MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2024 Regular Session
To: Appropriations
By: Senator(s) Hopson, Butler
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 27-104-323, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT ANY INVESTMENT EARNINGS OR INTEREST EARNED ON AMOUNTS IN A CERTAIN SPECIAL FUND SHALL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE CREDIT OF THE CORONAVIRUS STATE FISCAL RECOVERY FUND; TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 49-2-131, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH IS THE PROVISION OF LAW THAT PROVIDES FOR THE MISSISSIPPI MUNICIPALITY AND COUNTY WATER INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM ACT OF 2022, FOR PURPOSES OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 41-3-16.1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH IS THE PROVISION OF LAW THAT PROVIDES FOR THE ARPA RURAL WATER ASSOCIATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM, FOR PURPOSES OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 41-9-371, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH IS THE PROVISION OF LAW THAT PROVIDES FOR THE MISSISSIPPI HOSPITAL SUSTAINABILITY GRANT PROGRAM, FOR PURPOSES OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 37-106-64, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH IS THE PROVISION OF LAW THAT PROVIDES FOR THE SKILLED NURSING HOME AND HOSPITAL NURSES RETENTION LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM, FOR PURPOSES OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; TO REQUIRE THE STATE FISCAL OFFICER TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF CORONAVIRUS STATE FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS APPROPRIATED TO VARIOUS AGENCIES THAT WILL NOT BE OBLIGATED AS OF NOVEMBER 1, 2024; TO REQUIRE THE STATE FISCAL OFFICER TO TRANSFER THE FUNDS THAT ARE NOT OBLIGATED BY NOVEMBER 6, 2024, TO CERTAIN FUNDS; TO DIRECT THE STATE TREASURER, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE STATE FISCAL OFFICER, TO TRANSFER CERTAIN SUMS TO THE CORONAVIRUS STATE FISCAL RECOVERY FUND FROM CERTAIN FUNDS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 27-104-323, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
27-104-323. (1) All funds received by or on behalf of the State of Mississippi through the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund in Section 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law No. 117-2) for distribution to nonentitlement units of local government shall be deposited into the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund created in subsection (2) of this section.
(2) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated as the "Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund" to be administered by the Department of Finance and Administration. The special fund shall consist of funds required to be deposited into the special fund by subsection (1) of this section, funds appropriated or otherwise made available by the Legislature in any manner, and funds from any other source designated for deposit into the special fund. The Department of Finance and Administration shall distribute the funds to the nonentitlement units of local government 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. Such funds shall only be used as provided in the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund in Section 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law No. 117-2) or as authorized by federal rule or regulation or guidelines.
(3) Unexpended amounts remaining
in the special fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General
Fund but shall remain in the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. Any investment
earnings or interest earned on amounts in the special fund shall be * * * transferred to the credit of the * * * Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery
Fund.
SECTION 2. Section 49-2-131, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
49-2-131. (1) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Mississippi Municipality and County Water Infrastructure Grant Program Act of 2022."
(2) There is hereby established within the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality the Mississippi Municipality and County Water Infrastructure (MCWI) Grant Program under which municipalities, counties and certain public utilities not regulated by the Public Service Commission may apply until February 1, 2023, for reimbursable grants to make necessary investments in water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure to be funded by the Legislature utilizing Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds made available under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). Such grants shall be made available to municipalities and counties to be matched with the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds awarded or to be awarded to them under ARPA on a one-to-one matching basis. Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds that a county transfers to a municipality or that a county or municipality transfers to a public utility not regulated by the Public Service Commission are eligible on a one-to-one matching basis. Municipalities that received less than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) in the total allocation of Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds are eligible for a two-to-one match only on the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds awarded or to be awarded to them under ARPA. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality shall only accept two (2) rounds of submissions under the Mississippi Municipality and County Water Infrastructure (MCWI) Grant Program. The second round of submissions shall be the final round. The dollar amount for professional fees that can be allocated as a part of a county's, municipality's or public utility's matching share is not to exceed four percent (4%) of the total project cost.
(3) For purposes of this section, unless the context requires otherwise, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed herein:
(a) "MCWI Grant Program" means the Mississippi Municipality and County Water Infrastructure Grant Program.
