MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2019 Regular Session

To: Ways and Means

By: Representative Patterson

House Bill 1060

AN ACT TO CREATE NEW SECTION 31-33-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DESIGNATE A NEW CHAPTER OF LAW AS THE "MISSISSIPPI PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP ACT"; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 31-33-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO SPECIFY THE INTENT OF THE LEGISLATURE REGARDING PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 31-33-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE CERTAIN DEFINITIONS; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 31-33-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO ESTABLISH THE P3 REVIEW BOARD TO REVIEW AND APPROVE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS AND TO CREATE GUIDELINES TO GOVERN SUCH AGREEMENTS; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 31-33-9, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC ENTITIES TO ENTER INTO CERTAIN AGREEMENTS TO DEVELOP QUALIFYING PROJECTS; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 31-33-11, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE HOW A RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC ENTITY REQUESTS, RECEIVES AND RESPONDS TO PROPOSALS FOR QUALIFYING PROJECTS; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 31-33-13, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF A RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC ENTITY TO MAKE A FINDING OF PUBLIC INTEREST BEFORE ENTERING INTO A PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 31-33-15, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE NOTICE OF PROPOSED PROJECTS BE GIVEN TO AFFECTED JURISDICTIONS; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 31-33-17, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC ENTITIES AND PRIVATE PARTNERS TO ENTER INTO INTERIM AGREEMENTS; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 31-33-19, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO SPECIFY THE PROJECT DELIVERY METHODS THAT A RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC ENTITY MAY UTILIZE; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 31-33-21, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO SPECIFY HOW A QUALIFYING PROJECT MAY BE FINANCED; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 31-33-23, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS TO BE VALIDATED IN THE SAME MANNER AS BONDS; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 31-33-25, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO EXEMPT BONDS AND OBLIGATIONS OF A RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC ENTITY IN CONNECTION WITH A QUALIFYING PROJECT FROM TAXATION IN ADDITION TO THE PROPERTY AND INCOME OF A QUALIFYING PROJECT; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 31-33-27, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE A SEVERANCE CLAUSE; TO AMEND SECTION 31-7-13, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REMOVE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS FROM CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE PUBLIC BIDDING LAWS; TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 31-7-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; TO AMEND SECTION 65-1-85, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO EXEMPT PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS FROM CERTAIN PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION; TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 27-31-1, 27-13-5, 27-7-15, 31-7-3, 31-7-5, 31-7-7, 31-7-9, 31-7-10, 31-7-11, 31-7-12, 31-7-13.1, 31-7-13.2, 31-7-14, 31-7-15, 31-7-16, 31-7-18, 31-7-21, 31-7-23, 31-7-38, 31-7-47, 31-7-49, 31-7-53, 31-7-55, 31-7-57, 31-7-59, 31-7-61, 31-7-63, 31-7-65, 31-7-73, 31-7-301, 31-7-303, 31-7-305, 31-7-307, 31-7-309, 31-7-311, 31-7-313, 31-7-315, 31-17-3, 31-7-317 AND 57-62-13, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR PURPOSES OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. The following shall be codified as Section 31-33-1, Mississippi Code of 1972:

31-33-1. This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Mississippi Public-Private Partnership Act."

SECTION 2. The following shall be codified as Section 31-33-3, Mississippi Code of 1972:

31-33-3. It is the intent of this chapter by encouraging public-private partnerships to:

(a) Promote the development and operation of quality public facility and infrastructure projects that provide economic and social value;

(b) Provide a well-defined mechanism to facilitate collaboration between responsible public entities and private partners in public facility and infrastructure development and operation and enable increased investment of private capital;

(d) Provide flexibility in contracting and delivering public facility and infrastructure projects;

(e) Reduce total life-cycle costs of public infrastructure; and

(f) Allow for cost and risk sharing between responsible public entities and private partners.

