HB1787_S_Cmte_Amend

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 Public Service Commission for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025..........................

............................................ $ 4,918,797.00.

SECTION 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the special fund in the State Treasury to the credit of the Mississippi Public Service Commission which is comprised of special source funds collected by or otherwise available to the commission, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the commission for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025..................................................

............................................ $ 464,494.00.

SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 1 and Section 2, the following positions are authorized:

AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT:

Permanent: 51

Time-Limited: 5

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. 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

Utility Regulatory Services

Number of Utility Docket Cases 169

Number of Utility Complaints 4,600

Electric Complaints as a Percent of Total 58.00

Telecommunication Complaints as a

Percent of Total 26.00

Water Complaints as a Percent of Total 12.00

Gas Complaints as a Percent of Total 3.00

Sewer Complaints as a Percent of Total 1.00

Average Cost per Utility Complaint 638.00

Time To Resolve Utility Complaints (Days) 3

Average Price of Electricity per

Kilowatt Hour in MS for Residential

Customers, by Utility Type:

Investor-Owned Utilities (Cents/kWh) 0.13

Average Price of Electricity per

Kilowatt Hour in MS for Residential

Customers, by Utility Type: Electric

Cooperatives (Cents/kWh) 0.13

Average Price of Electricity for

Residential Customers in MS as a Percent

of the April 2016 National Average,

12.43 Cents/kWh - Investor Owned

Utilities 86.89

Average Price of Electricity for

Residential Customers in MS as a Percent

of the April 2016 National Average,

12.43 Cents/kWh - Electric Cooperative 95.14

Average Monthly Residential Electric

Usage in MS (kWh) 1,200

Average Monthly Residential Electric

Usage in MS as a Percent of the 2015

National Average, 909 kWh 135.00

Number of Pipeline Inspections 900

Average Cost per Pipeline Inspection 883.00

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 5. None of the funds herein appropriated by this act to the Public Service Commission shall be expended for any purpose that is not actually required or necessary for performing any of the powers or duties of the Mississippi Public Service Commission that are authorized by the Mississippi Constitution of 1890, state or federal law, or rules or regulations that implement state or federal law.

SECTION 6. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Public Service Commission 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 7. 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 8. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Public Service Commission shall compile the amount of time that is expended on each regulated entity during Fiscal Year 2024. On or before August 1, 2024, the Public Service Commission shall report these findings to the House of Representatives' Public Utilities Committee, the Senate's Energy Committee, and the Legislative Budget Office.

SECTION 9. 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 10. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024, and shall stand repealed June 29, 2024.