SB3124 - Conference Report

SECTION 1. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized for expenditure out of any special source funds which are collected by or otherwise become available for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2004, and ending June 30, 2005...............

............................................ $ 33,645,378.00.

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

AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:

Permanent: Full Time........... 150

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

Time-Limited:Full Time........... 2

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

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 2006 do not exceed Fiscal Year 2005 funds appropriated for that purpose, unless programs or positions are added to the agency's Fiscal Year 2006 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 2005 appropriation for "Personal Services" when annualized, with the exception of escalated funds. If, at the time the agency takes any action to change "Personal Services," the State Personnel Board determines that the agency has taken an action which would cause the agency to exceed this projected annual cost or the Fiscal Year 2005 "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 or allowable under the terms set forth within this act. The State Personnel Board shall not escalate positions without written approval from the Department of Finance and Administration. The Department of Finance and Administration shall not provide written approval to escalate any funds for salaries and/or positions without proof of availability of new or additional funds above the appropriated level.

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.

The agency shall not award salary increases through reallocation, reclassification, realignment, education benchmark or career ladder.

SECTION 3. In order to offset the cost of publishing the annual Mississippi Official Telephone Directory, the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services is hereby authorized, empowered and directed, in its discretion, to offer for advertising purposes, pages to be included in said Directory, to accept bids, and to let contracts for said pages. The contracts for said advertising purposes shall be let for definite periods not to exceed two (2) years.

It shall be the duty of the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services, if it is desired that advertising shall be used, to approve all proposed advertising submitted for use within such annual Mississippi Official Telephone Directory. The department is hereby authorized, empowered and directed, in its discretion, to reject any and all bids submitted, and if all bids are rejected, the authority may negotiate a contract within the limitations of the specifications so long as the terms of any such negotiated contract are equal to or better than the comparable terms submitted by the lowest and best bidder. No sectarian, un-American, political, partisan or immoral advertisement, as determined solely by the authority or its successor, shall be accepted.

All monies derived from sale of such advertising shall be deposited in the appropriate special fund in the State Treasury to the credit of the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services.

SECTION 4. The Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services is hereby authorized to receive additional funds from any state agency or other source, including one hundred percent (100%) general-fund agencies, for the purpose of providing data processing or telecommunications services to any governmental organization contracting with the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services for such services. The Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services is further authorized to escalate an amount not to exceed One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) and to increase, up to a maximum of twenty (20) additional positions, the number of authorized positions listed in this act in order to provide the required data processing or telecommunications services for such governmental organizations, under the rules and regulations of the Department of Finance and Administration.

SECTION 5. It is the intention of the Legislature that the agency shall provide a report reflecting Fiscal Year 2004 usage of wireless communication devices which shall include cellular phones, two-way radios, pagers, or any other means of wireless communications to the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and the State Auditor by September 1, 2004. The report shall contain, but not be limited to, the following:

(1) The number of wireless communication devices provided to employees by the agency;

(2) The annual cost of usage of wireless communication devices by each employee of the agency who is issued a wireless communication device;

(3) Separate justification of the usage of wireless communication devices by those employees issued wireless communication devices; and

(4) To determine whether quantifiable benefits are associated with the utilization of wireless communications and whether such service provides more efficient or effective service delivery.

SECTION 6. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 1, One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) is authorized for expenditure and for the established purpose of E-Government Special Fund 3602.

SECTION 7. None of the funds herein appropriated shall be expended by Information Technology Services unless assessments, fees or rate levels charged to other state agencies for services are at or below the January 1, 2004, fee structure level, except for the establishment of rates for a new or expanded service, and required increases due to costs not within the control of this agency.

SECTION 8. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Department of Information Technology Services shall maintain complete accounting and personnel records related to the expenditure of all funds appropriated under the provisions of this act and that such records shall be in the same format and level of details as maintained for Fiscal Year 2004. It is further the intention of the Legislature that the budget request for Fiscal Year 2006 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 2005 budget request process.

SECTION 9. 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 10. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2004.


X (SIGNED)	X (SIGNED)
Jack Gordon	Johnny W. Stringer

X (SIGNED)	X (SIGNED)
Dean Kirby	Charlie Capps, Jr.

X (SIGNED)	X (SIGNED)
Merle Flowers	Joseph L. Warren