REPORT OF CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
MR. SPEAKER AND MADAM PRESIDENT:
We, the undersigned conferees, have had under consideration the amendments to the following entitled BILL:
H. B. No. 1606: Appropriation; Department of Transportation.
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 appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Department of Transportation Funds, for the purpose of defraying the administrative expenses of the Mississippi Department of Transportation for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2006, and ending June 30, 2007.......................................
............................................ $ 919,640,544.00.
SECTION 2. The following offices are supported by the funds appropriated in Section 1: The Office of Administrative Services, the Office of Highways, the Office of Aeronautics and Rails and the Office of Enforcement. Of the funds appropriated 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$ 148,855,688.00
Travel and Subsistence.............. 2,918,434.00
Contractual Services..................... 110,934,364.00
Commodities.............................. 34,047,627.00
Capital Outlay:
Other Than Equipment................ 514,551,631.00
Equipment........................... 13,500,000.00
Subsidies, Loans and Grants.............. 94,832,800.00
Total.............................. $ 919,640,544.00
AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:
Permanent: Full Time........... 3,466
Part Time........... 19
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 2008 do not exceed Fiscal Year 2007 funds appropriated for that purpose, unless programs or positions are added to the agency's Fiscal Year 2008 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 2007 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 2007 "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.
SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated to the Mississippi Department of Transportation under the provisions of Section 1 and authorized for expenditure in Section 2, the following amounts shall be available for expenditure in the program budgets as required by Section 27-103-127, Mississippi Code of 1972:
Administration and Other Expenses.........$ 52,179,158.00
Construction..............................$ 637,611,095.00
Maintenance...............................$ 153,260,650.00
Debt Service..............................$ 30,220,000.00
Law Enforcement...........................$ 13,002,884.00
Aeronautics, Rails and other..............$ 33,366,757.00
SECTION 4. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Department of Transportation 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 2006. It is further the intention of the Legislature that the agency's budget request for Fiscal Year 2008 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 2007 budget request process.
SECTION 5. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 and authorized for expenditure in Section 2, it is the intention of the Legislature that Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) shall be transferred to the Department of Agriculture and Commerce for the Beaver Control or Eradication Program during the Fiscal Year 2007.
SECTION 6. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, the Mississippi Department of Transportation shall expend such funds as necessary to conduct project planning. Such project planning shall apply to all preliminary engineering, right-of-way acquisition and construction projects of the department and, at a minimum, shall consist of policies for the oversight and management of project cost which:
(a) Establish a reasonable cost estimate for each project. For purposes of this provision, projects include preliminary engineering, right-of-way acquisition and construction;
(b) Capture and retain the initial project cost estimates for comparison with final actual expenditures;
(c) Require that any changes to a cost estimate for a project will be reviewed and approved by district or central office personnel. Such personnel shall be responsible for signing any revision, and providing a narrative description of the reasons for approving a revision;
(d) Capture the cost of consultants, engineers, attorneys, contract appraisers and other technical and professional contractors used in preliminary engineering, right-of-way acquisition and construction projects.
SECTION 7. None of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 1 of this act may be expended by the Department of Transportation for construction of new highways if such highway segment is less than ten (10) miles in length unless:
(a) The explanation and justification for letting such a contract for a length of less than ten (10) miles is entered upon the official minutes of the Transportation Commission;
(b) The commission, within ten (10) working days after entry of its explanation and justification upon its minutes, gives notice, by United States First Class Mail, and provides a copy of such entry upon its minutes, to the Chairman of the Transportation Committee of the Mississippi House of Representatives and the Chairman of the Mississippi Senate Highways and Transportation Committee.
SECTION 8. Of the funds appropriated to the Mississippi Department of Transportation, Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000.00) shall be used for the Statewide Litter Prevention Program.
SECTION 9. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Department of Transportation is hereby authorized to receive, budget and expend in the Capital Outlay major object of expenditure an amount not to exceed Six Million Dollars ($6,000,000.00) resulting from funds received from third party damages.
SECTION 10. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 and allocated in Section 2, not less than Eighty Million Dollars ($80,000,000.00) shall be expended for contracted maintenance overlay and pavement rehabilitation.