SECTION 3. The following shall be codified as Section 31-33-5, Mississippi Code of 1972:

31-33-5. As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(a) "Affected jurisdiction" means any county, municipality, city, town or special district in which all or a portion of the qualifying project is located.

(b) "Concession" means any lease, license, franchise, easement, rental, joint venture, memorandum of understanding, or other binding agreement transferring from a responsible public entity to a private partner rights for the use or control, in whole or in part, of a qualifying project for a definite term during which the private partner will provide services in return for the right to receive all or a portion of the revenues of the qualifying project.

(c) "Design-build agreement" means a contract between a responsible public entity and a private partner that combines the design and construction phases of a qualifying project into a single contract and wherein the private partner is required to satisfactorily perform, at a minimum, the design and construction of the qualifying project.

(d) "Design-build-finance agreement" means a contract between a responsible public entity and a private partner that combines the design, construction and financing phases of a qualifying project into a single contract and wherein the private partner is required to satisfactorily perform, at a minimum, the design, construction and financing of the qualifying project.

(e) "Design-build-finance-operate agreement" means a contract between a responsible public entity and a private partner that combines the design, construction, financing and operation phases of a qualifying project into a single contract and wherein the private partner is required to satisfactorily perform, at a minimum, the design, construction, financing and operation of the qualifying project.

(f) "Design-build-finance-operate-maintain agreement" means a contract between a responsible public entity and a private partner that combines the design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance phases of a qualifying project into a single contract and wherein the private partner is required to satisfactorily perform, at a minimum, the design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance of the qualifying project.

(g) "Design-build-operate-maintain agreement" means a contract between a responsible public entity and a private partner that combines the design, construction, operation and maintenance phases of a qualifying project into a single contract and wherein the private partner is required to satisfactorily perform, at a minimum, the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the qualifying project.

(h) "Design-build-maintain agreement" means a contract between a responsible public entity and a private partner that combines the design and construction phases of a qualifying project into a single contract and wherein the private partner is required to satisfactorily perform, at a minimum, the design, construction and maintenance of the qualifying project.

(i) "Develop" means to plan, design, develop, improve, equip, modify, repair, operate, maintain, finance, lease, acquire, install, construct and/or expand a qualifying project.

(j) "Eligible costs" means, to the extent determined by the responsible public entity and the P3 Review Board, a percentage of the estimated costs incurred by a private partner (not to exceed fifteen percent (15%)) in responding to a request for proposals issued by a responsible public entity pursuant to this chapter.

(k) "Fees" means rates, tolls, fees, rents, leases or other charges or funds imposed by the private partner or responsible public entity for use of all or a portion of a qualifying project pursuant to a public-private partnership agreement.

(l) "Interim agreement" means an agreement between a private partner and a responsible public entity concerning the terms discussed in Section 31-33-17.

(m) "Material default" means, to the extent provided in a public-private partnership agreement, any default by a private partner in the performance of its duties as outlined in such public-private partnership agreement which is not remedied following notice and a reasonable cure period.

(n) "Operate-maintain agreement" means a contract between a responsible public entity and a private partner that combines the operation and maintenance phases of a qualifying project into a single contract and wherein the private partner is required to satisfactorily perform, at a minimum, the operation and maintenance of the qualifying project.

(o) "Private partner" means any natural person, corporation, general partnership, limited liability company, limited partnership, joint venture, business trust, public benefit corporation, nonprofit entity, other private business entity or any combination thereof, who has entered into a public-private partnership agreement for the construction of a qualifying project using:

(i) Contractors who are licensed in Mississippi, but may be licensed in another state, and has satisfied the requirements of Sections 31-3-5, 31-3-21 and 31-5-51 for certificates of responsibility, performance and payments of bonds, and proof of insurance for public construction contracts; and

(ii) Engineers and/or architects who are licensed in Mississippi, but may be licensed in another state, and has satisfied the requirements of Section 73-13-45 for construction contracts of any public works.

