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. 1690: Appropriation; Rehabilitation Services - Consolidated.
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 General Fund not otherwise appropriated, to the Department of Rehabilitation Services for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, and ending June 30, 2008............................... $ 12,881,350.00.
SECTION 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in any special fund in the State Treasury to the credit of the Department of Rehabilitation Services which is comprised of special source funds collected by or otherwise available to the department for the support of the various offices of the department, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the department for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, and ending June 30, 2008..................................................
............................................ $ 153,450,345.00.
SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 2, Three Million Six Hundred Eighty-one Thousand Eight Hundred Two Dollars ($3,681,802.00) shall be derived from the Health Care Expendable Fund created in Section 43-13-407, Mississippi Code of 1972. The above funds shall be allocated as follows:
Fully match all available federal
funds..................$2,782,590.00
Independent Living Program which
includes the State Attendant
Care Program............$ 854,903.00
Deaf and hard of hearing.....$ 44,309.00
SECTION 4. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Sections 1, 2 and 3, not more than the amounts set forth below shall be expended for the respective major objects or purposes of expenditure:
OFFICE OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION
MAJOR OBJECTS OF EXPENDITURE:
Personal Services:
Salaries, Wages and Fringe Benefits$ 23,864,315.00
Travel and Subsistence.............. 854,000.00
Contractual Services..................... 4,076,591.00
Commodities.............................. 306,592.00
Capital Outlay:
Other Than Equipment................ 0.00
Equipment........................... 352,426.00
Vehicles............................ 0.00
Wireless Communication Devices...... 0.00
Subsidies, Loans and Grants.............. 24,206,666.00
Total.............................. $ 53,660,590.00
FUNDING:
General Funds........................... $ 7,323,267.00
Special Funds............................ 46,337,323.00
Total.............................. $ 53,660,590.00
AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:
Permanent: Full Time........... 458
Part Time........... 7
Time-Limited:Full Time........... 111
Part Time........... 2
OFFICE OF DISABILITY DETERMINATION SERVICES
MAJOR OBJECTS OF EXPENDITURE:
Personal Services:
Salaries, Wages and Fringe Benefits$ 15,757,138.00
Travel and Subsistence.............. 225,000.00
Contractual Services..................... 9,051,964.00
Commodities.............................. 523,390.00
Capital Outlay:
Other Than Equipment................ 0.00
Equipment........................... 1,000,000.00
Vehicles............................ 0.00
Wireless Communication Devices...... 0.00
Subsidies, Loans and Grants.............. 10,788,445.00
Total.............................. $ 37,345,937.00
FUNDING:
General Funds........................... $ 0.00
Special Funds............................ 37,345,937.00
Total.............................. $ 37,345,937.00
AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:
Permanent: Full Time........... 274
Part Time........... 20
Time-Limited:Full Time........... 61
Part Time........... 0
OFFICE OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION FOR THE BLIND
MAJOR OBJECTS OF EXPENDITURE:
Personal Services:
Salaries, Wages and Fringe Benefits$ 3,982,416.00
Travel and Subsistence.............. 156,514.00
Contractual Services..................... 853,130.00
Commodities.............................. 71,449.00
Capital Outlay:
Other Than Equipment................ 12,000.00
Equipment........................... 153,827.00
Vehicles............................ 0.00
Wireless Communication Devices...... 0.00
Subsidies, Loans and Grants.............. 7,365,411.00
Total.............................. $ 12,594,747.00
FUNDING:
General Funds........................... $ 1,317,649.00
Special Funds............................ 11,277,098.00
Total.............................. $ 12,594,747.00
AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:
Permanent: Full Time........... 80
Part Time........... 0
Time-Limited:Full Time........... 4
Part Time........... 2
The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind shall remain accredited by using not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) of the funds appropriated along with matching funds for payment of fees to an accreditation agency recommended by the Rehabilitation Services Administration.
