MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2023 Regular Session
To: Finance
By: Senator(s) Chassaniol
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 27-105-33, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO MODIFY CERTAIN PROVISIONS CONCERNING THE DEPOSIT AND INVESTMENT OF EXCESS STATE FUNDS BY THE STATE TREASURER; TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT OF ALLOCATING FUNDS TO QUALIFIED PUBLIC DEPOSITORIES; TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT THAT AT LEAST 80% OF THE TOTAL DOLLAR AMOUNT IN ALL REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS AT ANY ONE TIME SHALL BE PURSUANT TO CONTRACTS WITH QUALIFIED STATE DEPOSITORIES; TO PROVIDE THE OPTION OF INVESTING IN CERTAIN CORPORATE BONDS AND TAXABLE MUNICIPAL BONDS; TO REMOVE THE $500,000.00 LIMIT FOR THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS THAT MAY BE INVESTED WITH FOREIGN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS; TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT THAT A LIQUIDATING AGENT OF A DEPOSITORY IN LIQUIDATION REDEEM FROM THE STATE ANY BONDS AND SECURITIES PLEDGED TO SECURE STATE FUNDS; TO AMEND SECTION 27-105-9, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM; TO AMEND SECTION 27-104-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO SPECIFY THAT CERTAIN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT REVIEW BOARD PROVISIONS DO NOT IMPAIR OR LIMIT THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE TREASURER TO ENTER INTO ANY PERSONAL OR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACTS INVOLVING THE MANAGEMENT OF TRUST FUNDS, AN AUTHORITY COMPARABLE TO THAT GRANTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM; TO REMOVE A SUBSECTION THAT REPEALED ON JULY 1, 2022; TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 27-105-5 AND 27-105-6, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 27-105-33, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
27-105-33. It shall be the duty of the State Treasurer and the Executive Director of the Department of Finance and Administration on or about the tenth day of each month, and in their discretion at any other time, to analyze carefully the amount of cash in the General Fund of the state and in all special funds credited to any special purpose designated by the State Legislature or held to meet the budgets or appropriations for maintenance, improvements and services of the several institutions, boards, departments, commissions, agencies, persons or entities of the state, and to determine in their opinion when the cash in such funds is in excess of the amount required to meet the current needs and demands of no more than seven (7) business days on such funds and report their findings to the Governor. It shall be the duty of the State Treasurer to provide a cash flow model for forecasting revenues and expenditures on a bimonthly basis and providing technical assistance for its operation. The Department of Finance and Administration shall use the cash flow model furnished by the State Treasurer, in analyzing the amount of funds on deposit and available for investment.
The State Treasurer is hereby authorized, empowered and directed to invest all such excess general and special funds of the state in the following manner:
(a) * * * [Repealed]
(b) * * * [Repealed]
(c) * * * [Repealed]
(d) * * * The
Treasurer may invest such funds, together with any other funds required for
current operation, as determined pursuant to this section, in the following:
(i) Time certificates of deposit or interest-bearing accounts with qualified state depositories. For those funds determined under prudent judgment of the State Treasurer to be made available for investment in time certificates of deposit, the rate of interest paid by the depositories shall be determined by rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the State Treasurer which may include competitive bids. At the time of investment, the interest rate on such certificates of deposit under the provisions of this subparagraph shall be a rate not less than the bond equivalent yield on direct obligations of the United States Treasury with a similar length of maturity.
(ii) Direct United States Treasury obligations, the principal and interest of which are fully guaranteed by the government of the United States.
(iii) United States government agency, United States government instrumentality or United States government sponsored enterprise obligations, the principal and interest of which are fully guaranteed by the government of the United States, such as the Government National Mortgage Association; or United States governmental agency, United States government instrumentality or United States government sponsored enterprise obligations, the principal and interest of which are guaranteed by any United States government agency, United States government instrumentality or United States government sponsored enterprise contained in a list promulgated by the State Treasurer.
(iv) Direct
security repurchase agreements and reverse direct security repurchase
agreements of any federal book entry of only those securities enumerated in
subparagraphs (ii) and (iii) above. "Direct security repurchase agreement"
means an agreement under which the state buys, holds for a specified time, and
then sells back those securities and obligations enumerated in subparagraphs
(ii) and (iii) above. "Reverse direct securities repurchase agreement"
means an agreement under which the state sells and after a specified time buys
back any of the securities and obligations enumerated in subparagraphs (ii) and
(iii) above. * * *
(v) Bonds issued, assumed or guaranteed by the Country of Israel, provided that:
1. Investments in such instruments shall be denominated in United States currency;
2. Such bonds must be of investment grade as rated by at least one (1) nationally recognized statistical rating agency; and
3. The amount of funds invested in such bonds at any time shall not exceed Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000.00).
(vi) Corporate bonds and taxable municipal bonds; or corporate short-term obligations of corporations or of wholly owned subsidiaries of corporations, whose short-term obligations are rated A-2 or better by Standard and Poor's, rated P-2 or better by Moody's Investment Service, F-2 or better by Fitch Ratings, Ltd., or the equivalent of these ratings if assigned by another United States Securities and Exchange Commission designated Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization.
(e) For the purposes of this section, direct obligations issued by the United States of America shall be deemed to include securities of, or other interests in, any open-end or closed-end management type investment company or investment trust registered under the provisions of 15 USCS Section 80(a)-1 et seq., provided that the portfolio of such investment company or investment trust is limited to direct obligations issued by the United States of America, United States government agencies, United States government instrumentalities or United States government sponsored enterprises, and to repurchase agreements fully collateralized by direct obligations of the United States of America, United States government agencies, United States government instrumentalities or United States government sponsored enterprises, and the investment company or investment trust takes delivery of such collateral for the repurchase agreement, either directly or through an authorized custodian. The State Treasurer and the Executive Director of the Department of Finance and Administration shall review and approve the investment companies and investment trusts in which funds invested under paragraph (d) of this section may be invested. The total dollar amount of funds invested in all open-end and closed-end management type investment companies and investment trusts at any one time shall not exceed twenty percent (20%) of the total dollar amount of funds invested under paragraph (d) of this section.