(p) "Proposal" means a plan to develop a qualifying project submitted by a private partner with detail beyond a conceptual level for which all terms determined to be necessary by the responsible public entity are defined, including without limitation, but depending on any delivery methods set forth in Section 31-33-19 and specified in a request for proposals, costs, payment schedules, plans, designs, operation, maintenance arrangements, financing, deliverables and project schedule.

(q) "Public-private partnership" means when a responsible public entity enters into a public-private partnership agreement with a private partner to develop a qualifying project utilizing one or more of the delivery methods set forth in Section 31-33-19 for the benefit of the public.

(r) "Public-private partnership agreement" means an agreement between one or more private partners and one or more responsible public entities contractually providing for and allocating the responsibilities of and among all parties to develop and/or operate a qualifying project in a public-private partnership, which such agreement shall have a term not to exceed fifty (50) years unless the P3 Review Board approves a longer term not to exceed seventy (70) years upon finding that the qualifying project is of such an extraordinary nature that the public benefit justifies the extended term.

(s) "Qualifying project" means any public facility or infrastructure or improvement to any public facility or infrastructure with an estimated cost in excess of Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000.00) that is used or will be used by the public at large or in support of a public purpose or activity including, but not limited to: civic or education facilities; surface transportation facilities such as roads, bridges, tunnels, public transit systems, ferry facilities, port facilities, airports, railroads, rail systems and intermodal systems; cultural or recreational facilities; medical facilities; utility facilities and distribution systems for water, wastewater, gas and electric facilities; telecommunications facilities; and any other facilities, buildings, stadiums, parking areas, appurtenances and any other property needs to operate any of the foregoing.

(t) "Responsible public entity" means (i) the State of Mississippi or any agency or department thereof; (ii) the State Institutions of Higher Learning; (iii) any education building corporation established for the State Institutions of Higher Learning; or (iv) any combination of the foregoing.

(u) "Revenues" means all taxes, fees, charges, monies, profits, payments of principal of or interest on securities and other investments, gifts, grants, contributions, appropriations and all other income derived by a responsible public entity.

(v) "Request for proposals" means the process for soliciting proposals to develop a qualifying project as further described in Section 31-33-11.

(w) "Request for qualifications" means the process for soliciting the qualifications of private partners by a responsible public entity in anticipation of issuing a request for proposals to develop a qualifying project, all as further described in Section 31-33-11.

(x) "State" means the State of Mississippi.

SECTION 4. The following shall be codified as Section 31-33-7, Mississippi Code of 1972:

31-33-7. (1) There is created the P3 Review Board, for the purposes of reviewing and approving all public-private partnership agreements and the creation of guidelines governing all public-private partnership agreements. The board shall be comprised of nine (9) members, as follows:

(a) Two (2) members to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(b) Two (2) members to be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor;

(c) The Secretary of State or, if the guidelines described in subsection (2)(a) of this section are approved, his or her designee;

(d) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation or his or her designee;

(e) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration or his or her designee;

(f) The Commissioner of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning or his or her designee; and

(g) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality or his or her designee.

At least one (1) of the appointed members of the board shall be a licensed member of the Mississippi Bar Association with expertise in representing responsible public entities in public works construction. Each appointed member of the board shall have subject matter experience in architecture, construction management, engineering, finance or real estate development. Appointed members of the board shall serve four-year terms and represent geographically diverse regions of the state to the extent practicable. Members of the board may be removed by the public official who appointed them upon written notice and shall appoint a successor as soon as reasonable thereafter.

(2) The board shall:

(a) Promulgate regulations by July 1, 2019, following a period of public review, setting forth a uniform process for the review, solicitation, evaluation, award, and delivery of public-private partnership agreements, including timeframes and requirements for public outreach prior to entering into a public-private partnership agreement on a selected proposal. The timeframes and requirements shall provide for a reasonable period of public review and comment;

(b) Make any recommendations to the Legislature and the Governor on any amendments to this chapter deemed helpful to carry out the purposes of this chapter;

(c) Make any recommendations to the departments and agencies of the state concerning any amendments to the regulations of each respective agency deemed necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter;

(d) Review all public-private partnership agreements authorized by this chapter;

(e) Render any necessary advice to responsible public entities in order to accomplish the purposes of this chapter; and

(f) Retain and exercise approval power over all public-private partnership agreements prior to the responsible public entity executing a public-private partnership agreement.