(b) "ARPA" means the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Public Law 117-2, which amends Title VI of the Social Security Act.
(c) "State Recovery Funds" means Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds awarded through Section 602 of Title VI of the Social Security Act amended by Section 9901 of the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Public Law 117-2.
(d) "Local Recovery Funds" means Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds awarded through Section 603 of Title VI of the Social Security Act amended by Section 9901 of the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Public Law 117-2.
(e) "Department" means the Department of Environmental Quality.
(f) "Professional fees" means fees for the services of attorneys and engineering, surveying, and environmental studies.
(g) "Project" means the infrastructure improvements defined in an application that (i) complies with all requirements of ARPA, and (ii) is eligible for a grant award under this section.
(4) (a) On or before July 1, 2022, the Department of Environmental Quality shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to administer the MCWI Grant Program prescribed under this section, including application procedures and deadlines. The department is exempt from compliance with the Mississippi Administrative Procedures Law in fulfilling the requirements of this section.
(b) The Department of Health shall advise the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality regarding all such rules and regulations as related to the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.
(5) Funding under the MCWI Grant Program shall be allocated to projects certified by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality as eligible for federal funding, including, but not be limited to, the following:
(a) Construction of publicly owned treatment works;
(b) Projects pursuant to the implementation of a nonpoint source pollution management program established under the Clean Water Act (CWA);
(c) Decentralized wastewater treatment systems that treat municipal wastewater or domestic sewage;
(d) Management and treatment of stormwater or subsurface drainage water;
(e) Water conservation, efficiency, or reuse measures;
(f) Development and implementation of a conservation and management plan under the CWA;
(g) Watershed projects meeting the criteria set forth in the CWA;
(h) Energy consumption reduction for publicly owned treatment works;
(i) Reuse or recycling of wastewater, stormwater, or subsurface drainage water;
(j) Facilities to improve drinking water quality;
(k) Transmission and distribution, including improvements of water pressure or prevention of contamination in infrastructure and lead service line replacements;
(l) New sources to replace contaminated drinking water or increase drought resilience, including aquifer storage and recovery system for water storage;
(m) Storage of drinking water, such as to prevent contaminants or equalize water demands;
(n) Purchase of water systems and interconnection of systems;
(o) New community water systems;
(p) Culvert repair, resizing, and removal, replacement of storm sewers, and additional types of stormwater infrastructure;
(q) Dam and reservoir rehabilitation, if the primary purpose of dam or reservoir is for drinking water supply and project is necessary for the provision of drinking water;
(r) Broad set of lead remediation projects eligible under EPA grant programs authorized by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act; and
(s) Any eligible drinking water, wastewater or stormwater project through ARPA guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and other criteria, as may be amended from time to time, by the United States Department of the Treasury.
(6) The governing authority of a municipality, county or public utility that is not regulated by the Public Service Commission may submit an application for grant funds under this section if the applicant is an operator-member of Mississippi 811, Inc., as defined in Section 77-13-3. Applicants shall certify to the department that each expenditure of the funds awarded to them under this section is in compliance with ARPA guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and other criteria, as may be amended from time to time, by the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the State Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds. Subsequent submissions will be due by the dates established by the department.
(7) An application for a grant under this section shall be submitted at such time, be in such form, and contain such information as the department prescribes. Each application for grant funds shall include the following at a minimum: (a) applicant contact information; (b) project description and type of project; (c) project map; (d) estimate of population affected by the project; (e) disadvantaged community criteria (population, median household income, unemployment, current water/sewer rates); (f) estimated project cost; (g) list of match funds of direct Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds received and to be received from the federal government, a certification that such funds have been or will be used for the project detailed in the application, and documentation of commitment; (h) estimated project schedule and readiness to proceed; (i) engineering services agreement; (j) engineering reports; and (k) information about status of obtaining any required permits.