(f) Investments authorized by subparagraphs (ii) and (iii) of paragraph (d) shall mature on such date or dates as determined by the State Treasurer in the exercise of prudent judgment to generate a favorable return to the state and will allow the monies to be available for use at such time as the monies will be needed for state purposes. However, the maturity of securities purchased as enumerated in subparagraphs (ii) and (iii) shall not exceed ten (10) years from date of purchase. Special funds shall be considered those funds created constitutionally, statutorily or administratively which are not considered general funds. All funds invested for a period of thirty (30) days or longer under paragraph (d) shall bear a rate at least equal to the current established rate under paragraph (c) of this section.
(g) Any interest-bearing deposits or certificates of deposit shall not exceed at any time the amount insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in any one (1) banking institution, the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation in any one (1) savings and loan association, or other deposit insurance corporation approved by the State Treasurer, unless the uninsured portion is collateralized by the pledge of securities in the manner provided by Section 27-105-5.
(h) Unless otherwise provided, income from investments authorized by the provisions of this subsection shall be credited to the State General Fund.
(i) * * *
The State Treasurer may enter into price contracts for the purchase or
exchange of foreign currency or other arrangements for currency exchange * * * upon specific direction of the Department of Economic
and Community Development. The State Treasurer shall promulgate all rules and
regulations for applications, qualifications and any other necessary matters
for foreign financial institutions.
* * *
The liquidating agent or receiver may pay off the state in full for its
deposits and retrieve the pledged securities without regard to par or market
value.
The State Treasurer and the Executive Director of the Department of Finance and Administration shall make monthly reports to the Legislative Budget Office containing a full and complete statement of all funds invested by virtue of the provisions of this section and the revenues derived therefrom and the expenses incurred therewith, together with all such other information as may seem to each of them as being pertinent to inform fully the Mississippi Legislature with reference thereto.
The State Treasurer shall not deposit any funds on demand deposit with any authorized depository, unless such depository has contracted for interest-bearing accounts or time certificates of deposit.
Notwithstanding the
foregoing, any financial institution not meeting the prescribed ratio
requirement set forth in Section 27-105-5 whose accounts are insured by the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or any successor to that insurance
corporation, may receive state funds in an amount not exceeding the amount
which is insured by such insurance corporations and may qualify as a state depository
to the extent of such insurance for this purpose only. * * *
SECTION 2. Section 27-105-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
27-105-9. The State Treasurer shall give notice of the provisions of this article once a month to each eligible bank and financial institution in the state having an amount of state funds less than the amount authorized to be allocated to the bank or financial institution under Section 27-105-33 and this section, and shall receive such applications as they or any of them may make for the privilege of keeping any part of public funds on forms to be furnished by the Treasurer, and shall place the state funds with the institutions applying for them if the depository application has been duly approved by the Treasurer.
The Treasurer, when considering the various depository applications, shall review the financial statement of the applying depository and become satisfied regarding its liquidity and capital ratio so as to assure the safety of all public funds, and likewise to give the equitable apportionment of the state funds throughout the state.
State funds required for current operation, as determined under Section 27-105-33, shall be deposited in one or more demand accounts. State funds not required for current operation, as determined under Section 27-105-33, shall be deposited in one or more interest-bearing accounts or time certificates of deposit, or otherwise invested under Section 27-105-33. When any depository holding state demand accounts receives an order from the Treasurer or his designee to transfer collected funds out of those accounts to any interest-bearing accounts or time certificates of deposit in the depository or any other depository under the provisions of this chapter, the transfer shall be made immediately or as soon thereafter as practicable. If the Treasurer finds that any depository is not transferring funds as provided above, the depository shall be disqualified from holding or receiving any state demand accounts for a period of time not to exceed one (1) year.
* * *
The state depository contract shall be for one (1) year, but may be renewed from year to year upon proper review and approval of the Treasurer. Each applicant shall furnish to the Treasurer a financial statement sworn to by a duly elected officer, and on such date or dates as the Treasurer may provide.
SECTION 3. Section 27-104-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
27-104-7. (1) (a) There is created the Public Procurement Review Board, which shall be reconstituted on January 1, 2018, and shall be composed of the following members:
(i) Three (3) individuals appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate;
(ii) Two (2) individuals appointed by the Lieutenant Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate; and
(iii) The Executive Director of the Department of Finance and Administration, serving as an ex officio and nonvoting member.
(b) The initial terms of each appointee shall be as follows:
(i) One (1) member appointed by the Governor to serve for a term ending on June 30, 2019;
(ii) One (1) member appointed by the Governor to serve for a term ending on June 30, 2020;
(iii) One (1) member appointed by the Governor to serve for a term ending on June 30, 2021;
(iv) One (1) member appointed by the Lieutenant Governor to serve for a term ending on June 30, 2019; and
(v) One (1) member appointed by the Lieutenant Governor to serve for a term ending on June 30, 2020.
After the expiration of the initial terms, all appointed members' terms shall be for a period of four (4) years from the expiration date of the previous term, and until such time as the member's successor is duly appointed and qualified.
(c) When appointing members to the Public Procurement Review Board, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall take into consideration persons who possess at least five (5) years of management experience in general business, health care or finance for an organization, corporation or other public or private entity. Any person, or any employee or owner of a company, who receives any grants, procurements or contracts that are subject to approval under this section shall not be appointed to the Public Procurement Review Board. Any person, or any employee or owner of a company, who is a principal of the source providing a personal or professional service shall not be appointed to the Public Procurement Review Board if the principal owns or controls a greater than five percent (5%) interest or has an ownership value of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) in the source's business, whichever is smaller. No member shall be an officer or employee of the State of Mississippi while serving as a voting member on the Public Procurement Review Board.