(3) All responsible public entities shall follow the final regulations of the board with regard to any public-private partnership agreement subject to this chapter, however, a responsible public entity may also adopt supplemental guidelines for public-private partnerships other than those described in this section so long as such guidelines are supplemental to and not inconsistent with this chapter.

(4) The responsible public entity must assess, through a standardized screening process (as outlined in the regulations adopted by the board), whether a public-private partnership for a qualified project may provide a greater value added than traditional procurement. Such findings from the screening process shall be submitted to the P3 Review Board for review and approval prior to the responsible public entity entering into a public-private partnership agreement.

(5) The operations and activities of the board in carrying out the purposes of this chapter shall be administered by the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration. The board shall elect from its membership a chairman and a vice chairman, each of whom shall perform the usual duties of such offices. The initial and subsequent chairman of the board shall be the Secretary of State. The initial chairman shall call the initial meeting of the board and shall serve while the regulations required to be promulgated by subsection (2)(a) of this section are approved by the board. The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration, or his or her designee, shall serve as secretary of the board. Five (5) members of the board shall constitute a quorum. The board may adopt a seal. At the request of the board, the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration is authorized to employ such personnel, including administrative and clerical staff, as may be necessary for the board to comply with its duties and responsibilities pursuant to this chapter.

SECTION 5. The following shall be codified as Section 31-33-9, Mississippi Code of 1972:

31-33-9. The responsible public entity may, either separately or in combination with any other public entities, enter into working agreements, coordination agreements, or similar implementation agreements, including the formation of bi-state or multistate organizations, to develop or operate a qualifying project subject to the requirements of this chapter. These agreements must conform to any relevant state laws and to the laws of the United States regarding interstate compacts.

SECTION 6. The following shall be codified as Section 31-33-11, Mississippi Code of 1972:

31-33-11. (1) The responsible public entity may request proposals from private partners for the development of a qualifying project under one or more of the project delivery methods described in Section 31-33-19. Private partners who respond to requests for proposals from responsible public entities but whom are not selected to perform the services described in such request may be recompensed for eligible costs incurred as part of the response to proposal process, but only to the extent provided in the request for proposal issued by the responsible public entity.

(2) Upon submitting a proposal, a private partner shall identify those portions of a proposal that the private partner considers to be a trade secret or confidential commercial, financial, or proprietary information and provide any justification as to why these materials, upon request, should not be disclosed by the responsible public entity. A private partner shall fully comply with any applicable state laws for such materials to be exempt from disclosure. Patent information will be exempt from disclosure until the patent expires. Records of negotiation are exempt from disclosure under the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983. Other information such as originality of design may only be protected under this section until a public-private partnership agreement is reached. Projects under federal jurisdiction or using federal funds must conform to federal regulations under the Freedom of Information Act. Subject to the foregoing requirements, the related responsible public entity shall determine what is exempt from disclosure and shall otherwise comply with the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983.

(3) For any selected proposal for a qualifying project, the responsible public entity shall obtain an independent audit of the proposed private-public partnership, including an assessment of projected usage and public costs, before the public-private partnership agreement is executed. The analysis shall be disclosed to the public prior to execution of a public-private partnership agreement. In addition to disclosing the independent audit to the public, the responsible public entity shall provide a copy of the audit to the State Bond Commission, the chairmen of the House of Representatives Public Property, Ways and Means and Appropriations Committees, and to the chairmen of the Senate Public Property, Finance and Appropriations Committees prior to the execution of a public-private partnership agreement.

