Senate Bill 2953

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFRAYING THE EXPENSES OF THE VETERANS AFFAIRS BOARD FOR FISCAL YEAR 2004.

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, for the purpose of defraying the expenses and paying salaries of the Veterans Affairs Board for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2003, and ending June 30, 2004............................... $ 1,322,546.00.

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 Veterans Affairs Board which is comprised of special source funds collected by or otherwise available to the board, for the support and maintenance of said board for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2003, and ending June 30, 2004............................................ $ 24,869,883.00.

SECTION 3. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the Health Care Expendable Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Veterans' Affairs Board for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2003, and ending June 30, 2004................................. $ 700,000.00.

SECTION 4. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Sections 1, 2 and 3, 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$ 15,368,232.00

Travel and Subsistence.............. 100,000.00

Contractual Services..................... 8,534,506.00

Commodities.............................. 2,339,935.00

Capital Outlay:

Other Than Equipment................ 300,000.00

Equipment........................... 249,756.00

Subsidies, Loans and Grants.............. 0.00

Total.............................. $ 26,892,429.00

FUNDING:

General Funds........................... $ 1,322,546.00

Special Funds............................ 25,569,883.00

Total.............................. $ 26,892,429.00

AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:

Permanent: Full Time........... 80

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

Time-Limited:Full Time........... 620

Part Time........... 100

With the funds herein appropriated, it is the intention of the Legislature that it shall be the agency's responsibility to make certain that funds required to be appropriated for "Personal Services" for Fiscal Year 2005 do not exceed Fiscal Year 2004 funds appropriated for that purpose, unless programs or positions are added to the agency's Fiscal Year 2005 budget by the Mississippi Legislature. Based on data provided by the Legislative Budget Office, the State Personnel Board shall determine and publish the projected annual cost to fully fund all appropriated positions in compliance with the provisions of this act. It shall be the responsibility of the agency head to insure that no single personnel action increases this projected annual cost and/or the Fiscal Year 2004 appropriation for "Personal Services" when annualized. If, at the end of any calendar month, the State Personnel Board determines that the agency has taken action(s) which would cause the agency to exceed this projected annual cost or the Fiscal Year 2004 "Personal Services" appropriated level, when annualized, then only those actions which reduce the projected annual cost and/or the appropriation requirement will be processed by the State Personnel Board until such time as the requirements of this provision are met.

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.

SECTION 5. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 1, and authorized for expenditure in Section 3, funds in the amount of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) are provided to defray the cost of providing care to indigent/low-income Mississippi veterans and the non-veteran surviving spouses of Mississippi veterans if the surviving spouse was a resident of a state veterans home at the time of the veteran's death and who, subsequent to the veteran's death, meets the indigent/low-income criteria established by the State Veterans Affairs Board, in the state veterans homes. It is the intention of the Legislature that the provision pertaining to use of indigent/low-income surviving spouses be retroactive for any such period, prior to the effective date of this act, that a current surviving spouse may have met the criteria. This section and its provisions shall be known and cited as the "Hilton R. 'Jack' Vance Act of 1997."

SECTION 6. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Executive Director of the Veterans Affairs Board may authorize increases in major objects of expenditure in total amounts not to exceed ten percent (10%) of the appropriated amount of each major object of expenditure, provided that other major objects of expenditure are decreased by the corresponding dollar amount. However, no transfers shall be authorized which increase the major object of expenditure "Salaries, Wages and Fringe Benefits."

SECTION 7. It is the intention of the Legislature that none of the funds appropriated by this act shall be expended for increased charges for State and School Employees' Health Insurance Plan premium rates assessed by the Department of Finance and Administration in excess of the Fiscal Year 2003 premium rates for the health insurance plan.

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, 2003.