(d) Members of the Public Procurement Review Board shall be entitled to per diem as authorized by Section 25-3-69 and travel reimbursement as authorized by Section 25-3-41.
(e) The members of the Public Procurement Review Board shall elect a chair from among the membership, and he or she shall preside over the meetings of the board. The board shall annually elect a vice chair, who shall serve in the absence of the chair. No business shall be transacted, including adoption of rules of procedure, without the presence of a quorum of the board. Three (3) members shall be a quorum. No action shall be valid unless approved by a majority of the members present and voting, entered upon the minutes of the board and signed by the chair. Necessary clerical and administrative support for the board shall be provided by the Department of Finance and Administration. Minutes shall be kept of the proceedings of each meeting, copies of which shall be filed on a monthly basis with the chairs of the Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives and the chairs of the Appropriations Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives.
(2) The Public Procurement Review Board shall have the following powers and responsibilities:
(a) Approve all purchasing regulations governing the purchase or lease by any agency, as defined in Section 31-7-1, of commodities and equipment, except computer equipment acquired pursuant to Sections 25-53-1 through 25-53-29;
(b) Adopt regulations governing the approval of contracts let for the construction and maintenance of state buildings and other state facilities as well as related contracts for architectural and engineering services.
The provisions of this paragraph (b) shall not apply to such contracts involving buildings and other facilities of state institutions of higher learning which are self-administered as provided under this paragraph (b) or Section 37-101-15(m);
(c) Adopt regulations governing any lease or rental agreement by any state agency or department, including any state agency financed entirely by federal funds, for space outside the buildings under the jurisdiction of the Department of Finance and Administration. These regulations shall require each agency requesting to lease such space to provide the following information that shall be published by the Department of Finance and Administration on its website: the agency to lease the space; the terms of the lease; the approximate square feet to be leased; the use for the space; a description of a suitable space; the general location desired for the leased space; the contact information for a person from the agency; the deadline date for the agency to have received a lease proposal; any other specific terms or conditions of the agency; and any other information deemed appropriate by the Division of Real Property Management of the Department of Finance and Administration or the Public Procurement Review Board. The information shall be provided sufficiently in advance of the time the space is needed to allow the Division of Real Property Management of the Department of Finance and Administration to review and preapprove the lease before the time for advertisement begins;
(d) Adopt, in its discretion, regulations to set aside at least five percent (5%) of anticipated annual expenditures for the purchase of commodities from minority businesses; however, all such set-aside purchases shall comply with all purchasing regulations promulgated by the department and shall be subject to all bid requirements. Set-aside purchases for which competitive bids are required shall be made from the lowest and best minority business bidder; however, if no minority bid is available or if the minority bid is more than two percent (2%) higher than the lowest bid, then bids shall be accepted and awarded to the lowest and best bidder. However, the provisions in this paragraph shall not be construed to prohibit the rejection of a bid when only one (1) bid is received. Such rejection shall be placed in the minutes. For the purposes of this paragraph, the term "minority business" means a business which is owned by a person who is a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States and who is:
(i) Black: having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa;
(ii) Hispanic: of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish or Portuguese culture or origin regardless of race;
(iii) Asian-American: having origins in any of the original people of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands;
(iv) American Indian or Alaskan Native: having origins in any of the original people of North America; or
(v) Female;
(e) In consultation with and approval by the Chairs of the Senate and House Public Property Committees, approve leases, for a term not to exceed eighteen (18) months, entered into by state agencies for the purpose of providing parking arrangements for state employees who work in the Woolfolk Building, the Carroll Gartin Justice Building or the Walter Sillers Office Building;
(f) Promulgate rules and regulations governing the solicitation and selection of contractual services personnel, including personal and professional services contracts for any form of consulting, policy analysis, public relations, marketing, public affairs, legislative advocacy services or any other contract that the board deems appropriate for oversight, with the exception of any personal service contracts entered into by any agency that employs only nonstate service employees as defined in Section 25-9-107(c), any personal service contracts entered into for computer or information technology-related services governed by the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services, any personal service contracts entered into by the individual state institutions of higher learning, any personal service contracts entered into by the Mississippi Department of Transportation, any personal service contracts entered into by the Department of Human Services through June 30, 2019, which the Executive Director of the Department of Human Services determines would be useful in establishing and operating the Department of Child Protection Services, any personal service contracts entered into by the Department of Child Protection Services through June 30, 2019, any contracts for entertainers and/or performers at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds entered into by the Mississippi Fair Commission, any contracts entered into by the Department of Finance and Administration when procuring aircraft maintenance, parts, equipment and/or services, any contract entered into by the Department of Public Safety for service on specialized equipment and/or software required for the operation at such specialized equipment for use by the Office of Forensics Laboratories, any personal or professional service contract entered into by the Mississippi Department of Health and/or the Department of Revenue solely in connection with their respective responsibilities under the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act from February 2, 2022, through June 30, 2023, any contract for attorney, accountant, actuary auditor, architect, engineer, anatomical pathologist, utility rate expert services, any personal service contracts approved by the Executive Director of the Department of Finance and Administration and entered into by the Coordinator of Mental Health Accessibility through June 30, 2022, any personal or professional services contract entered into by the State Department of Health in carrying out its responsibilities under the ARPA Rural Water Associations Infrastructure Grant Program through June 30, 2026, and any personal or professional services contract entered into by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality in carrying out its responsibilities under the Mississippi Municipality and County Water Infrastructure Grant Program Act of 2022, through June 30, 2026. Any such rules and regulations shall provide for maintaining continuous internal audit covering the activities of such agency affecting its revenue and expenditures as required under Section 7-7-3(6)(d). Any rules and regulation changes related to personal and professional services contracts that the Public Procurement Review Board may propose shall be submitted to the Chairs of the Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives and the Chairs of the Appropriation Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives at least fifteen (15) days before the board votes on the proposed changes, and those rules and regulation changes, if adopted, shall be promulgated in accordance with the Mississippi Administrative Procedures Act;
(g) Approve all personal and professional services contracts involving the expenditures of funds in excess of Seventy-five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00), except as provided in paragraph (f) of this subsection (2) and in subsection (8);
(h) Develop mandatory standards with respect to contractual services personnel that require invitations for public bid, requests for proposals, record keeping and financial responsibility of contractors. The Public Procurement Review Board shall, unless exempted under this paragraph (h) or under paragraph (i) or (o) of this subsection (2), require the agency involved to submit the procurement to a competitive procurement process, and may reserve the right to reject any or all resulting procurements;
(i) Prescribe certain circumstances by which agency heads may enter into contracts for personal and professional services without receiving prior approval from the Public Procurement Review Board. The Public Procurement Review Board may establish a preapproved list of providers of various personal and professional services for set prices with which state agencies may contract without bidding or prior approval from the board;
(i) Agency requirements may be fulfilled by procuring services performed incident to the state's own programs. The agency head shall determine in writing whether the price represents a fair market value for the services. When the procurements are made from other governmental entities, the private sector need not be solicited; however, these contracts shall still be submitted for approval to the Public Procurement Review Board.