(4) The responsible public entity may apply for local, state or federal credit assistance, or endorse such applications submitted by private partners, to develop any qualifying project pursuant to a public-private partnership agreement.

(5) Professionals, consultants and experts (including without limitation accountants, architects, attorneys, engineers and financial advisors) may be engaged by a responsible public entity at any point to assist in the evaluation, negotiation and development of qualifying projects.

(6) After the responsible public entity makes a determination of a qualifying project as provided in subsection (1) of this section, the responsible public entity shall:

(a) Seek competing private partners for the qualifying project by issuing a request for qualifications for not less than ninety (90) days.

(b) Review all qualifications submitted in response to such request for qualifications based on the criteria established in such request for qualifications.

(c) If exactly one (1) private partner responds to the request for qualifications and such private partner meets the criteria defined in such request for qualifications, the responsible public entity may: (i) begin negotiations with such private partner to enter into a public-private partnership agreement and submit a request for proposals to such private partner under the processes and procedures described in this chapter; (ii) reject the private-partner applicant and re-submit its request for qualifications; or (iii) cancel its request for qualifications and reject all private-partner applicants.

(d) If more than one (1) private partner submits qualifications meeting the criteria defined in such request for qualifications, the responsible public entity shall seek competing proposals for the qualifying project by issuing a request for proposals for not less than ninety (90) days. Thereafter the P3 Review Board shall review all proposals submitted to responsible public entities in response to such request for competing proposals based on the criteria established in such request for competing proposals.

(7) When the time for receiving proposals expires, the P3 Review Board shall first rank the proposals in accordance with the factors set forth in the request for proposals. The responsible public entity shall not be required to select the proposal with the lowest price offer, but it may consider price as one (1) of various factors in evaluating the proposals received in response to the request for proposals for a qualifying project. Factors that may be considered include:

(a) The proposed cost to develop the qualifying project;

(b) The estimated life-cycle cost of the qualifying project;

(d) The proposed design of the qualifying project;

(e) The eligibility of the qualifying project for accelerated selection, review, and documentation timelines under the P3 Review Board's guidelines;

(f) Estimated benefits to the public;

(g) The private partner's compliance with a minority business enterprise participation plan;

(h) The private partner's plans to employ local contractors and residents; and

(i) Other criteria that the responsible public entity deems appropriate.

(8) After ranking the proposals by the P3 Review Board, the responsible public entity shall begin simultaneous negotiations with all potentially eligible ranked private partners before requesting best and final offers from eligible private partners. If the responsible public entity and the potentially eligible ranked private partner submitting the best and final offer do not reach a public-private partnership agreement or interim agreement, then the responsible public entity may conduct negotiations with another potentially eligible ranked private partner. This process shall continue until the responsible public entity either voluntarily abandons the process or executes a public-private partnership agreement or interim agreement with a private partner.

(9) At any time during the process outlined in this chapter, but before the full execution of a public-private partnership agreement, the responsible public entity may, without liability to any private partner or third party (except to the extent of eligible costs, if any, provided for in the request for qualifications and/or request for proposals), cancel its request for proposals or reject all proposals received in response to its request for proposals, for any reason whatsoever.

(10) Responsible public entities who utilize the processes and procedures described in this chapter shall not be subject to Chapter 7, Title 31, Mississippi Code of 1972, or any other public bidding laws of this state.

SECTION 7. The following shall be codified as Section 31-33-13, Mississippi Code of 1972:

31-33-13. (1) The responsible public entity may enter into a public-private partnership agreement to develop a qualifying project only after the chief executive officer of the responsible public entity makes a finding of public interest and regional plan compatibility. Such findings shall, at a minimum, consider the following:

(a) Benefits to the public;

(b) Advantages or disadvantages to develop the qualifying project as a public-private partnership versus a traditional procurement, including the anticipated cost over the project life-cycle, adjusted for risk and risk transfers;

(d) The general reputation, qualifications, industry experience and financial capacity of the private partner or private partners;

(e) The proposal's compatibility with regional infrastructure plans; and

(f) Other criteria that the responsible public entity deems appropriate.

