MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1999 Regular Session

To: Appropriations

By: Representatives McCoy, Scott (17th), Barnett (92nd), Frierson, Livingston, McInnis, Peranich, Read, Vince

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFRAYING THE EXPENSES OF THE MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND THE MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2000.

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, to the State Board of Education for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Mississippi School for the Blind and the Mississippi School for the Deaf for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1999, and ending June 30, 2000 $ 10,413,655.00.

SECTION 2. 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 State Board of Education for the support of the Mississippi School for the Blind or the Mississippi School for the Deaf which is comprised of special source funds collected by or otherwise available to the schools, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the schools for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1999, and ending June 30, 2000 $ 731,062.00.

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

AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:

Permanent: Full Time. . . . . . . . . 215

Part Time. . . . . . . . . 40

Time-Limited: Full Time. . . . . . . . . 3

Part Time. . . . . . . . . 0

From the funds provided herein, funds may be expended for the following purposes, in compliance with the policies established by the State Personnel Board and any conditions placed on such expenditures:

(a) The components of the Variable Compensation Plan shall be maintained within the constraints of the funds appropriated herein.

(b) Funds are provided to adjust the Variable Compensation Plan, including realignment, to ensure that all full-time employees with at least six (6) months of continuous current service, as of June 30, 1999, receive an increase of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00). Funds are provided to adjust critical job classes up to an additional One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00).

(c) If an employee is currently at or above the end salary for his or her job classification, then the increase shall be built into the employee's base salary. To be eligible for any increase authorized in this section, employees may not have a current performance rating below "meets expectations" as of the effective date of the increase. Employees who subsequently receive a performance rating of "meets expectations" or above during Fiscal Year 2000 shall receive the salary increase effective the date of the rating.

It is the agency's responsibility to make certain that funds required to be appropriated for "Personal Services" for Fiscal Year 2001 do not exceed Fiscal Year 2000 funds appropriated for that purpose unless programs or positions are added to the agency's budget by the Mississippi Legislature.

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

None of the funds herein provided shall be expended to hire any person on a contractual basis, for any period for any purpose, without the express prior approval of the State Personnel Director. The State Personnel Director shall consider, in approving such contracts, the availability of funds, the need for services, compliance with the State Compensation Plan and the qualifications of the persons offering to perform the services. The State Fiscal Officer shall not pay any warrant that is in violation of this section.

SECTION 4. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi School for the Blind and the Mississippi School for the Deaf 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 1999. The Department of Finance and Administration shall insure that financial controls comparable to those utilized for Fiscal Year 1999 are maintained throughout Fiscal Year 1999 for this agency. The State Personnel Board shall insure that personnel controls and records comparable to those utilized for Fiscal Year 1999 are maintained throughout Fiscal Year 2000 for this agency. It is further the intention of the Legislature that the agency's budget request for Fiscal Year 2001 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 1999 budget request process.

SECTION 5. With the funds provided herein, it is the intention of the Legislature that the academic teachers at the Mississippi School for the Deaf and the Mississippi School for the Blind shall receive their annual increment and that the Mississippi State Personnel Board and the Mississippi Department of Education work together to adjust the special compensation plan for these teachers to reflect the increase given to public school teachers through the Minimum Program or the increase given to state employees, whichever is greater, to be implemented July 1, 1999.

SECTION 6. Funds are provided in this act for the reallocations of nine (9) positions not to exceed Thirty-four Thousand Eight Hundred Seventy-five Dollars ($34,875.00).

SECTION 7. 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 8. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1999.