REPORT OF CONFERENCE COMMITTEE      # 2

 

MR. SPEAKER AND MADAM PRESIDENT:

 

   We, the undersigned conferees, have had under consideration the amendments to the following entitled BILL:

 

H. B. No. 1614:  Appropriation; Pat Harrison Waterway District.

 

  We, therefore, respectfully submit the following report and recommendation:

 

  1.  That the Senate recede from its Amendment No. 1.

 

  2.  That the House and Senate adopt the following amendment:

 

     Amend by striking all after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

 

SECTION 1.  The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized and approved for expenditure out of any funds which are received by or otherwise become available to the Pat Harrison Waterway District, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the district for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2005, and ending June 30, 2006...

... $     5,841,819.00.

     SECTION 2.  Of the funds approved for expenditure under the provisions of Section 1, 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$     2,432,582.00

Travel and Subsistence        25,750.00

Contractual Services     1,464,458.00

Commodities       552,504.00

     Capital Outlay:

Other Than Equipment       118,975.00

Equipment       204,300.00

Subsidies, Loans and Grants     1,043,250.00

Total$     5,841,819.00

   AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:

Permanent:          Full Time      50

Part Time      65

Time-Limited:          Full Time       0

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 2007 do not exceed Fiscal Year 2006 funds appropriated for that purpose, unless programs or positions are added to the agency's Fiscal Year 2007 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 2006 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 2006 "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 take any action to promote or otherwise award salary increases through reallocation, reclassification, realignment, education benchmark, career ladder, or any other means to increase salaries of employees or positions, except for the award of teacher pay increases.

     SECTION 3.  It is the intention of the Legislature that the Pat Harrison Waterway District shall maintain complete accounting and personnel records related to the expenditure of all funds appropriated under this act and that such records shall be in the same format and level of detail as maintained for Fiscal Year 2005.  It is further the intention of the Legislature that the agency's budget request for Fiscal Year 2007 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 2006 budget request process.

     SECTION 4.  The funds herein approved for expenditure, except and less an amount approved by the State Fiscal Officer which shall be sufficient to cover disbursements for current operations, shall be deposited at interest with any official depository of the state at a rate of interest numerically not less than one percent (1%) below the bank discount rate on United States Treasury bills of comparable maturity as determined by the State Treasurer.

     SECTION 5.  The money herein approved for expenditure shall be disbursed upon bank checks signed by the proper person, officer or officers, in the manner provided by law.

     SECTION 6.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2005.

 

CONFEREES FOR THE HOUSE          CONFEREES FOR THE SENATE

X (SIGNED)	X (SIGNED)
Johnny W. Stringer	Jack Gordon
X (SIGNED)	X (SIGNED)
John Read	Tommy A. Gollott
X (SIGNED)	X (SIGNED)
Lee Jarrell Davis	T. O. Moffatt