(2) The responsible public entity shall publicly disclose all findings of public interest and regional compatibility made pursuant to the requirements of subsection (1)(a) and (b) of this section in a public report which shall be available on the Department of Finance and Administration's website and, which shall include a detailed discussion of all considerations on which the findings are based followed by fourteen (14) days of public comment before execution of a public-private partnership agreement.

SECTION 8. The following shall be codified as Section 31-33-15, Mississippi Code of 1972:

31-33-15. (1) Before entering into a public-private partnership agreement, the responsible public entity shall notify affected jurisdictions in writing of such proposal from the private partner and by furnish a copy of the proposal from the private partner to each affected jurisdiction.

(2) Each affected jurisdiction may, within sixty (60) days after receiving the notice required under subsection (1) of this section, submit in writing any comments to the responsible public entity on the project's potential impact and compatibility with local and regional budgets and infrastructure plans.

(3) The responsible public entity shall consider the comments of the affected jurisdiction before entering into a public-private partnership agreement with a private partner.

SECTION 9. The following shall be codified as Section 31-33-17, Mississippi Code of 1972:

31-33-17. (1) Before or in connection with the negotiation of a public-private partnership agreement, the responsible public entity may enter into an interim agreement with the private partner that submitted the selected proposal, provided that such interim agreement has been first approved by the P3 Review Board. An interim agreement shall not obligate the responsible public entity to enter into a public-private partnership agreement. The interim agreement is wholly discretionary; the responsible public entity and the private partner may proceed directly to creating a public-private partnership agreement without creating an interim agreement. An interim agreement shall only:

(a) Authorize the private partner to commence activities for which it may be compensated related to the proposed qualifying project, including, but not limited to, project planning, design and engineering, environmental analysis and mitigation and ascertaining the availability of financing for the proposed facility; and

(b) Establish the process and timing of the negotiation of the public-private partnership agreement.

(2) A responsible public entity may enter into an interim agreement with multiple private partners if the responsible public entity determines, in writing, that it is in the public interest to do so.

(3) Prior to developing a qualifying project, the private partner that submitted the selected proposal shall enter into a public-private partnership agreement with the responsible public entity stipulating the obligations of and the allocation of responsibilities among the parties, which, in addition to other contract terms, must include:

(a) Descriptions of which party will assume responsibility for specific project elements and when;

(b) How the parties will share management of the risks of the qualifying project;

(d) How the parties will allocate financial responsibility for cost overruns;

(e) The term of the public-private partnership agreement;

(f) Any safeguards to mitigate additional costs or service disruptions to the public in the event of a material default or cancellation of the public-private partnership agreement;

(g) Performance standards and any damages for nonperformance;

(h) Any performance incentives;

(i) Accounting and auditing standards to be used to evaluate work on the qualifying project;

(j) The responsibility for reconstruction or renovations required for a qualifying project to meet all applicable government standards upon reversion of the qualifying project to the responsible public entity at the termination of the public-private partnership agreement; and

(k) Such other terms and conditions agreed to mutually by the responsible public entity and the private partner.

(4) The public-private partnership agreement shall provide for such fees as may be established by agreement of the parties and shall not be subject to Chapter 7, Title 31, Mississippi Code of 1972.

(5) The public-private partnership agreement shall contain a provision by which a private partner expressly agrees that it is prohibited from seeking injunctive or other equitable relief to delay, prevent or otherwise hinder the responsible public entity or any jurisdiction from developing or operating any project that was planned and that may impact the revenue that the private partner may derive from the qualifying project under a public-private partnership agreement, except that the public-private partnership agreement may provide for reasonable compensation to the private partner for the adverse effect on revenues resulting from an unplanned revenue-impacting project undertaken by any responsible public entity.