(ii) Contracts between two (2) state agencies, both under Public Procurement Review Board purview, shall not require Public Procurement Review Board approval. However, the contracts shall still be entered into the enterprise resource planning system;
(j) Provide standards for the issuance of requests for proposals, the evaluation of proposals received, consideration of costs and quality of services proposed, contract negotiations, the administrative monitoring of contract performance by the agency and successful steps in terminating a contract;
(k) Present recommendations for governmental privatization and to evaluate privatization proposals submitted by any state agency;
(l) Authorize personal and professional service contracts to be effective for more than one (1) year provided a funding condition is included in any such multiple year contract, except the State Board of Education, which shall have the authority to enter into contractual agreements for student assessment for a period up to ten (10) years. The State Board of Education shall procure these services in accordance with the Public Procurement Review Board procurement regulations;
(m) Request the State Auditor to conduct a performance audit on any personal or professional service contract;
(n) Prepare an annual report to the Legislature concerning the issuance of personal and professional services contracts during the previous year, collecting any necessary information from state agencies in making such report;
(o) Develop and implement the following standards and procedures for the approval of any sole source contract for personal and professional services regardless of the value of the procurement:
(i) For the purposes of this paragraph (o), the term "sole source" means only one (1) source is available that can provide the required personal or professional service.
(ii) An agency that has been issued a binding, valid court order mandating that a particular source or provider must be used for the required service must include a copy of the applicable court order in all future sole source contract reviews for the particular personal or professional service referenced in the court order.
(iii) Any agency alleging to have a sole source for any personal or professional service, other than those exempted under paragraph (f) of this subsection (2) and subsection (8), shall publish on the procurement portal website established by Sections 25-53-151 and 27-104-165, for at least fourteen (14) days, the terms of the proposed contract for those services. In addition, the publication shall include, but is not limited to, the following information:
1. The personal or professional service offered in the contract;
2. An explanation of why the personal or professional service is the only one that can meet the needs of the agency;
3. An explanation of why the source is the only person or entity that can provide the required personal or professional service;
4. An explanation of why the amount to be expended for the personal or professional service is reasonable; and
5. The efforts that the agency went through to obtain the best possible price for the personal or professional service.
(iv) If any person or entity objects and proposes that the personal or professional service published under subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph (o) is not a sole source service and can be provided by another person or entity, then the objecting person or entity shall notify the Public Procurement Review Board and the agency that published the proposed sole source contract with a detailed explanation of why the personal or professional service is not a sole source service.
(v) 1. If the agency determines after review that the personal or professional service in the proposed sole source contract can be provided by another person or entity, then the agency must withdraw the sole source contract publication from the procurement portal website and submit the procurement of the personal or professional service to an advertised competitive bid or selection process.
2. If the agency determines after review that there is only one (1) source for the required personal or professional service, then the agency may appeal to the Public Procurement Review Board. The agency has the burden of proving that the personal or professional service is only provided by one (1) source.
3. If the Public Procurement Review Board has any reasonable doubt as to whether the personal or professional service can only be provided by one (1) source, then the agency must submit the procurement of the personal or professional service to an advertised competitive bid or selection process. No action taken by the Public Procurement Review Board in this appeal process shall be valid unless approved by a majority of the members of the Public Procurement Review Board present and voting.
(vi) The Public Procurement Review Board shall prepare and submit a quarterly report to the House of Representatives and Senate Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency Committees that details the sole source contracts presented to the Public Procurement Review Board and the reasons that the Public Procurement Review Board approved or rejected each contract. These quarterly reports shall also include the documentation and memoranda required in subsection (4) of this section. An agency that submitted a sole source contract shall be prepared to explain the sole source contract to each committee by December 15 of each year upon request by the committee;
(p) Assess any fines and administrative penalties provided for in Sections 31-7-401 through 31-7-423.
(3) All submissions shall be made sufficiently in advance of each monthly meeting of the Public Procurement Review Board as prescribed by the Public Procurement Review Board. If the Public Procurement Review Board rejects any contract submitted for review or approval, the Public Procurement Review Board shall clearly set out the reasons for its action, including, but not limited to, the policy that the agency has violated in its submitted contract and any corrective actions that the agency may take to amend the contract to comply with the rules and regulations of the Public Procurement Review Board.
