House Bill 1860

AN ACT TO REPEAL SECTION 27-103-81, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH PROVIDES THAT THE WORKING CASH-STABILIZATION RESERVE FUND MAY BE USED TO PROVIDE STATE FUNDS TO PAY WARRANTS DRAWN FOR PAYMENT THAT WILL BE REIMBURSED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNDER A DELAY-OF-DRAWDOWN LETTER OF CREDIT; TO AMEND SECTION 27-103-203, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DELETE THE REQUIREMENT THAT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS IN THE WORKING CASH-STABILIZATION RESERVE FUND SHALL REMAIN AVAILABLE FOR USE UNDER SECTION 27-103-81; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 27-103-81, Mississippi Code of 1972, which provides that the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund may be used to provide state funds to pay warrants drawn for payment that will be reimbursed by the federal government under a delay-of-drawdown letter of credit, is repealed.

SECTION 2. Section 27-103-203, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

27-103-203. (1) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund, separate and apart from any other fund, to be designated the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund, into which shall be deposited one hundred percent (100%) of the unencumbered General Fund cash balance at the close of each fiscal year until such time as the balance in the fund reaches Forty Million Dollars ($40,000,000.00). After the balance in the fund reaches Forty Million Dollars ($40,000,000.00), fifty percent (50%) of the unencumbered General Fund cash balance at the close of each fiscal year, not to exceed seven and one-half percent (7-1/2%) of the General Fund appropriations for such fiscal year, shall be deposited into the fund. The remainder of the year-end unencumbered cash after transfer to the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund shall remain in the General Fund. Unencumbered cash in the General Fund may be used for new year cash flow needs and may also be used for deficit appropriations or regular appropriations.

(2) The Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund shall not be considered as a surplus or available funds when adopting a balanced budget as required by law. The State Treasurer shall invest all sums in the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund not needed for the purposes provided for in this section in certificates of deposit, repurchase agreements and other securities as authorized in Sections 27-105-33(d) or 7-9-103, as the State Treasurer may determine to yield the highest market rate available. If the Ayers Settlement Fund is created under Section 37-101-27(5), the first Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00) of interest earned on those sums each fiscal year shall be deposited into that fund until a total of Seventy Million Dollars ($70,000,000.00) has been deposited into the fund. The interest, or the remaining interest if the Ayers Settlement Fund is created, that is earned on those sums shall be deposited in the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund until the balance of principal and interest in the fund reaches seven and one-half percent (7-1/2%) of the total General Fund appropriations for the current fiscal year, and all interest earned in excess of amounts necessary to maintain the seven and one-half percent (7-1/2%) fund balance requirement shall be deposited by the State Treasurer into the State General Fund.

(3) The Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund, except for Fifteen Million Dollars ($15,000,000.00) and the amount of the interest and income earned on the principal of the Ayers Endowment Trust created by Section 37-101-27, shall be used by the State Treasurer for cash flow needs throughout the year when the Executive Director of the Department of Finance and Administration certifies that in his opinion there will be cash flow deficiencies in the State General Fund. No borrowing of monies from other special funds for such purposes as authorized by Section 31-17-101 et seq. shall be made as long as an unencumbered balance in excess of Fifteen Million Dollars ($15,000,000.00) and the interest and income earned on the principal of the Ayers Endowment Trust created by Section 37-101-27 remains in the fund. The State Treasurer shall reimburse the fund for all sums borrowed for those purposes from General Fund revenues collected during the fiscal year in which those funds are used. The State Treasurer shall immediately notify the Legislative Budget Office and the State Department of Finance and Administration of each transfer into and out of the fund. * * * Fifteen Million Dollars ($15,000,000.00) in the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund shall remain available for exclusive use of the Ayers Endowment Trust created by Section 37-101-27. If the Ayers Settlement Fund is created under Section 37-101-27(5), beginning when a total of Fifty-five Million Dollars ($55,000,000.00) has been deposited into the fund, for each annual deposit of interest to that fund under subsection (2) of this section, the Ayers Endowment Trust created under Section 37-101-27(1) shall be reduced by an equal amount annually until the Ayers Endowment Trust reaches Zero Dollars ($0.00), at which time any requirements concerning the Ayers Endowment Trust in this section shall be null and void.

(4) The Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund, except for Forty Million Dollars ($40,000,000.00), shall also be used for the purpose of covering any projected deficits that may occur in the General Fund at the end of a fiscal year as a result of revenue shortfalls. If the Governor determines that a deficit in revenues from all sources may occur, it shall be the duty of the Executive Director of the Department of Finance and Administration to transfer such funds as necessary to the General Fund to alleviate the deficit in accordance with Sections 27-104-13 and 31-17-123; however, not more than Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000.00) may be transferred from the fund for that purpose in any one (1) fiscal year. If it becomes necessary to apply a part of the fund to this purpose, the amount so applied shall be restored to the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund out of future annual surpluses, as provided in subsection (1) of this section, until the seven and one-half percent (7-1/2%) maximum is again attained.

(5) The Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund also shall be used to provide funds for the Disaster Assistance Trust Fund when those funds are immediately needed to provide for disaster assistance under Sections 33-15-301 through 33-15-317. Any transfer of funds from the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund to the Disaster Assistance Trust Fund shall be made in accordance with the provisions of subsection (5) of Section 33-15-307.

(6) The Department of Finance and Administration shall immediately send notice of any transfers made, or other action taken under authority of this section, to the Legislative Budget Office.

(7) Funds deposited in the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund shall be used only for the purposes specified in this section, and as long as the provisions of this section remain in effect, no other expenditure, appropriation or transfer of funds in the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund shall be made except by act of the Legislature making specific reference to the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund as the source of those funds.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.