Amendment_Report_for

SECTION 1. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Mississippi Department of Insurance for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025..........................

............................................ $ 13,238,194.00.

SECTION 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in any special fund in the State Treasury to the credit of the Mississippi Department of Insurance which is comprised of special source funds collected by or otherwise available to the department, for the support of the various offices of the department for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025................................ $ 3,130,000.00.

SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of this act, the following positions are authorized:

AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT:

Permanent: 129

Time-Limited: 0

With the funds herein appropriated, it shall be the agency's responsibility to make certain that funds required for Personal Services for Fiscal Year 2026 do not exceed Fiscal Year 2025 funds appropriated for that purpose unless programs or positions are added to the agency's Fiscal Year 2025 budget by the Mississippi Legislature. The Legislature shall determine the agency's personal services appropriation, which the State Personnel Board shall publish. In accordance with applicable laws, if an agency determines that its personal services amount is insufficient, the agency must contact the State Personnel Board. Any adjustment to the personal services amount must be approved by the State Personnel Director and the State Fiscal Officer after consultation with the Legislative Budget Office. Any adjustment shall be reported to the Legislative Budget Office and the House and Senate Appropriations Chairmen. The agency's personal services appropriation may consist of restricted funds for approved vacancies for Fiscal Year 2025 that may not be utilized for active Fiscal Year 2024 headcount. It shall be the agency's responsibility to ensure that the funds provided for vacancies are used to increase headcount and not for promotions, title changes, in-range salary adjustments, or any other mechanism for increasing salaries for current employees. If the State Personnel Board determines that an agency has used provided vacancy funds for any of the mechanisms previously listed, the State Personnel Board shall not process any additional salary actions for the agency in the current fiscal year, except for new hires determined by the State Personnel Board to be essential for the agency. It is the Legislature's intention that no employee salary falls below the minimum salary established by the Mississippi State Personnel Board.

Additionally, the State Personnel Board shall determine and publish the projected annualized payroll costs based on current employees. It shall be the responsibility of the agency head to ensure that actual personnel expenditures for Fiscal Year 2025 do not exceed the data provided by the Legislative Budget Office. If the agency's projected cost for Fiscal Year 2025 exceeds the annualized costs, no salary actions shall be processed by the State Personnel Board except for new hires determined to be essential for the agency.

Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with the terms, conditions, and procedures established by law or allowable under the terms set forth within this act. The State Personnel Board shall not escalate positions without written approval from the Department of Finance and Administration. The Department of Finance and Administration shall not provide written approval to escalate any funds for salaries and/or positions without proof of availability of new or additional funds above the appropriated level.

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

None of the funds herein appropriated shall be used in violation of the Internal Revenue Service's Publication 15-A relating to the reporting of income paid to contract employees, as interpreted by the Office of the State Auditor.

SECTION 4. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Department of Insurance shall maintain complete accounting and personnel records related to the expenditure of all funds appropriated under this act and that such records shall be in the same format and level of detail as maintained for Fiscal Year 2024. It is further the intention of the Legislature that the agency's budget request 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 5. In compliance with the "Mississippi Performance Budget and Strategic Planning Act of 1994," it is the intent of the Legislature that the funds provided herein shall be utilized in the most efficient and effective manner possible to achieve the intended mission of this agency. Based on the funding authorized, this agency shall make every effort to attain the targeted performance measures provided below:

FY2025

Performance Measures Target

Lic & Reg MS Ins Co's & Agents

Number of (Producer, Etc) Licenses Issued 218,000

Average Cost per License Issued 100.00

Number of Agent's C/A's Issued 580,000

Average Cost per Agent C/A Issued 25.00

Number of Requests for Assistance 24,500

Average Cost per Customer I/C Addressed 55.00

Number of Fire Marshal Fire Investigations 538

Cost per Fire Marshal Investigation 900.00

Number of Fire Marshal Inspections 8,000

Average Cost per Fire Marshal Inspection 60.00

Liquefied Compressed Gas

Number of Accidents/Injuries/Deaths Due

to Incidents Involving LCG 0.00

Number of Inspections 8,000

Average Cost per Inspection 60.00

Number of Safety Training Schools/Seminars 170

Average Cost per Safety Training School 145.00

A reporting of the degree to which the performance targets set above have been or are being achieved shall be provided in the agency's budget request submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee for Fiscal Year 2026.

SECTION 6. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 1, Fifteen Thousand Seventy-nine Dollars ($15,079.00) is provided for the Mississippi Fire Personnel Minimum Standards and Certification Board.

SECTION 7. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 1, funds in the amount of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) is provided and shall be expended to pay the annual dues for the National Conference of Insurance Legislators.

SECTION 8. It is the intention of the Legislature that none of the funds appropriated above shall be expended unless members of the Mississippi House of Representatives and Mississippi Senate are notified at least five (5) days prior to a public ceremony announcing the award of any grant in their district or any public announcement or ceremony regarding any project for which the Legislature has made funds available. Any signage regarding any public event or project shall include the following language: "Funds were made available for this project by the Mississippi State Legislature."

SECTION 9. 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 10. Within the limits of the funds available to the Mississippi Insurance Department for such purpose, the Commissioner of Insurance for the Mississippi Insurance Department may grant a paid internship to students pursuing junior or senior undergraduate level year coursework toward a bachelor's degree in risk management insurance or graduate level coursework towards a master's degree in business administration. Those applicants deemed qualified by the Mississippi Department of Insurance shall receive funds that may be used to pay for tuition, books and related fees to pursue their degree. It is the intent of the Legislature that the paid internship program shall be used as incentive for risk management insurance careers at the Mississippi Insurance Department.

SECTION 11. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1, Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) is provided for the State Fire Marshal's Office for fire safety prevention and services, including, but not limited to, fire protection supplies and materials, smoke alarms, and public service announcements providing fire prevention information.

SECTION 12. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 2, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Propane Education and Research Program Fund, for the purpose of research and development of more cost effective uses of propane and on educational programs, safety programs, and market development of propane for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025.... $ 130,000.00.

SECTION 13. Of the funds provided in Section 2, Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000.00) is provided from the Mississippi Volunteer Firefighter Length-of-Service Awards Program Fund. These funds are provided for the Mississippi Length-of-Service Award Program (LOSAP) established in Section 45-11-271 of the Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 14. In addition to all other sums heretofore appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the special fund in the State Treasury to the credit of the Annual Fire Fund to the Mississippi Department of Insurance for the purposes allowed in Section 17-23-21, Mississippi Code of 1972, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025..................................................

.............................................. $ 9,000,000.00.

SECTION 15. In addition to all other funds appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the special fund in the State Treasury to the credit of the Rural Fire Truck Matching Assistance Fund which was created in Section 17-23-1 (4), Mississippi Code of 1972 to the Mississippi Department of Insurance for the Rural Fire Truck Matching Assistance Program for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025.................................. $ 2,000,000.00.

SECTION 16. 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 17. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024, and shall stand repealed June 29, 2024.