(4) All sole source contracts for personal and professional services awarded by state agencies, other than those exempted under Section 27-104-7(2)(f) and (8), whether approved by an agency head or the Public Procurement Review Board, shall contain in the procurement file a written determination for the approval, using a request form furnished by the Public Procurement Review Board. The written determination shall document the basis for the determination, including any market analysis conducted in order to ensure that the service required was practicably available from only one (1) source. A memorandum shall accompany the request form and address the following four (4) points:
(a) Explanation of why this service is the only service that can meet the needs of the purchasing agency;
(b) Explanation of why this vendor is the only practicably available source from which to obtain this service;
(c) Explanation of why the price is considered reasonable; and
(d) Description of the efforts that were made to conduct a noncompetitive negotiation to get the best possible price for the taxpayers.
(5) In conjunction with the State Personnel Board, the Public Procurement Review Board shall develop and promulgate rules and regulations to define the allowable legal relationship between contract employees and the contracting departments, agencies and institutions of state government under the jurisdiction of the State Personnel Board, in compliance with the applicable rules and regulations of the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for federal employment tax purposes. Under these regulations, the usual common law rules are applicable to determine and require that such worker is an independent contractor and not an employee, requiring evidence of lawful behavioral control, lawful financial control and lawful relationship of the parties. Any state department, agency or institution shall only be authorized to contract for personnel services in compliance with those regulations.
(6) No member of the Public Procurement Review Board shall use his or her official authority or influence to coerce, by threat of discharge from employment, or otherwise, the purchase of commodities, the contracting for personal or professional services, or the contracting for public construction under this chapter.
(7) Notwithstanding any other laws or rules to the contrary, the provisions of subsection (2) of this section shall not be applicable to the Mississippi State Port Authority at Gulfport.
(8) Nothing in this section shall impair or limit the authority of the Board of Trustees of the Public Employees' Retirement System to enter into any personal or professional services contracts directly related to their constitutional obligation to manage the trust funds, including, but not limited to, actuarial, custodial banks, cash management, investment consultant and investment management contracts. Nor shall this section impair or limit the authority of the State Treasurer to enter into any personal or professional services contracts involving the management of trust funds, including, but not limited to, actuarial, custodial banks, cash management, investment consultant and investment management contracts.
* * *
SECTION 4. Section 27-105-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
27-105-5. (1) Any financial institution maintaining a deposit-taking facility in this state whose accounts are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any successors to that insurance corporation, may qualify as a public funds depository by submitting an application to the State Treasurer as provided by Section 27-105-9, if the institution has a primary capital to total assets ratio of five and one-half percent (5-1/2%) or more. That ratio shall be determined not later than December 1 in each calendar year by the State Treasurer on the basis of balance sheets of applying institutions at June 30 of the same calendar year, and an institution shall not be a qualified depository and shall not receive any public funds unless its ratio has been certified annually by the Treasurer as meeting the prescribed requirement. Each applicant shall furnish to the State Treasurer such financial statements, balance sheets or other documentation, sworn to by a duly elected officer, on such date or dates and on such forms as the State Treasurer may require. Any knowing or willful misstatement of fact on those forms shall subject the officer swearing to them to the penalty of perjury, and the financial institution of which he is an officer shall not be eligible to serve as a depository for a period of one (1) year beginning with the date on which the State Treasurer certifies that such a misstatement has been made. When so approved by the State Treasurer, the institution shall place on deposit with the State Treasurer qualified bonds, notes and liquid securities in an aggregate amount at least equal to one hundred five percent (105%) of the average daily balance of funds on deposit in the aggregate by the State of Mississippi or any agency or department of the state or by any county, municipality or other governmental unit in excess of that portion of accounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or any successor thereto.
(2) Any financial institution maintaining a deposit-taking facility in this state whose accounts are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any successors to that insurance corporation and which has been in existence for three (3) or more years may qualify as a public funds depository and public funds guaranty pool member under Section 27-105-6 by submitting an application to the State Treasurer as provided by Section 27-105-9, if the institution has a primary capital to total assets ratio of six and one-half percent (6-1/2%) or more and otherwise meets the requirements of Section 27-105-6. That ratio shall be determined not later than December 1 in each calendar year by the State Treasurer on the basis of balance sheets of applying institutions at June 30 of the same calendar year, and an institution shall not be a member of the public funds guaranty pool unless its ratio has been certified annually by the Treasurer as meeting the prescribed requirement. Each applicant shall furnish to the State Treasurer such financial statements, balance sheets or other documentation, sworn to by a duly elected officer, on such date or dates and on such forms as the State Treasurer may require. Any knowing or willful misstatement of fact on those forms shall subject the officer swearing to them to the penalty of perjury and the financial institution of which he is an officer shall not be eligible to serve as a depository for a period of one (1) year beginning with the date on which the State Treasurer certifies that such a misstatement has been made. When so approved by the State Treasurer, the institution shall meet its security requirement of one hundred five percent (105%) by placing on deposit with the State Treasurer qualified bonds, notes and liquid securities in an aggregate amount at least equal to fifty-two and one-half percent (52-1/2%) of the average daily balance of funds on deposit in the aggregate by the State of Mississippi or any agency or department of the state or by any county, municipality or other governmental unit in excess of that portion of accounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or any successor thereto, and executing a guarantee equal to the balance of fifty-two and one-half percent (52-1/2%) of the average daily balance of funds on deposit in the aggregate by the State of Mississippi or any agency or department of the state or by any county, municipality or other governmental unit in excess of that portion of accounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or any successor thereto.
(3) The term "qualified bonds, notes and liquid securities" as used in this section shall mean:
(a) All securities that are direct obligations of the United States Treasury or any other obligations fully guaranteed by the United States government.
(b) Bonds, notes and other obligations of the Federal Home Loan Bank, Federal National Mortgage Association, Federal Land Banks, Banks for Cooperatives, and Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Government National Mortgage Association, the Federal Housing Administration, the Farmers Home Administration, the Farm Credit System Financial Assistance Corporation, the United States Postal Service, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the Small Business Administration, the General Services Administration, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the Maritime Administration, the Export-Import Bank, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, loan participations that carry the guarantee of the Commodity Credit Corporation, an instrumentality of the United States Department of Agriculture or other similar agencies approved by the State Treasurer.
