Senate Bill 2700

AN ACT TO CREATE SECTION 27-103-140, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT THE LEGISLATURE SHALL ENACT ONE GENERAL APPROPRIATION BILL FOR ALL STATE AGENCIES; TO AMEND SECTIONS 27-103-103 AND 27-104-25, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. The following shall be codified as section 27-103-140, Mississippi Code of 1972:

27-103-140. Beginning with the 2006 Regular Session, the Legislature shall enact one (1) general appropriation bill to defray the expenses of all State General Fund agencies as defined in Section 27-103-103. All state special fund appropriations, including the appropriation for the Mississippi Department of Transportation and the Division of State Aid Road Construction of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, may be made by separate bills.

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

27-103-103. (1) For the purpose of Sections 27-103-101 through 27-103-139 and 27-104-1 through 27-104-27, the term "state general fund agency" or "general fund agency" shall mean any agency, department, institution, board or commission of the State of Mississippi which is supported in whole or in part by appropriations from the General Fund; but such term shall not include the Legislature.

(2) For the purposes of Sections 27-103-101 through 27-103-139 and 27-104-1 through 27-104-27, the term "state special-fund agency" or "special-fund agency" shall mean any agency, department, institution, board or commission of the State of Mississippi which receives no appropriation from the General Fund, but which is supported entirely from special-fund sources, by appropriation, or otherwise, but such term shall not include the Department of Transportation; nor shall such term include the Mississippi Industries for the Blind.

(3) For the purposes of Sections 27-103-101 through 27-103-139 and 27-104-1 through 27-104-27, the term "state agency" shall mean any general fund agency or special-fund agency as defined in this section, or the Department of Transportation, or the Division of State Aid Road Construction of the Department of Transportation as is evident from the context wherein it is used.

(4) For the purposes of Sections 27-103-101 through 27-103-139 and 27-104-1 through 27-104-27, the term "special funds" shall mean all revenues and/or income other than appropriations from the State General Fund which are received, collected by, or available for the support of or expenditure by any state general fund agency or special-fund agency or the Department of Transportation or the Division of State Aid Road Construction of the Department of Transportation, whether such funds be derived from taxes or fees collected by or for such general fund agency or special-fund agency or the Department of Transportation or the Division of State Aid Road Construction of the Department of Transportation, as the case may be, or from any other types of revenue from any other source.

(5) For the purposes of Sections 27-103-101 through 27-103-139 and 27-104-1 through 27-104-27, the term "special funds" shall include revolving funds and all funds received from the United States Government by any state general fund agency or special-fund agency, but shall not include any revolving fund established prior to July 1, 1984, for the purpose of paying or retiring any indebtedness as is authorized by statute.

SECTION 3. Section 27-104-25, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

27-104-25. (1) The executive head and business manager of each state agency shall be responsible for all obligations or indebtedness incurred in the name of the agency, or by any employee for them when incurred by such employee acting within the scope of his employment.

(2) No obligations or indebtedness shall be incurred by any such person during any allotment period in excess of the amount of the estimate approved by the Department of Finance and Administration or in the agency appropriation * * *.

If a claim arising from orders for goods or services from the prior fiscal year is presented within one (1) year and (a) the payment of a claim does not cause an agency to exceed the amount of its prior year budget estimate as approved by the Department of Finance and Administration or its appropriation bill, and (b) sufficient funds remain in the current fiscal year's allotment to pay the claim, the State Treasurer, upon approval of the claim by the Department of Finance and Administration, shall draw a warrant in payment of the claim.

(3) Contractual obligations, such as salary contracts, shall be considered as incurred within the fiscal period in which they are to be paid, and are to be encumbered against funds to be available in that fiscal period, and shall include appropriate cancellation clauses in the event the anticipated revenues from which they are to be paid do not become available.

(4) Agencies having special funds, as defined in Section 27-103-103, shall not incur obligations or indebtedness against such special funds in an amount in excess of revenues actually anticipated and budgeted.

(5) If obligations or indebtedness shall be incurred contrary to the provisions hereof, then neither the State of Mississippi nor the agency shall have any liability therefor, and the person, firm or corporation to whom the obligation or indebtedness is due may recover the amount of the obligation or indebtedness and twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount as liquidated damages from the responsible officers, either personally or upon their official bonds, either severally of jointly.

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2005.