REPORT OF CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

H.B. No. 1640: Appropriation; Mississippi Authority for Educational Television.

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 expenses of the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1999, and ending June 30, 2000 $ 7,213,636.00.

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 Mississippi Authority for Educational Television which is comprised of special source funds collected by or otherwise available to the Authority, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Authority for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1999, and ending June 30, 2000

$ 6,825,390.00.

SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 1 and Section 2, not more than the amounts set forth below shall be expended for the respective major objects or purposes of expenditure:

MAJOR OBJECTS OF EXPENDITURE:

Personal Services:

Salaries, Wages and Fringe Benefits $ 5,141,668.00

Travel and Subsistence 144,008.00

Contractual Services 5,449,261.00

Commodities 660,279.00

Capital Outlay:

Other Than Equipment 0.00

Equipment 2,643,610.00

Subsidies, Loans and Grants 200.00

Total $ 14,039,026.00

FUNDING:

General Funds $ 7,213,636.00

Special Funds 6,825,390.00

Total $ 14,039,026.00

AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:

Permanent: Full Time. . . . . . . . . 142

Part Time. . . . . . . . . 1

Time-Limited: Full Time. . . . . . . . . 15

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

From the funds provided in the budget category "Personal Services: Salaries, Wages and Fringe Benefits," 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 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.

Funds appropriated herein shall first be used for the continuation of a full and complete broadcast schedule of educational and instructional, professional growth, and public service programs, with the production of new films and programs to be secondary thereto.

SECTION 4. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 2, One Million Six Hundred Forty-four Thousand Sixty-seven Dollars ($1,644,067.00) shall be derived from the Education Enhancement Fund deposited pursuant to Sections 27-65-75 and 27-67-31, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 5. No part of the funds appropriated herein shall be transferred to, expended by, or used, directly or indirectly, for the benefit of any public relations, publicity or publication activities of any other state agency, department or officer, nor shall any personnel paid or equipment purchased with funds appropriated hereby be transferred or assigned to any other state agency, department or officer for public relations, publicity or publication activities of such office.

SECTION 6. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television shall have the authority to expend funds in the Capital Equipment Replacement Revolving Fund, in accordance with Section 37-63-17, Mississippi Code of 1972, Annotated, for the purpose of purchasing technical equipment for operating the educational radio and television facilities.

SECTION 7. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television shall have the authority to escalate its budget and expend funds from any source not to exceed Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00) in accordance with rules and regulations of the Department of Finance and Administration in a manner consistent with the escalation of federal funds.

SECTION 8. 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:

FY00

Performance Measures Target

Educational Services

Educators trained (Interactive Video Network

and on-site) 7,500

Student Interactive Video Network courses 155

Enrolled Interactive Video Network courses 3,600

Printed items distributed (actions) 45,500

Instructional series broadcasted 280

Instructional TV cost per student (cents) 37¢

TV Programming

Broadcast hours produced (actions) 246

Production cost (per hour) $3,024

Broadcast hours purchased (actions) 8,145

Program purchase cost (per hour) $167

Radio Programming

PRM produced features (actions) 186

Remote concerts recorded (actions) 45

Broadcast cost (per day) $1,944

Radio reading of Mississippi receivers (persons) 3,200

Engineering Maintenance

Equipment evaluation inquiries (actions) 197

Satellite maintenance calls (actions) 285

Statewide field strength measurements 150

Support Services

Video teleconferences (actions) 305

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 2001.

SECTION 9. Of the funds provided herein, One Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,500,000.00) is provided to the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television to purchase a mobile digital production vehicle. The mobile production vehicle shall be used for many educational purposes which include informing Mississippi citizens of our many and varied work force opportunities. The production vehicle shall also be used to assist the Mississippi Tobacco Pilot Program and for promoting Mississippi natural wildlife, state parks, tourism and economic development.

SECTION 10. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2 and allocated in Section 3, Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) shall come from the Mississippi Tobacco Pilot Program as authorized in the case Mike Moore Attorney General ex rel. State of Mississippi v. The American Tobacco Company et al. (Chancery Court of Jackson County, Mississippi, Cause No. 94-1429).

SECTION 11. 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 12. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1999.