of Medicaid, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer’s Office to defray the expenses of the department for the period July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2022................ $ 500,000,000.00.

This additional appropriation is for federal matching funds for Medicaid medical services.

SECTION 8. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer’s Office, to the Department of Finance and Administration to make payments for the period July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2022.............................................. $ 8,046,958.00.

This additional appropriation is for paying Non-Entitlement Units in accordance with the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund in Section 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law No. 117-2) and any applicable federal guidelines.

SECTION 9. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after passage.