Senate Bill 3015

(As Passed the Senate)

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFRAYING THE ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES OF THE MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025.

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

SECTION 1. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of defraying the administrative expenses of the Mississippi Community College Board for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025 $ 6,110,733.00.

SECTION 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Mississippi Community College Board, for the purpose of defraying the administrative expenses of the Mississippi Community College Board for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025................................ $ 93,702,884.00.

SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2 of this act, Three Hundred Fifty-six Thousand Dollars ($356,000.00) shall be derived from the Education Enhancement Fund from funds deposited pursuant to Sections 27-65-75 and 27-67-31, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 4. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of this act, the following positions are authorized:

AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT:

Permanent: 45

Time-Limited: 0

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

No general funds authorized to be expended herein shall be used to replace federal funds and/or other special funds which are being used for salaries authorized under the provisions of this act and which are withdrawn and no longer available.

SECTION 5. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, Five Hundred Forty-two Thousand Four Hundred Fifty-nine Dollars ($542,459.00) is provided to the Mississippi Community College Board for the purpose of defraying the cost of the Greenville Higher Education Center.

SECTION 6. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, Thirty-seven Thousand Six Hundred Twenty-six Dollars ($37,626.00) is provided for geospatial site licenses.

SECTION 7. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2 of this act, Five Hundred Seventy-four Thousand Three Hundred Eighty-six Dollars ($574,386.00) shall be derived from the out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Commission on Proprietary School and College Registration, for the purpose of defraying expenses incurred in the regulation and administration of the Mississippi Proprietary School and College Registration Law and the associated expenses of the Mississippi Community College Board.

SECTION 8. Of the funds appropriated herein, up to One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) shall be expended from the Work Force Carryover Fund as created in Section 37-153-31, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 9. Of the funds appropriated in Sections 1 and 2 of this act, Fifty Million Eight Hundred Thirty-one Thousand Eight Hundred Two Dollars ($50,831,802.00) is appropriated for the Workforce Education Program and Industrial Training. No funding obligation or commitment shall be made on behalf of the state for industrial training beyond the level of funding made available in this section. All industrial training program commitments made in Fiscal Year 2025 and future fiscal years shall be based only upon funds available in this section, and any proposed commitments shall be approved by the Executive Director of the Mississippi Community College Board or the Executive Director's designee prior to such commitment being finalized. Industrial training program commitments shall be made and based only upon training services provided and not for a specific funding amount. Any expenditures of funds authorized in this section are limited to obligations made July 1, 2024, or after, and shall not be expended for obligations made prior to this date.

SECTION 10. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2 of this act, Thirty Million Dollars ($30,000,000.00) shall be derived from unemployment compensation contributions deposited into the Mississippi Workforce Enhancement Training Fund and shall be utilized exclusively by the Mississippi Community College Board for workforce training in accordance with Senate Bill No. 2027, 2010 Regular Session. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Workforce Enhancement Training Fund shall have not less than Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00) set aside as a carry-forward to begin the Fiscal Year 2026 Workforce Education Program.

SECTION 11. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2 of this act, Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000.00) shall be derived from fees charged for the Workforce Online Training Program, and the Mississippi Virtual Community College and funds in the amount of Two Million Four Hundred Forty-four Thousand Nine Hundred Fourteen Dollars ($2,444,914.00) shall be transferred from the Community and Junior College Education Technology Fund for the purpose of defraying the costs of the Mississippi Virtual Community College, the Workforce Online Training Program and the administrative expenses of the Mississippi Community College Board.

SECTION 12. Of the funds appropriated in of Section 2 of this act, One Hundred Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($125,000.00) shall be derived from fees charged for issuing duplicate transcripts and duplicate diplomas for the High School Equivalency Testing Program for the purpose of defraying the costs of administering the High School Equivalency Testing Program of the Mississippi Community College Board, pursuant to Section 37-35-9, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 13. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2 of this act, Thirty Million Dollars ($30,000,000.00) shall be derived from the transfer of postsecondary vocational and technical funds from the Mississippi Department of Education to the Mississippi Community College Board for the purpose of managing the day-to-day operations of postsecondary career and technical education.

SECTION 14. It is the intention of the Legislature that an amount equal to One Dollar and Fifty Cents ($1.50) per square foot shall be transferred to the Executive Office of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning to defray utility costs.

SECTION 15. It is the intention of the Legislature that the budget requests for administrative expenses of the Mississippi Community College Board for Fiscal Year 2026 shall be submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee in a format and level of detail comparable to the format and level of detail provided during the Fiscal Year 2025 budget request process.

SECTION 16. It is the intention of the Legislature that whenever two (2) or more bids are received by this agency for the purchase of commodities or equipment, and whenever all things stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, quality and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to the Mississippi Industries for the Blind whenever purchases are made without competitive bids.

SECTION 17. It is the intention of the Legislature that the funds herein appropriated shall be expended in compliance with Section 27-104-25, Mississippi Code of 1972, that no state agency shall incur obligations or indebtedness in excess of their appropriation and that the responsible officers, either personally or upon their official bonds, shall be held responsible for actions contrary to this provision.

SECTION 18. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in this act, upon warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal Officer shall issue his warrants upon requisitions signed by the proper person, officer or officers in the manner provided by law.

SECTION 19. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024, and shall stand repealed from and after June 30, 2024.