(8) The department must apply a system for use in ranking the grant applications received, unless the Legislature funds all eligible grant requests under the program. When applying the ranking system, the department shall apply a greater weight to projects that have approved engineering/design, plans and permits if the department has deemed the project is ready to begin construction within six (6) months. Projects that are included on the municipal or county engineer's approved list and provide applicable supporting documentation shall receive additional consideration awarded to the application. The ranking system shall include the following factors, at a minimum: (a) the environmental impact of the proposed project; (b) the proposed project's ability to address noncompliance with state/federal requirements; (c) the extent to which the project promotes economic development; (d) the number of people served by the project and the number of communities the project serves; (e) impacts of the proposed project on disadvantaged/overburdened communities; (f) the grant applicant's prior efforts to secure funding to address the proposed project's objectives; (g) the grant applicant's proposed contribution of other funds or in-kind cost-sharing to the proposed project; (h) the grant applicant's long-term plans for the financial and physical operation and maintenance of the project; (i) the grant applicant's capacity to initiate construction in a timely manner and complete the proposed project by the deadline specified by the United States Department of Treasury rules for ARPA funds; (j) the extent to which the project benefits multiple political subdivisions in a regional manner; (k) the project's ability to enhance public service infrastructure, including transportation and emergency access; and (l) any other factors as determined by the department.
(9) The grant program shall include a specific emphasis on addressing the needs of an economically disadvantaged community, including providing safe, reliable drinking water in areas that lack infrastructure, providing sewage treatment capacity in unsewered areas and providing regional development of infrastructure to serve multiple communities.
(10) Applications shall be reviewed and scored as they are received, unless the Legislature funds all eligible grant requests under the program. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality shall certify whether each project submitted is a "necessary investment" in water, wastewater, or stormwater infrastructure as defined in the American Rescue Plan Act and all applicable guidance issued by the United States Department of the Treasury. The Department of Environmental Quality shall review the lists of recommended water infrastructure projects and issue its list of recommended projects to the Mississippi Department of Health for its advice. Grant agreements shall be executed between the recipient and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. All final awards shall be determined at the discretion of the executive director of the department. Any funds awarded to the City of Jackson under this section shall be deposited in the Capital City Water/Sewer Projects Fund of the State Treasury. Funds shall be obligated to a grantee upon the execution of a grant agreement between the department and the approved applicant. Funds shall be made available to a grantee when the department obtains the necessary support for reimbursement. The department is authorized to conduct additional rounds of grants as needed; however, in the first round no more than forty percent (40%) of the total funds appropriated for each grant program may be awarded by the department, and the remaining funds may be awarded in the final round which shall occur no later than six (6) months from the previous round. To ensure equitable treatment between the categories of projects, no less than twenty percent (20%) awarded under this section shall be allocated to each of the three (3) categories of drinking water projects, wastewater projects and stormwater projects. In the final round, any funds not requested may be allocated to any category.
(11) Grant funds shall be used prospectively; however, grant funds may be used to reimburse expenses incurred before the enactment of this program if the costs are adequately documented and comply with applicable ARPA guidelines. An applicant must agree to obtain all necessary state and federal permits and follow all state bidding and contracting laws and fiscally sound practices in the administration of the funds.
(b) The use of funds allocated under this program shall be subject to audit by the United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Inspector General and the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor. Each person receiving funds under these programs found to be fully or partially noncompliant with the requirements in this section shall return to the state all or a portion of the funds received.
(13) The department shall submit to the Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, House and Senate Appropriations Chairmen, and the Legislative Budget Office quarterly reports and annual reports that are due by the dates established in the Compliance and Reporting Guidance by the United States Department of Treasury. The reports shall contain the applications received, the score of the applications, the amount of grant funds awarded to each applicant, the amount of grant funds expended by each applicant, and status of each applicant's project. The score of the applications is not required if the award was provided in the final round of grants and the Legislature provided the total amount of funds for all eligible grant requests.
(14) Grant funds shall be available under this section through December 31, 2026, or on the date of the fund expenditure deadline provided by the federal government, whichever occurs later. Each grant recipient shall certify for any project for which a grant is awarded that if the project is not completed by December 31, 2026, and the United States Congress does not enact an extension of the deadline on the availability of ARPA funds, then the grant recipient will complete the project through other funds.
(15) The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality may retain an amount not to exceed five percent (5%) of the total funds allocated to the program to defray administrative costs.
