House Bill 467

AN ACT TO PROVIDE THAT THE LEGISLATURE SHALL INCLUDE IN THE APPROPRIATION BILL FOR THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH EACH YEAR A SEPARATE LINE ITEM THAT PROVIDES FUNDS FOR THE CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTERS OF MISSISSIPPI, WHICH SHALL DISTRIBUTE THOSE FUNDS TO THE ACCREDITED LOCAL CHILD ADVOCACY CENTERS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. The Legislature shall include in the appropriation bill for the State Department of Health each year a separate line item that provides funds for the Children's Advocacy Centers of Mississippi (CACM), which shall distribute those funds to the local child advocacy centers, as defined in Section 43-15-51(3)(b), that have received accreditation from the National Children's Alliance. The receipt of funds by a child advocacy center from CACM under this line-item provision does not preclude the child advocacy center from applying for and receiving grants from the department from another source of funding.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.