SECTION 10. The following shall be codified as Section 31-33-19, Mississippi Code of 1972:

31-33-19. (1) Subject to the requirements of this chapter, the responsible public entity may utilize any project delivery method or agreement or combination of methods or agreements to develop a qualifying project including, but not limited to:

(a) A design-build agreement;

(b) A design-build-finance agreement;

(d) A design-build-finance-operate-maintain agreement;

(e) A design-build-maintain agreement;

(f) A design-build-operate-maintain agreement;

(g) An operate-maintain agreement;

(h) A concession providing for the private partner to design, build, operate, maintain, manage, and/or lease a qualifying project; or

(i) Any other innovative or nontraditional project delivery method or agreement or combination of methods or agreements that the responsible public entity determines will serve the public interest.

(2) For each of the types of public-private partnership agreements authorized under subsection (1) of this section, the following process shall apply:

(a) Subject to Section 31-33-11(2), the evaluation of the responsible public entity is a public record and shall be maintained for a minimum of ten (10) years after project completion by the responsible public entity.

(b) The responsible public entity shall maintain detailed records on qualifying projects separate and apart from its regular record keeping.

(c) The responsible public entity shall file a report to the P3 Review Board evaluating the chosen method of contracting by comparing it to the low-bid method of contracting. At a minimum, the report must include:

(i) The management goals and objectives for such public-private partnership agreement's system of management;

(ii) A complete description of such public-private partnership agreement's management system, including a description of the system the responsible public entity put into place on all projects managed under the system to ensure that it has the complete information on costs and to ensure proper analysis of any proposal the responsible public entity receives from a private partner;

(iii) The accountability systems the responsible public entity established to monitor any of such public-private partnership agreement's compliance with specific goals and objectives for the qualifying project;

(iv) The outcome of any qualifying project or any interim report on an ongoing project let under the public-private partnership agreement's management system showing compliance with the goals, objectives, policies and procedures the responsible public entity set for the qualifying project;

(v) The method used by the responsible public entity to select qualifying projects to utilize such public-private partnership agreement's system of management and all other systems, policies and procedures that the responsible public entity considered as necessary components to such public-private partnership agreement's management system; and

(vi) A comparison of the costs between the selected public-private partnership agreement and the anticipated cost of a traditional procurement process.

SECTION 11. The following shall be codified as Section 31-33-21, Mississippi Code of 1972:

31-33-21. (1) Any financing of a qualifying project may be in such amounts and upon such terms and conditions as may be determined by the parties to the public-private partnership agreement. The private partner and the responsible public entity may utilize any and all revenues that may be available to them for the purposes of this chapter, to the extent provided in the related public-private partnership agreement, and may include, arrangements relating to:

(a) Issuer debt, equity, or other securities or obligations;

(b) Leases, concessions, and grant and loan agreements;

(d) Loans or grants from any state agency or state infrastructure bank; and

(e) Any other financing secured with a pledge of, security interest in, or lien on all or a portion of its property interests in the qualifying project.

(2) A responsible public entity may issue bonds as otherwise authorized by state law to fund a public-private partnership agreement.

(3) The responsible public entity may take any action to obtain federal, state, and/or local assistance for a qualifying project that serves the purpose of this chapter and may enter into contracts required to receive such assistance. To the fullest extent allowed by law, federal, state and local monies may be combined with any private sector monies in connection with a qualifying project.

(4) The responsible public entity is authorized to acquire right-of-way by any means allowable under applicable federal and state constitutional, legal and regulatory requirements.

(5) Within a public-private partnership agreement, a responsible public entity and a private partner may agree in writing that a responsible public entity may cause the Department of Revenue or any state agency, department or commission created pursuant to state law to:

(a) Withhold all or any part (as agreed by the responsible public entity) of any monies that such private partner is entitled to receive from time to time, pursuant to any law, and that is in the possession of the Department of Revenue or any state agency, department or commission created pursuant to state law; and

(b) Pay the same over to a commercial bank acting as trustee to satisfy any delinquent payments due and owing by such responsible public entity under a public-private partnership agreement, all as the same shall occur.

