Amendment_Report_for

SECTION 1. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the support and maintenance of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2006, and ending June 30, 2007............................... $ 18,426,793.00.

SECTION 2. 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 Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2006, and ending June 30, 2007.........................

............................................ $ 7,024,214.00.

SECTION 3. 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and/or other special funds which are being used for salaries authorized under the provisions of this act and which are withdrawn and no longer available.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 4. It is the intention of the Legislature that if the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act are used directly or indirectly to match or otherwise secure any federal grants, research grants or donations, such special source funds not classified as current restricted funds shall be added and accounted for under Section 2 of this act. Further, it is the intention of the Legislature that all such aforementioned special source funds be included in all reports and requests for the 2006 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature.

SECTION 5. It is 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 6. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2, One Million Two Hundred Seventy-two Thousand Six Hundred Seventy-seven Dollars ($1,272,677.00) shall be derived from the Education Enhancement Fund from funds deposited pursuant to Sections 27-65-75 and 27-67-31, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 7. In compliance with the "Mississippi Performance Budget and Strategic Planning Act of 1994," it is the intent of the Legislature that the funds provided herein shall be utilized in the most efficient and effective manner possible to achieve the intended mission of this agency. Based on the funding authorized, this agency shall make every effort to attain the targeted performance measures provided below:

FY07

Performance Measures Target

Globally Competitive Agric Sys

Number of Scientist FTE (Scientist Years) 56.50

Research Publications (Publications) 488.30

Appropriated Funds & Extramural Funds (Ratio) 0.40

Safe & Secure Food & Fiber Sys

Number of Scientist FTE (Scientist Years) 2.88

Research Publications (Publications) 19.00

Appropriated Funds & Extramural Funds (Ratio) 0.35

Healthy/w-nourished Population

Number of Scientist FTE (Scientist Years) 0.95

Research Publications (Publications) 12.35

Appropriated Funds & Extramural Funds (Ratio) 0.44

Protecting Natural Res/environ

Number of Scientist FTE (Scientist Years) 10.26

Research Publications (Publications) 49.00

Appropriated Funds & Extramural Funds (Ratio) 0.44

Enhanced Econ Opportunity & Qol

Number of Scientist FTE (Scientist Years) 2.00

Research Publications (Publications) 18.05

Appropriated Funds & Extramural Funds (Ratio) 0.12

Support Services

Number of Scientist FTE (Scientist Years) 93.40

Research Publications (Publications) 587.00

Appropriated Funds & Extramural Funds (Ratio) .51

A reporting of the degree to which the performance targets set above have been or are being achieved shall be provided in the agency's budget request submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee for Fiscal Year 2008.

SECTION 8. 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 9. All expenditures of funds appropriated by this act for the purposes of advertising through the media shall comply with the provisions of this section. All notices, advertisements, or announcements designed to accomplish distribution of vital information paid for wholly or in part through funds appropriated by this act and distributed through the media shall be placed according to a formula based upon the following criteria:

(a) Outlets of the Mississippi Public Broadcasting System shall receive twenty percent (20%) of all expenditures allotted for any advertising campaign undertaken by the agency to which funds are appropriated by this act. All distribution of information undertaken by the Mississippi Broadcasting System under these requirements shall conform to the accepted standards of information distribution common to public media.

(b) Media outlets, other than outlets of the Mississippi Public Broadcasting System, shall receive placement of such notices through the following method of distribution and based upon commonly accepted boundaries of distribution:

(i) Newspapers. Newspapers demonstrating established market reach through verifiable and auditable circulation numbers shall receive twenty-five percent (25%) of all expenditures allotted for distribution of vital information, and such expenditures to the individual newspapers shall be determined and prorated based upon the verifiable and auditable share of total circulation within the individual counties. This requirement does not replace the requirements and systems currently in place regarding legal notices in the newspapers.

(ii) Radio. Radio stations demonstrating established market reach through verifiable and auditable market share information as recorded through reputable and established rating services shall receive twenty percent (20%) of all expenditures allotted for such distribution of vital information, and such expenditures to the individual stations shall be determined and prorated based upon the verifiable and auditable share of total market reach within the individual counties.

(iii) Television. Television stations and television cable outlets demonstrating established market reach through verifiable and auditable market share information as recorded through reputable and established rating services shall receive twenty percent (20%) of all expenditures allotted for such distribution of vital information, and such expenditures to the individual stations shall be determined and prorated based upon the verifiable and auditable share of total market reach within the individual demonstrated market reach area of the station or cable outlet.

(iv) Magazines. Magazines demonstrating established market reach through verifiable and auditable circulation numbers shall receive ten percent (10%) of all expenditures allotted for such distribution of vital information, and such expenditures to the individual magazines shall be determined and prorated based upon the verifiable and auditable circulation numbers within the counties. If no magazine exists which meets the criteria stated above, the portion of those funds so allotted shall be distributed among the other media outlets equally.

(v) Electronic media. Electronic media demonstrating established market reach through verifiable and auditable circulation numbers shall receive five percent (5%) of all expenditures allotted for such distribution of vital information, and such expenditures to the individual electronic media outlets shall be determined and prorated based upon the verifiable and auditable circulation numbers within the counties. If no electronic media exists which meets the criteria stated above, the portion of those funds so allotted shall be distributed equally among the other media outlets.

Provisions of this section do not apply to the placement of advertisements in national media outlets to recruit economic development or to promote tourism in the state.

SECTION 10. 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 11. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2006.