(16) The department shall be exempt from provisions of the Public Procurement Review Board for any requirements of personal or professional service contracts or the pre-approval of the solicitation for such contracts used in the execution of its responsibilities under this section. This subsection shall stand repealed on January 1, 2026.
(17) The provisions of this section shall stand repealed on January 1, 2027.
SECTION 3. Section 41-3-16.1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
41-3-16.1. (1) (a) The State Department of Health (department) shall establish a grant program to be known as the ARPA Rural Water Associations Infrastructure Grant Program (program) to assist rural water associations and entities in the construction of eligible drinking water infrastructure projects as provided in the Final Rule for the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds as established by the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
(b) Rural water associations and any entity that received funding under the ARPA Rural Water Associations Infrastructure Grant Program or the Mississippi Municipality and County Water Infrastructure (MCWI) Grant Program before April 14, 2023, shall be ineligible for additional grants under this section.
(2) The program shall be funded from appropriations by the Legislature to the department from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund, and the department shall expend all such funds for the purposes provided in subsection (1) of this section.
(3) The department shall obligate the funds by the deadline set by the rules and guidelines of the United States Department of the Treasury and will adhere to the Treasury's rules and guidelines for reporting and monitoring projects funded through ARPA.
(4) (a) The department shall develop a system for use in ranking the grant applications received. The ranking system shall include the following factors, at a minimum: (a) the environmental impact of the proposed project; (b) the proposed project's ability to address noncompliance with state/federal requirements; (c) the extent to which the project promotes economic development; (d) the number of people served by the project (both new and existing users); (e) impacts of the proposed project on disadvantaged/ overburdened communities; (f) the grant applicant's prior efforts to secure funding to address the proposed project's objectives; (g) the grant applicant's proposed contribution of other funds or in-kind cost-sharing to the proposed project; (h) the grant applicant's long-term plans for the financial and physical operation and maintenance of the project; and (i) the grant applicant's capacity to initiate construction in a timely manner and complete the proposed project by the deadline specified by rules and guidelines of the United States Department of the Treasury for ARPA funds.
(b) For the second round of grant awards, the department shall apply a greater weight to grant applications that promote consolidation of separate systems. In order to receive the additional weight, the systems that will consolidate shall be in a proximity of each other as determined by the department.
(c) In addition to the points awarded under paragraph (b) of this subsection, an additional ten (10) points shall be added to any application with at least one (1) system that has consolidated after January 1, 2018, and before application to this program and is otherwise eligible under this section.
(5) An application for a grant under this section shall be submitted at such time, be in such form, and contain such information as the department prescribes.
(6) (a) Upon the approval of an application for a grant under this section, the department shall enter into a project grant agreement with each grantee to establish the terms of the grant for the project, including the amount of the grant.
(b) (i) For the first award of grants, the maximum amount of funds that may be provided to any rural water association or entity from all grants under the program is Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000.00).
(ii) For the second round of grant awards, the maximum amount of funds that may be provided to any eligible association or entity from all grants under the program is Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00).
(c) Associations or entities that received funding under the first round of grant awards for this program or received funding in the Mississippi Municipality and County Water Infrastructure Grant Program Act of 2022 are ineligible to receive funding under the second round.
(7) The department shall have all powers necessary to implement and administer the program. Of the funds appropriated to the department for the program, not more than five percent (5%) may be used by the department to cover the department's costs of administering the program.
(8) In carrying out its responsibilities under the program, for any contract under the purview of the Public Procurement Review Board (PPRB), the department shall be exempt from any requirement that the PPRB approve any personal or professional services contracts or pre-approve any solicitation of such contracts. This subsection shall stand repealed on July 1, 2026.
(9) The department shall submit an annual report regarding the program no later than December 31 of each year to the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House, and the Chairmen of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees.
(10) For the purposes of this section, "entity" means:
(a) Any entity operating as a rural water association, regardless of whether such entities were user created, were initially organized not for profit, or have been granted tax-exempt status under state or federal law.
(b) Any nonprofit water or sewer provider not owned by the municipality or county and are not a Rural Water Association.