(c) Obligations of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
(d) Legal obligation or revenue bonds of the State of Mississippi, its agencies, or any political subdivision of the state, or any municipality located in the State of Mississippi, or the Yazoo Mississippi Delta and the Mississippi Levee Districts, or the Mississippi Higher Education Assistance Corporation or its successors, or any body corporate and politic created under the laws of the State of Mississippi.
(e) General obligations issued by any other state or by a county, parish or municipality of any other state, the full faith and credit of which are pledged to the payment of principal and interest, that are rated "A" or better by any recognized national rating agency engaged in the business of rating bonds.
(f) Surety bonds of any surety company authorized to do business in the State of Mississippi.
(g) All bonds authorized as security for state funds under paragraphs (c), (d) and (e), inclusive, shall be investment quality, and any bonds under paragraphs (c), (e) and (f), inclusive, which are rated substandard by any of the appropriate supervisory authorities having jurisdiction over the depository or by any recognized national rating agency engaged in the business of rating bonds, shall not be eligible for pledging as security to the State of Mississippi by any qualified state depository. As used in this paragraph, the term "investment quality" shall mean that, at worst, the obligor of the bonds has adequate capacity to meet its financial commitments even if adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are likely to lead to weakened capacity to do so.
No bonds shall be accepted as security for more than their stated par value or market value, whichever is lower, except bonds and obligations of the State of Mississippi and Mississippi State Highway bonds or notes, which may be accepted as security at par value or market value, whichever is greater.
The bonds, notes and liquid securities to be placed on deposit shall secure both deposits and the accrued interest thereon.
Money shall be drawn from the depositories so as to leave in each as near as practicable, its equitable proportion of state funds.
The State Treasurer is authorized and empowered to:
(i) Deposit for safekeeping in the vaults of any of the state or national banks located within this state that are members of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and that have appropriate safekeeping facilities approved by the State Depository Commission, any federal reserve bank, any federal reserve branch bank, or any bank that is a member of the Federal Reserve System and is located in a city where there is a federal reserve bank or a federal reserve branch bank, the securities placed with him by financial institutions qualifying as state depositories; or
(ii) Accept, in lieu of the securities themselves, safekeeping trust receipts issued to the State Treasurer by the authorized safekeeping banks listed in subparagraph (i) above; the safekeeping trust receipts shall describe the securities and show that the securities are held for safekeeping for the account of the State Treasurer or other governmental unit. The securities so deposited shall not be commingled in any manner with the assets of the safekeeping bank.
The safekeeping banks listed in subparagraph (i) above are authorized to issue to the State Treasurer their safekeeping trust receipts based on safekeeping trust receipts issued to them by any of their correspondent banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System and are located in any federal reserve city and that have physical custody of the pledged securities.
In no event shall the State Treasurer deposit for safekeeping with any depository securities placed by the depository with the State Treasurer in qualifying as a public funds depository, nor shall he accept a safekeeping trust receipt by or from a depository covering securities it owns in order to secure state funds on deposit with it.
(4) In fulfilling the requirements of this Section 27-105-5, the State Treasurer shall:
(a) Maintain perpetual inventory of pledged collateral and perform monthly market valuations and quality ratings.
(b) Monitor and confirm, as often as deemed necessary by the Treasurer, the pledged collateral held by third party custodians.
(c) Perfect an interest in pledged collateral by having pledged securities moved into an account established in the Treasurer's name. This action shall be taken at the discretion of the Treasurer.
(d) Review the reports of each qualified public funds depository for material changes in capital accounts or changes in name, address or type of institution, record the average daily balances of public deposits held; and monitor the collateral-pledging levels and required collateral based on the average daily balances.
(e) Compare public deposit information reported by qualified public funds depositories and public depositors. That comparison shall be conducted for qualified public depositories based on established financial condition criteria of record on September 30.
(f) Verify the reports of any qualified public funds depository relating to public deposits it holds when necessary to protect the integrity of the public deposits program.
(g) Confirm public deposits, to the extent possible under current law, when needed.
(h) Require at his or her discretion the filing of any information or forms required under this chapter to be by electronic data transmission. Those filings of information or forms shall have the same enforceability as a signed writing.
(5) A qualified public funds depository shall:
(a) Within fifteen (15) days after the end of each calendar month or when requested by the Treasurer, submit to the Treasurer a written report, under oath, indicating the average daily balance of all public deposits held by it during the reported month, required collateral, a detailed schedule of all securities pledged as collateral, selected financial information, and any other information that the Treasurer determines necessary to administer this chapter.
(b) Provide to each public depositor annually, not later than thirty (30) days following the public depositor's fiscal year end, the following information on all open accounts identified as a "public deposit" for that public depositor as of its fiscal year end, to be used for confirmation purposes: the federal employer identification number of the public funds depository, the name on the deposit account record, the federal employer identification number on the deposit account record, and the account number, account type and actual account balance on deposit. Any discrepancy found in the confirmation process shall be reconciled within sixty (60) days of the public depositor's fiscal year end.
(c) Submit to the Treasurer annually, not later than sixty (60) days of the public depositor's fiscal year end, a report of all public deposits held for the credit of all public depositors at the close of business on each public depositor's fiscal year end. The annual report shall consist of public deposit information in a report format prescribed by the Treasurer. The manner of required filing may be as a signed writing or electronic data transmission, at the discretion of the Treasurer.
(6) Public depositors shall comply with the following requirements:
(a) A public depositor shall ensure that the name of the public depositor and its tax identification number are on the account or certificate provided to the public depositor by the qualified public depository in a manner sufficient to disclose the identity of the public depositor;
(b) Not later than thirty (30) days following its fiscal year end, a public depositor shall notify the State Treasurer of its official name, address, federal tax identification number, and provide a listing of all accounts that it had with qualified public depositories, including the deposit balance in those accounts, as of its fiscal year end. A public entity established during the year shall furnish its official name, address and federal tax identification number to the State Treasurer before making any public deposit.
