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 General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of defraying the expenses and paying salaries of the State Veterans Affairs Board for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, and ending June 30, 2023.... $ 5,253,409.00.

SECTION 2. 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 State Veterans Affairs Board which is comprised of special source funds collected by or otherwise available to the board, for the support and maintenance of said board for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, and ending June 30, 2023 $ 2,172,448.00.

SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 1 of this act and authorized for expenditure under the provisions of Section 2 of this act, the following positions are authorized:

Permanent: Full Time............ 32

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

Time-Limited: Full Time............. 29

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

With the funds herein appropriated, it shall be the agency’s responsibility to make certain that funds required for Personal Services for Fiscal Year 2024 do not exceed Fiscal Year 2023 funds appropriated for that purpose unless programs or positions are added to the agency’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget by the Mississippi Legislature. The Legislature shall determine the agency’s personal services appropriation, which shall be published by the State Personnel Board. Additionally, the State Personnel Board shall determine and publish the projected annualized payroll costs based on current employees. It shall be the responsibility of the agency head to ensure that actual personnel expenditures for Fiscal Year 2023 do not exceed the data provided by the Legislative Budget Office. If the agency’s Fiscal Year 2023 projected cost exceeds the annualized costs, no salary actions shall be processed by the State Personnel Board with the exception of new hires that are determined to be essential for the agency.

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.

None of the funds herein appropriated shall be used in violation of Internal Revenue Service’s Publication 15-A relating to the reporting of income paid to contract employees, as interpreted by the Office of the State Auditor.

Funds have been appropriated herein for the purpose of funding Project SEC2 minimum salaries for all employees covered under the Colonel Guy Groff/Neville Kenning Variable Compensation Plan. It shall be the agency’s responsibility to ensure that the funds are used to increase all employees’ salaries up to the minimum level as determined by the State Personnel Board.

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 State Veterans Affairs Board, which is comprised of special source funds collected by or otherwise available to the board, for the purpose of defraying the expenses and paying salaries of the Mississippi State Veterans Homes as established in Section 35-1-19 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, and ending June 30, 2023.

........................................... $ 46,243,661.00.

SECTION 5. Of the funds authorized for expenditure under the provision of Section 4 of this act, the following positions are authorized:

Permanent: Full Time............ 53

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

Time Limited: Full Time............ 511

Part Time............ 76

Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with the terms, conditions, and procedures established by law.

None of the funds herein appropriated shall be used in violation of Internal Revenue Service's Publication 15-A relating to the reporting of income paid to contract employees, as interpreted by the Office of the State Auditor.

SECTION 6. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Executive Director of the State Veteran Affairs Board has the authority to transfer spending authority between and within budgets, in an amount not to exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the authorized budgets in the aggregate. The purpose of this authority is to use available cash reserves more efficiently. It is further the intention of the Legislature that the State Veteran Affairs Board shall submit written justification for the transfer to the Legislative Budget Office and the Department of Finance and Administration on or before the fifteenth of the month prior to the effective date of the transfer.

SECTION 7. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Sections 1 and 2, funds in the amount of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) are provided to defray the cost of providing care to indigent/low-income Mississippi veterans and the nonveteran surviving spouses of Mississippi veterans if the surviving spouse was a resident of a state veterans home at the time of the veteran's death and who, subsequent to the veteran's death, meets the indigent/low-income criteria established by the State Veterans Affairs Board in the state veterans homes. It is the intention of the Legislature that the provision pertaining to use of indigent/low-income surviving spouses be retroactive for any such period, prior to the effective date of this act, that a current surviving spouse may have met the criteria. This section and its provisions shall be known and cited as the "Hilton R. 'Jack' Vance Act of 1997."

SECTION 8. The State Veterans Affairs Board shall have continued authority for all actions related to the planning, development, construction, and outfitting of the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemeteries, pursuant to Section 35-1-41.

SECTION 9. It is the intention of the Legislature that the State Veterans Affairs Board shall maintain complete accounting and personnel records related to the expenditure of all funds appropriated under the provisions of this act and that such records shall be in the same format and level of details as maintained for Fiscal Year 2022. It is further the intention of the Legislature that the budget request for Fiscal Year 2024 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 2023 budget request process.

SECTION 10. It is the intention of the Legislature that the State Veterans Affairs Board is hereby authorized to escalate, budget and expend funds from fund number 3373200000, in an amount not to exceed Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00), for the purpose of operating the state veterans homes as authorized by law, in accordance with rules and regulations of the Department of Finance and Administration in a manner consistent with the escalation of federal funds.

SECTION 11. 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 12. The State Veterans Affairs Board shall have the authority to escalate and expend increased federal funds obtained by virtue of Public Law 109-461 (38 CFR Part 51).

SECTION 13. 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 14. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2022, and shall stand repealed from and after June 29, 2022.