(c) Any entity eligible under this program shall be currently operating as a not-for-profit entity.
(d) "Entity" under this subsection does not include any state agency. No state agency shall be eligible under this program.
SECTION 4. Section 41-9-371, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
41-9-371. (1) There is established the Mississippi Hospital Sustainability Grant Program which shall be administered by the State Department of Health.
(2) In order to strengthen, improve and preserve access to Mississippi hospital care services for all Mississippians and in recognition of the challenges incurred by Mississippi hospitals as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, funds from the program shall be distributed, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to each hospital licensed by the State of Mississippi, except for hospitals operated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and hospitals operated by the State Department of Mental Health. Licensed specialty hospitals that are recognized as such by the State Department of Health, except for those excluded under this subsection, are eligible for grants under the program.
(3) The department shall distribute grants to each eligible hospital based upon the following formula:
(a) Each hospital that has fewer than one hundred (100) licensed beds and that is not classified as a critical access hospital that operates an emergency department shall be eligible to receive Six Hundred Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($625,000.00) to defray the costs of providing emergency department services.
(b) Each rural hospital that has fewer than one hundred (100) licensed beds and that is classified as a critical access hospital that operates an emergency department shall be eligible to receive Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) to defray the costs of providing emergency department services.
(c) Each hospital that operates an emergency department and that has more than one hundred (100) licensed beds shall be eligible to receive One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00).
(d) Each hospital with fewer than two hundred (200) licensed beds with the majority of such beds being dedicated to providing specialty services such as women's health services, long-term acute care, rehabilitation or psychiatric services shall be eligible to receive Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00).
(e) Each rural hospital with fewer than one hundred (100) licensed beds with no emergency department shall be eligible to receive Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000.00) to defray the costs of providing access to hospital care in rural communities.
(f) In addition to the funds provided in paragraphs (a) through (e) of this subsection, each small rural hospital with fifty (50) beds or less which operated an emergency department shall be eligible to receive Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) to defray the costs of providing access to hospital care in rural communities.
(g) In addition to the funds distributed in paragraphs (a) through (c) and (e) through (f) of this subsection, any remaining funds appropriated for the purposes of this grant program shall be distributed to hospitals receiving funds in paragraphs (a) through (c) and (e) through (f) of this subsection on a pro rata amount by dividing the total amount of the remaining funds by the number of licensed beds attributable to all licensed Mississippi hospitals except for licensed beds attributable to hospitals described in paragraph (d) of this subsection and for licensed beds attributable to hospitals operated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and hospitals operated by the State Department of Mental Health and determining a dollar amount for each bed, and then multiplying that dollar amount by the number of licensed beds of that hospital.
(4) The department shall adopt such reasonable rules as necessary for the administration of the program, but shall not place additional qualification requirements on hospitals other than the minimum requirements in this section.
(5) The Mississippi Hospital Association shall form a work group to review the delivery of hospital services in Mississippi and shall make recommendations regarding the changes needed to sustain access to hospital care to the Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, Chairmen of the House and Senate Public Health Committees with copies to the Governor and the State Health Officer.
SECTION 5. Section 37-106-64, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
37-106-64. (1) There is established the "Skilled Nursing Home and Hospital Nurses Retention Loan Repayment Program" for new nursing graduates to be administered by the Mississippi Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board.
(2) Subject to the availability of funds, an eligible applicant for an initial award must have:
(a) Legal residency in the State of Mississippi;
(b) Gained employment within the last year for the first time as a full-time licensed practical nurse or licensed registered nurse at a skilled nursing home in the State of Mississippi or a general acute care hospital in the State of Mississippi that is licensed by the Mississippi State Department of Health;
(c) A current relevant Mississippi professional license; and
(d) Outstanding qualifying educational loans, received at any point during the recipients postsecondary education career, which may include the principal, interest and related expenses such as the required interest premium on the unpaid balances of government and commercial loans obtained by the recipient for educational expense.
(3) Persons who have received funds from state-forgivable loan programs established under Mississippi law, or who are in default or delinquent on any federal, state, local or commercial qualifying educational loan, shall not be eligible for this program.