(7) Any information contained in a report of a qualified public funds depository required under Section 27-105-5 or 27-105-6 shall be considered confidential and exempt from disclosure and not subject to dissemination to anyone other than the State Treasurer and the State Auditor under the provisions of this chapter.
(8) The State Treasurer is empowered to assume responsibility as successor pledgee as agent on behalf of any county, municipality or other governmental unit of any and all collateral pledged before July 1, 2001, to that county, municipality or governmental unit by that public funds depository. Upon assuming responsibility as successor pledgee as provided in this subsection (8), the State Treasurer is empowered to sign such documents on behalf of any such county, municipality or governmental unit as may be required by a trustee custodian, including, but not limited to, any documentation necessary to change the pledgee from the county, municipality or governmental unit as pledgee to the State Treasurer as agent.
(9) As used in this section and Section 27-105-6, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:
(a) The term "primary capital" means the sum of common stockholders' equity capital, including common stock and related surplus, undivided profits, disclosed capital reserves that represent a segregation of undivided profits, and foreign currency translation adjustments, less net unrealized holding losses on profits, and foreign currency translation adjustments, less net unrealized holding losses on available-for-sale equity securities with readily determinable fair values; noncumulative perpetual preferred stock, including any related surplus; and minority interests in the equity capital accounts of consolidated subsidiaries; the allowance for loan and lease losses; cumulative perpetual preferred stock, long-term preferred stock (original maturity of at least twenty (20) years) and any related surplus; perpetual preferred stock (and any related surplus) where the dividend is reset periodically based, in whole or in part, on the bank's current credit standing, regardless of whether the dividends are cumulative or noncumulative; hybrid capital instruments, including mandatory convertible debt securities; term subordinated debt and intermediate-term preferred stock (original average maturity of five (5) years or more) and any related surplus; and net unrealized holding gains on equity securities.
(b) The term "assets classified loss" means:
(i) When measured as of the date of examination of the financial institution, those assets that have been determined by an evaluation made by a state or federal examiner as of that date to be a loss; and
(ii) When measured as of any other date, those assets:
(A) That have been determined: 1. by an evaluation made by a state or federal examiner at the most recent examination of the financial institution to be a loss, or 2. by evaluations made by the financial institution since its most recent examination to be a loss; and
(B) That have not been charged off from the financial institution's books or collected.
(c) The term "intangible assets" means those assets that would be required to be reported in the item for intangible assets in a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) banking institution's "Reports of Condition and Income" (Call Reports), regardless of whether the institution is insured by the FDIC.
(d) The term "mandatory convertible debt" means a subordinated debt instrument meeting the requirements of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation that requires the issuer to convert the instrument into common or perpetual preferred stock by a date at or before the maturity of the debt instrument. The maturity of these instruments must be twelve (12) years or less.
(e) The term "mortgage servicing rights" means those assets (net of any related valuation allowances) that result from contracts to service loans secured by real estate (that have been securitized or are owned by others) for which the benefits of servicing are expected to more than adequately compensate the servicer for performing the servicing.
(f) The term "perpetual preferred stock" means a preferred stock that does not have a stated maturity date or that cannot be redeemed at the option of the holder and that has no other provisions that will require future redemption of the issue. It includes those issues of preferred stock that automatically convert into common stock at a stated date. It excludes those issues, the rate on which increases, or can increase, in such a manner that would effectively require the issuer to redeem the issue.
(g) The term "total assets" means the average of total assets of any financial institution that are or would be included in a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) banking institution's "Reports of Condition and Income" (Call Reports), regardless of whether the institution is insured by the FDIC, plus the allowance for loan and lease losses, minus assets classified loss and minus intangible assets other than mortgage servicing rights.
(h) The term "average daily balance" means the average daily balance of public deposits of each governmental unit held during the reported month. The average daily balances must be determined by totaling, by account, the daily balance held by the depositor and then dividing the total by the number of calendar days in the month. Deposit insurance is then deducted from each public depositor's balance and the resulting amounts are totaled to obtain the average daily balance.
(i) The term "public funds" means funds in which the entire beneficial interest is owned by a governmental unit or funds held in the name of a public official of a governmental unit charged with the duty to receive or administer funds and acting in such official capacity.
(j) The term "governmental unit" means the State of Mississippi, and any office, department, agency, division, bureau, commission, board, institution, hospital, college, university, airport authority or other instrumentality thereof, whether or not such body or instrumentality has the authority to levy taxes or to sue or be sued in its own name. Further, it shall mean any body politic or body corporate other than the state responsible for governmental activities only in geographic areas smaller than that of the state, including, but not limited to, any county, municipality, school district, community hospital as defined in Section 41-13-10, airport authority or other instrumentality thereof, whether or not such body or instrumentality has the authority to levy taxes or to sue or be sued in its own name. It is the intent to include all state and political subdivisions or instrumentalities thereof whether specifically recited herein or not.
SECTION 5. Section 27-105-6, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
27-105-6. (1) There is established within the State Treasury a public funds guaranty pool to consist of qualified public funds depositories commissioned under Section 27-105-5(2) to be administered by a Guaranty Pool Board and the State Treasurer.
(2) There is established a nine-member Guaranty Pool Board to administer the guaranty pool and to review and recommend criteria to be used by the State Treasurer in order to protect public deposits and the depositories in the program.
(3) Any financial institution qualifying as a guaranty pool member shall guarantee public fund deposits against loss caused by the default or insolvency of other guaranty pool members and shall execute under oath an agreement of contingent liability in addition to a public deposit pledge agreement.
