Adopted

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO 1 PROPOSED TO

House Bill No. 1815

BY: Committee

     Amend by striking all after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

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 paying salaries and travel expenses of district attorneys, assistant district attorneys, criminal investigators, tort claims assessments, and paying office expenses of district attorneys for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025..................................................

............................................ $    30,871,543.00.

SECTION 2.  The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State Prosecutor Compensation Fund, referred to in Section 99-19-73, Mississippi Code of 1972, for the purpose of paying salaries of assistant district attorneys of the state as authorized in Section 25-31-5(1) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025 $       486,932.00.

SECTION 3.  None of the funds authorized in this section shall be used to reimburse district attorneys or their staff for taxable meals incurred within their geographical district.

SECTION 4.  Of the funds appropriated herein, office expenses of district attorneys as authorized by Section 25-31-8, Mississippi Code of 1972, in the amount of One Million Six Hundred Sixty-six Thousand Dollars ($1,666,000.00).

     SECTION 5.  It is the intention of the Legislature that the district attorneys and assistant district attorneys of the state shall maintain complete accounting and personnel records related to the expenditure of all funds appropriated in this act and that those records shall be in the same format and level of details as maintained for Fiscal Year 2024.  It is further the intention of the Legislature that the budget requests 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 for each agency and institution appropriated funds within the provisions of this act.

     SECTION 6.  Of the funds provided in Section 1 of this act, Three Hundred Seventy-one Thousand Six Hundred Seventy-nine Dollars ($371,679.00), or so much thereof as may be necessary, is provided for two (2) full-time assistant district attorneys and (1) full-time criminal investigator pursuant to House Bill 1020, 2023 Regular Session, and engrossed in Section 25-31-37, Mississippi Code of 1972.

     SECTION 7.  It is the intention of the Legislature that with the funds provided herein, the district attorneys shall submit their Five-Year Strategic Plan(s) as required in Section 27-103-129(1), Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 8.  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 9.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024, and shall stand repealed June 29, 2024.

     Further, amend by striking the title in its entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

     AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF PAYING SALARIES AND TRAVEL EXPENSES OF DISTRICT ATTORNEYS AND ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OF THE STATE AND PAYING OFFICE EXPENSES OF DISTRICT ATTORNEYS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2025.