(4) Recipients in the program shall be selected on a first-come, first-served basis from all eligible applicants. The Mississippi Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board shall renew eligible applicants approved in prior years only if the renewal applicant continues to meet the standards set forth in this act, and the renewal applicant has not received full funding provided by this subsection (4).
(5) Awards for recipients who are employed at a skilled nursing home or a licensed general acute care hospital in the state may be a maximum of Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00) for each year of employment up to three (3) years.
(6) A recipient shall not be penalized for ending employment at a skilled nursing home or a licensed general acute care hospital in the State of Mississippi if the recipient begins working for another skilled nursing home or licensed general acute care hospital in the State of Mississippi during the year on which the award is based.
(7) Awards shall be granted on a year-to-year basis, and recipients have no obligation to seek a subsequent award.
(8) Awards shall be paid annually, after the expiration of the year of employment for which the award was granted, to the recipient's lender or loan service provider, to be applied to the outstanding balance. Monies paid by the recipient or on the recipient's behalf toward qualifying educational loans before payment of the award shall not be eligible for reimbursement through the program.
(9) During the employment year for which the award is granted, a recipient shall at all times keep the State Financial Aid Board informed of any changes to the recipient's current, correct and complete employment information and status.
(10) Recipients who fail to maintain a relevant Mississippi professional license or fail to fulfill the year of employment on which the award was based forfeit any right to the award.
(11) The Mississippi Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board, in collaboration with the State Board of Nursing and any other applicable state agency as determined by the Mississippi Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board, shall attempt to track award recipients under this program through their third employment year, unless the recipient leaves employment at a skilled nursing home or a licensed general acute care hospital in the state at an earlier date. Data collected shall include each recipients' place of employment and any other pertinent information necessary to determine the efficacy of the program in retaining nurses in skilled nursing homes or licensed general acute care hospitals in the State of Mississippi.
(12) The Mississippi Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board shall promulgate regulations necessary for the proper administration of this section, including setting a fiscal year policy for the program and application dates and deadlines.
(13) This section shall stand repealed on July 1, 2027.
SECTION 6. (1) (a) The State Fiscal Officer shall determine the amount of Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds appropriated to various agencies that will not be obligated as of November 1, 2024.
(b) In making the determination required by this subsection, the State Fiscal Officer shall use the criteria released by the United States Treasury to determine if the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds are not obligated.
(2) If at any time during the period from passage of this act to November 1, 2024, a state agency determines that Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds will not be obligated by November 1, 2024, the state agency shall notify the State Fiscal Officer.
(3) If at any time the State Fiscal Officer determines that funds will be unobligated as of November 1, 2024, under subsection (1) or (2) of this section, the State Treasurer, in coordination with the State Fiscal Officer, shall transfer these funds to the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund (Fund No. 682111300) by no later than November 5, 2024. No later than November 6, 2024, the State Treasurer, in conjunction with the State Fiscal Officer, shall transfer the funds to the following funds:
SECTION 7. Upon the effective date of this act, the State Treasurer, in conjunction with the State Fiscal Officer, shall transfer to the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund (Fund No. 6821113000) from the following named funds the following sums:
FUND FUND NUMBER AMOUNT
Mississippi Municipal
and County Water
Infrastructure Fund 6822147000 $ 28,557,785.00
ARPA-Mississippi
Independent School
Infra Grant Fund 6822113400 $ 10,000,000.00
Mississippi Hospital
Sustainability
Grant Program Fund 6822130500 $ 36,458,878.00
MDCPS American Rescue
Plan Act Fund 6822166100 $ 15,607,348.00
Trial Judges-ARPA 2021-
(CPS) Fund 6822105100 $ 1,500,000.00
MH SB Corona State Fiscal
Rec Funds ARPA Fund 6822437100 $ 29,384,500.00
MH CO Corona State Fiscal
Rec Funds ARPA Fund 6822337100 $ 18,250,000.00
Trial Judges-ARPA 2021-
Temporary Courts Fund 6822105200 $ 1,589,094.00
Mississippi Law Enforcement
and Fire Fighters
Premium Pay Fund 6822171100 $ 3,448,580.00
TOTAL $144,796,185.00
SECTION 8. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024, and shall stand repealed on June 30, 2024.