(4) In addition to maintaining the capital requirements of Section 27-105-5, a guaranty pool member shall meet and maintain, on a quarterly basis, at least two (2) of the following ratios:
(a) A ratio of loans past due ninety (90) days or more to total loans of less than two percent (2%);
(b) An annualized return on average assets of more than seventy-five one hundredths of one percent (0.75%); and
(c) A total loans to total assets ratio not exceeding eighty percent (80%).
Failure of a guaranty pool member to meet the capital ratio and at least two (2) of the above three (3) ratios shall subject the member to subsection (9) of this section.
(5) In fulfilling the requirements of this section, the Treasurer has the power to:
(a) Order discontinuance of participation in the guaranty pool program by a qualified public depository upon failure of the financial institution to meet the above requirements of subsection (4) of this section;
(b) Appoint a nine-member Guaranty Pool Board;
(c) Establish goals and objectives and provide other data as may be necessary to assist the Guaranty Pool Board established under subsection (2) in developing standards for the program;
(d) Perform financial analysis of any qualified public funds depository as needed.
(6) The Guaranty Pool Board shall consist of:
(a) One (1) representative of financial institutions with assets of One Billion Dollars ($1,000,000,000.00) or more chosen by the State Treasurer from a list of two (2) bankers nominated by the Mississippi Bankers Association;
(b) One (1) representative of financial institutions with assets of Three Hundred Million Dollars ($300,000,000.00) but less than One Billion Dollars ($1,000,000,000.00) chosen by the State Treasurer from a list of two (2) bankers nominated by the Mississippi Bankers Association;
(c) One (1) representative of financial institutions with assets of less than Three Hundred Million Dollars ($300,000,000.00) chosen by the State Treasurer from a list of two (2) bankers nominated by the Mississippi Bankers Association;
(d) Two (2) representatives of banks at large chosen by the State Treasurer from a list of four (4) bankers nominated by the Mississippi Bankers Association;
(e) One (1) member chosen by the State Treasurer from a list of two (2) supervisors nominated by the Mississippi Supervisors Association;
(f) One (1) member chosen by the State Treasurer from a list of two (2) municipal officials nominated by the Mississippi Municipal League; and
(g) The Commissioner of Banking and Consumer Finance and the State Treasurer.
The Guaranty Pool Board shall determine the effective date of the public funds guaranty pool, which date shall be no earlier than July 1, 2001, and so notify the State Treasurer. All nominees of the Mississippi Bankers Association shall be employed by a financial institution that is a member of the public funds guaranty pool.
Initially, three (3) of the five (5) representatives of financial institutions shall be appointed for a term of one (1) year. The remaining members other than the Commissioner of Banking and Consumer Finance and State Treasurer, who shall be permanent members, shall be appointed for a term of two (2) years. Upon expiration of these terms, members shall be appointed thereafter for two-year terms. Any member is eligible for reappointment and shall serve until a successor qualifies. If a vacancy occurs in the position of any appointed member, a new member shall be appointed in the same manner as the member's predecessor for the remainder of the unexpired term. A member of the board shall receive no compensation for service on the board.
The Guaranty Pool Board shall elect a chair and vice chair and shall also designate a secretary who need not be a member of the Guaranty Pool Board. The secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of the Guaranty Pool Board and shall be the custodian of all printed materials filed with or by the advisory committee. Notwithstanding the existence of vacancies on the Guaranty Pool Board, a majority of the members constitutes a quorum. The Guaranty Pool Board shall not take official action in the absence of a quorum.
In addition to the requirements of subsection (4) of this section, the Guaranty Pool Board, by a two-thirds (⅔) supermajority vote of the entire Guaranty Pool Board, may establish additional criteria for qualification as a guaranty pool member, including promulgating additional ratios, requiring stricter ratios than provided under subsection (4), or requiring additional collateral; however, any additional criteria shall be uniformly applied to all participants, although higher collateral pledge levels may be based on different financial criteria. Any reduction in previously approved criteria shall likewise be subject to a two-thirds (2/3) supermajority vote of the entire Guaranty Pool Board. Any additional criteria will become effective at the quarter next after the Guaranty Pool Board votes. The Guaranty Pool Board is authorized to promulgate regulations in order to more fully carry out its obligations under this paragraph.
(7) A public funds guaranty pool member shall submit to the State Treasurer not later than the date required to be filed with its primary federal regulatory agency:
(a) A copy of the quarterly Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income, and any amended reports, required by the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, 12 USCS Section 1811 et seq., if the depository is a bank; or
(b) A copy of the Thrift Financial Report, and any amended reports, required to be filed with the Office of Thrift Supervision if the depository is a savings and loan association.
(8) A public funds guaranty pool member may effect a voluntary withdrawal from the guaranty pool by giving written notice to the State Treasurer. Notice of withdrawal shall be mailed or delivered in sufficient time to be received by the State Treasurer at least one hundred eighty (180) days before the effective date of withdrawal. On the effective date of withdrawal, the guaranty pool member shall pledge and place on deposit with the State Treasurer securities equal to one hundred five percent (105%) of the outstanding balances of public funds held less the amount of funds insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
The contingent liability for any loss before the effective date of withdrawal of the depository withdrawing from the guaranty pool shall continue after the effective date of the withdrawal for a period of six (6) months.
(9) A public funds guaranty pool member failing to meet the requirements for membership in subsection (4) of this section or as modified by the Guaranty Pool Board under its authority at subsection (6) is required to withdraw from the guaranty pool. The State Treasurer shall notify the public funds guaranty pool member of the effective date of the withdrawal not less than thirty (30) days before that effective date. Not later than the effective date of withdrawal, the withdrawing pool member must pledge and place on deposit with the State Treasurer securities equal to one hundred five percent (105%) of the outstanding balances of public funds held less the amount of funds insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or pay over those funds to the public depositor.
The contingent liability for any loss before the effective date of withdrawal of the depository withdrawing from the guaranty pool shall continue for a period of one (1) year after the effective date of the withdrawal.
SECTION 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2023.