OFFICE OF SUPPORT SERVICES
MAJOR OBJECTS OF EXPENDITURE:
Personal Services:
Salaries, Wages and Fringe Benefits$ 1,791,456.00
Travel and Subsistence.............. 79,727.00
Contractual Services..................... 368,199.00
Commodities.............................. 43,760.00
Capital Outlay:
Other Than Equipment................ 0.00
Equipment........................... 15,157.00
Vehicles............................ 0.00
Wireless Communication Devices...... 900.00
Subsidies, Loans and Grants.............. 161,779.00
Total.............................. $ 2,460,978.00
FUNDING:
General Funds........................... $ 0.00
Special Funds............................ 2,460,978.00
Total.............................. $ 2,460,978.00
AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:
Permanent: Full Time........... 23
Part Time........... 1
Time-Limited:Full Time........... 0
Part Time........... 0
SPINAL CORD AND HEAD INJURY PROGRAM
MAJOR OBJECTS OF EXPENDITURE:
Personal Services:
Salaries, Wages and Fringe Benefits$ 914,390.00
Travel and Subsistence.............. 38,521.00
Contractual Services..................... 94,828.00
Commodities.............................. 14,340.00
Capital Outlay:
Other Than Equipment................ 0.00
Equipment........................... 5,800.00
Vehicles............................ 0.00
Wireless Communication Devices...... 0.00
Subsidies, Loans and Grants.............. 18,495,082.00
Total.............................. $ 19,562,961.00
FUNDING:
General Funds........................... $ 0.00
Special Funds............................ 19,562,961.00
Total.............................. $ 19,562,961.00
AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:
Permanent: Full Time........... 23
Part Time........... 0
Time-Limited:Full Time........... 0
Part Time........... 0
SPECIAL DISABILITY PROGRAM
MAJOR OBJECTS OF EXPENDITURE:
Personal Services:
Salaries, Wages and Fringe Benefits$ 2,202,162.00
Travel and Subsistence.............. 167,000.00
Contractual Services..................... 398,308.00
Commodities.............................. 48,000.00
Capital Outlay:
Other Than Equipment................ 0.00
Equipment........................... 20,000.00
Vehicles............................ 0.00
Wireless Communication Devices...... 0.00
Subsidies, Loans and Grants.............. 37,871,012.00
Total.............................. $ 40,706,482.00
FUNDING:
General Funds........................... $ 4,240,434.00
Special Funds............................ 36,466,048.00
Total.............................. $ 40,706,482.00
AUTHORIZED POSITIONS:
Permanent: Full Time........... 55
Part Time........... 0
Time-Limited:Full Time........... 9
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 2009 do not exceed Fiscal Year 2008 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 2008 appropriations for "Personal Services" when annualized, with the exception of escalated funds and educational benchmarks. 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 2008 "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. On January 1, 2008, the State Personnel Board will make adjustments to the structure side of the compliance report based on data provided by the Legislative Budget Office in order for agencies to award educational benchmarks.
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.
It is the intention of the Legislature that the Executive Director of the Department of Rehabilitation Services may transfer between the various offices authorized herein both funds and positions not to exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the receiving office in addition to any other transfers or escalations made in accordance with Section 27-104-17(3), Mississippi Code of 1972, Annotated. The Executive Director of the Department of Rehabilitation Services shall submit written justification for the transfer to the Legislative Budget Office and the Department of Finance and Administration on or before the fifteenth of the month prior to the effective date of the transfer. It is further the intention of the Legislature that any transfers made under the provisions of this paragraph shall be of an emergency nature and that in no case shall the transfers be made which substantially alter the legislative intent for the various offices as set forth in the original appropriations made under this act.
SECTION 5. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any funds which are received by or otherwise become available to the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services to provide funding for construction grants and establishment grants for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, and ending June 30, 2008
.............................................. $ 4,000,000.00.
SECTION 6. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Department of Rehabilitation Services 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 2007. It is further the intention of the Legislature that the agency's budget request for Fiscal Year 2009 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 2008 budget request process.
SECTION 7. It shall be unlawful for any officer, employee or other person whatsoever to use or permit or authorize the use of any automobile or any other motor vehicle owned by the State of Mississippi or any department, agency or institution thereof for any purpose other than upon the official business of the State of Mississippi or any agency, department or institution thereof.
It is the intent of the Legislature that motor vehicles authorized to be owned and operated by this agency shall comply with Sections 25-1-77 through 25-1-93, Mississippi Code of 1972.
SECTION 8. Of the funds in Sections 1, 2 and 3, the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind is authorized to expend an amount not to exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) for the National Federation for the Blind (NFB) News line service to allow blind and visually impaired persons to access newspapers through toll-free telephone calls.
SECTION 9. 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 10. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Executive Director of the Department of Rehabilitation Services shall have the authority to transfer funds between the Office of Special Disability budget and the Spinal Cord and the Head Injury Trust Fund budget. The authority granted in this section shall be in addition to any other transfer authority granted by this appropriation or contained in state statute.
It is further the intention of the Legislature that the Executive Director of the Department of Rehabilitation Services shall submit written justification for the transfer to the Legislative Budget Office and the Department of Finance and Administration on or before the fifteenth (15th) of the month prior to the effective date of the transfer.
SECTION 11. 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 12. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2007
Further, amend by striking the title in its entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF REHABILITATION SERVICES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008.
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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Joseph L. Warren |
Terry C. Burton |
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X (SIGNED) |
X (SIGNED) |
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Blaine Eaton |
Lydia Graves Chassaniol |
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