SECTION 11. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Department of Transportation shall have the authority to escalate its budget in the Capital Outlay - Other Than Equipment or the Commodities major objects of expenditure in the Maintenance Program, with funds which were obligated in Fiscal Year 2006 for maintenance overlay projects and maintenance repair projects but not completed by the end of Fiscal Year 2006, in an amount not to exceed Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000.00). Any escalation made from the authority granted in this Section shall be reported to the Chairmen of the Appropriations Committees of the Mississippi Senate and the Mississippi House of Representatives, the Chairman of the Highways and Transportation Committee of the Mississippi Senate, the Chairman of the Transportation Committee of the Mississippi House of Representatives, and the Legislative Budget Office, within fifteen (15) working days after said escalation.
SECTION 12. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Department of Transportation shall have the authority to escalate and expend funds from any proceeds arising from participation in drug seizure activities not to exceed One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00).
SECTION 13. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Department of Transportation is hereby authorized to transfer between the various programs in an amount not to exceed ten Percent (10%) of the amount allocated in Section 3, except that no transfers shall be authorized which increase the "Administrative and Other Expenses" Program or which decrease the "Maintenance" Program.
SECTION 14. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Department of Transportation is hereby authorized to escalate its budget for Fiscal Year 2007 for funds appropriated in Fiscal Year 2006 but not expended in Fiscal Year 2006 by the Mississippi Department of Transportation in the "Capital Outlay-Equipment" category in an amount not to exceed Two Million Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,400,000.00) as authorized in House Bill No. 111, 2005 Second Extraordinary Session, for Fiscal Year 2006.
SECTION 15. Of the funds appropriated under Section 1 of this act, the Mississippi Department of Transportation shall expend so much thereof as may be necessary to adjust and/or relocate electric transmission lines located along and within the right-of-way of the construction project designated as the widening of State Route 43 from State Route 12 to Blackjack Road, STP-8925-00-002 (102435-201000), all within the City of Kosciusko, Attala County.
SECTION 16. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Department of Transportation shall have the authority to escalate its budget and expend funds not to exceed Twenty-five Million Dollars ($25,000,000.00) received from other public or private entities as reimbursements for payments made on federal projects.
SECTION 17. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Department of Transportation shall have the authority to escalate its budget and expend funds not to exceed Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($400,000.00) from proceeds made available to the department for the construction of a new maintenance facility in Itawamba County.
SECTION 18. It is the intention of the Legislature that no funds in the Treasury to the credit of the Department of Transportation shall be transferred by the Treasury Department to make payment on general obligation bond debt service obligations of the state unless such funds are to be repaid during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007.
SECTION 19. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1, the Mississippi Department of Transportation is authorized to expend an amount not to exceed Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) to conduct a study on monorail transportation in Tunica and Desoto Counties.
SECTION 20. It is the intention of the Legislature that none of the funds appropriated above shall be expended unless members of the Mississippi Senate and House of Representatives are notified at least five (5) days prior to a public ceremony announcing the award of any grant in their district or any public announcement of ceremony regarding the groundbreaking or opening of a facility, roadway or bridge for which the Legislature has made funds available. Any signage regarding any public event or any new facility, roadway or bridge shall include the following language: "Funds were made available for this project by the Mississippi State Legislature."
SECTION 21. It is the intention of the Legislature that whenever two (2) or more bids are received by this agency for the purchase of commodities or equipment, and whenever all things stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, quality and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to the Mississippi Industries for the Blind whenever purchases are made without competitive bids.
SECTION 22. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1, the Mississippi Department of Transportation is authorized to expend an amount not to exceed One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00) for the relocation of utilities involved in the Chickasaway Natural Gas District.
SECTION 23. The Department of Transportation is hereby authorized to expend available funds on technology or equipment upgrades or replacements when it will generate savings through efficiency or when the savings generated from such upgrades or replacements exceed expenditures thereof.
SECTION 24. 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 25. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2006.
CONFEREES FOR THE HOUSE CONFEREES FOR THE SENATE
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X (SIGNED) |
X (SIGNED) |
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Johnny W. Stringer |
Jack Gordon |
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X (SIGNED) |
X (SIGNED) |
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William Miles |
Travis L. Little |
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X (SIGNED) |
X (SIGNED) |
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Jack Gadd |
Hillman Terome Frazier |
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