MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2024 Regular Session
To: Universities and Colleges
By: Representatives Harness, Gibbs (36th), Gibbs (72nd), Holloway (76th), Osborne, Paden, Mickens, Jackson (45th), Butler-Washington
AN ACT TO CREATE THE TASK FORCE TO STUDY RESTORATION OF ADEQUATE FUNDING TO ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY; TO PRESCRIBE THE MEMBERSHIP AND SPECIFIC DUTIES OF THE TASK FORCE; TO REQUIRE THE TASK FORCE TO SUBMIT A REPORT OF ITS WORK AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNOR, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND HOUSE SPEAKER BEFORE DECEMBER 31, 2024; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. (1) There is created the Task Force to Study Restoration of Adequate Funding to Alcorn State University. The task force shall consist of the following members:
(a) The President of Alcorn State University or the president's designee;
(b) A member of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning appointed by the Commissioner of Higher Education;
(c) The Executive Director of the Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) or the director's designee;
(d) The State Auditor or the Auditor's designee;
(e) The State Treasurer or the Treasurer's designee;
(f) The Director of the Department of Archives and History or the director's designee;
(g) A resident of the state appointed by the Governor;
(h) A resident of the state appointed by the Lieutenant Governor; and
(i) A resident of the state appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(2) The task force shall research and study the following:
(a) Historical funding data for the state institutions of higher learning in Mississippi to determine the extent to which Alcorn State University may have been underfunded in comparison to other state institutions of higher learning, particularly the other land grant institution, Mississippi State University;
(b) The impact on students, faculty and the community served by Alcorn State University which resulted from any underfunding; and
(c) Opportunities for the state to make whole Alcorn State University by addressing any funding disparities in prior years by allocating additional state funding to the institution for such number of years determined to be appropriate by the task force.
Based upon the results of its research and study, the task force shall develop and make recommendations for a plan of action to remedy any underfunding of Alcorn State University in prior years and to secure ongoing parity in state funding with the state's other institutions of higher learning, particularly the other land grant institution, Mississippi State University, in future years.
(3) All appointments to the task force must be made no later than September 1, 2024. After the members are appointed, the State Auditor shall set the date for an organizational meeting which is mutually acceptable to a majority of the task force members. At the organizational meeting, the task force shall elect a chair from the members designated under paragraphs (a) through (f) of subsection (1). A majority of the members of the task force constitutes a quorum at all task force meetings.
(4) Members of the task force shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed, subject to the availability of funding, for mileage and actual and necessary expenses incurred in attending meetings of the task force pursuant to Section 25-3-41.
(5) The Department of Finance and Administration and the Legislative Budget Office shall provide administrative support to the task force.
(6) Before December 31, 2024, the task force shall prepare and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.