SB3126_H_Cmte_Amend

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 Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning for the support and maintenance of financial aid scholarship, loan and grant programs authorized by law and administered by the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid and for support of the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, and ending June 30, 2008............................... $ 29,699,181.00.

SECTION 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized out of the proceeds derived from any federal funds, grants, donations, fees, or other special source funds which are collected by or otherwise become available for the support and maintenance of financial aid scholarship, loan and grant programs authorized by law and administered by the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid and for support of the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, and ending June 30, 2008.........................

............................................ $ 2,289,171.00.

SECTION 3. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized for expenditure out of carryover funds in State Treasury Fund 325E, pursuant to Section 37-106-33, Mississippi Code of 1972, for the support and maintenance of the Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant Program and the Mississippi Eminent Scholars Grant Program, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, and ending June 30, 2008

............................................ $ 100,000.00.

SECTION 4. Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with the terms, conditions, and procedures established by law.

Provided, however, that none of the funds apportioned in this act for the Out-of-State Educational Program shall be paid to or for the benefit of any student who enters a school outside the State of Mississippi for the first time, subsequent to July 1, 1982, in any discipline in the fields of medicine or dentistry.

SECTION 5. It is the intention of the Legislature that of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 1, the Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning shall expend from the support of the out-of-state graduate and professional studies program an amount not exceeding the funding necessary, contingent upon the availability of qualified applicants, for ten (10) new entering optometry students and the number of returning optometry students who received funding under the program during the preceding school year; for ten (10) new entering chiropractic students, with not more than twenty-five (25) chiropractic students overall; and seven (7) new entering osteopathic medical students and the number of returning osteopathic medical students who received funding under the program during the preceding school year, for these courses of study.

SECTION 6. In the allocation of funds appropriated under the provisions of Sections 1, 2, and 3 among the student financial aid programs included herein, it is the intention of the Legislature that priority shall be given and funds shall be first allocated to all students eligible for financial aid under the provisions of Sections 37-107-1 through 37-107-7 and Sections 37-108-1 through 37-108-5, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 7. All funds provided for in this act shall be accounted for in a detailed statement showing when, to whom, and for what purpose applied, and this statement shall be submitted at the next regular session of the Legislature within ten (10) days after the convening thereof. A report of loans made and receipt of repayment of loans to the fund shall be reported. The amount of repayment that is in arrears shall also be included. Such report shall include the number of students at each institution receiving financial assistance and the amount of such assistance, and an estimate of the financial requirement of the various loan programs for the next year. No public or private institution of higher learning receiving funds under the respective provisions of this act, for the purpose of issuing scholarship grants or loans, shall issue any official transcripts for any persons who have any amount of repayment in arrears on that date such official transcript is requested.

Furthermore, all funds received and expended shall be reported and otherwise accounted for in accordance with the provisions of Section 37-143-21, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 8. It is 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 9. Any funds appropriated pursuant to this act and paid as a fee to or deposited in a financial institution shall be in compliance with Section 109 of the Constitution of the State of Mississippi and Section 25-4-103, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 10. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 2, One Hundred Seventy-seven Thousand Five Hundred Sixty-three Dollars ($177,563.00) shall be derived from the Health Care Expendable Fund created in Section 43-13-407, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 11. 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 12. It is legislative intent to ensure beneficial information reaches as many Mississippians as possible. Further, it is legislative intent that the expenditure of public funds for this purpose be accomplished in an efficient and effective manner.

Therefore, state agencies as standard procedure, will observe the following criteria:

(1) Develop goals and desired result for a campaign.

(2) Evaluate effectiveness through respected advertising standards, including market reach and cost effectiveness.

(3) Seek public service announcements, which would be aired by media without cost.

(4) Itemize and justify professional assistance and related expenses for creative and production costs outside of the actual media expenditures.

(5) Utilize Mississippi owned media companies when feasible.

SECTION 13. 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 14. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2007.