If the private partner files a copy of such written agreement, together with a statement of delinquency, with the Department of Revenue or any state agency, department or commission created pursuant to state law, then the Department of Revenue or any such state agency, department or commission created pursuant to state law shall immediately make the withholdings provided in such agreement from the amounts due the private partner and shall continue to pay the same over until all such delinquencies are satisfied.

SECTION 12. The following shall be codified as Section 31-33-23, Mississippi Code of 1972:

31-33-23. (1) All public-private partnership agreements completed under the authority of this chapter shall be validated in the Chancery Court of the First Judicial District of Hinds County, Mississippi, with all public agencies involved in such approved qualifying project being parties to the validation proceedings, with the full right to any party in interest to file objections thereto, in the manner provided now by Chapter 13, Title 31, Mississippi Code of 1972, and the validation decree of the chancellor validating the conditions and obligations of the public-private partnership agreement and its approval shall carry the same force and effect therein. All objections to any matters relating to such public-private partnership agreement shall be adjudicated and determined by the chancery court in the validation proceedings and in no other manner, and all rights of the parties shall be preserved and not foreclosed, for the hearing before the chancery court or the chancellor in vacation.

(2) All such public-private partnership agreements may be completed without any other proceedings or the happening of any other conditions or things other than those proceedings, conditions and things which are specified or required by this chapter.

SECTION 13. The following shall be codified as Section 31-33-25, Mississippi Code of 1972:

31-33-25. (1) As set forth in the declaration of finding and purpose herein, the responsible public entities will be performing an essential governmental function in the exercise of the powers conferred upon the responsible public entities by this chapter, and any bonds or other obligations of a responsible public entity in connection with a qualifying project and the income therefrom including any profit made on the sale thereof and all its fees, charges, gifts, grants, revenues, receipts and other monies received, pledged to pay or secure the payment of such bonds shall at all times be free from taxation of every kind by the state and by the municipalities and all other political subdivisions of the state.

(2) The property and materials contained therein constituting a qualifying project and its income and operation shall be exempt from taxation and assessments.

SECTION 14. The following shall be codified as Section 31-33-27, Mississippi Code of 1972:

31-33-27. If any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause or provision of this chapter shall be unconstitutional or ineffective, in whole or in part, to the extent that it is not unconstitutional or ineffective, it shall be valid and effective and no other section, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause or provision shall on account thereof be deemed invalid or ineffective.

SECTION 15. Section 31-7-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

31-7-13. All agencies and governing authorities shall purchase their commodities and printing; contract for garbage collection or disposal; contract for solid waste collection or disposal; contract for sewage collection or disposal; contract for public construction; and contract for rentals as herein provided.

(a) Bidding procedure for purchases not over $5,000.00. Purchases which do not involve an expenditure of more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), exclusive of freight or shipping charges, may be made without advertising or otherwise requesting competitive bids. However, nothing contained in this paragraph (a) shall be construed to prohibit any agency or governing authority from establishing procedures which require competitive bids on purchases of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) or less.

(b) Bidding procedure for purchases over $5,000.00 but not over $50,000.00. Purchases which involve an expenditure of more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) but not more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), exclusive of freight and shipping charges, may be made from the lowest and best bidder without publishing or posting advertisement for bids, provided at least two (2) competitive written bids have been obtained. Any state agency or community/junior college purchasing commodities or procuring construction pursuant to this paragraph (b) may authorize its purchasing agent, or his designee, to accept the lowest competitive written bid under Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00). Any governing authority purchasing commodities pursuant to this paragraph (b) may authorize its purchasing agent, or his designee, with regard to governing authorities other than counties, or its purchase clerk, or his designee, with regard to counties, to accept the lowest and best competitive written bid. Such authorization shall be made in writing by the governing authority and shall be maintained on file in the primary office of the agency and recorded in the official minutes of the governing authority, as appropriate. The purchasing agent or the purchase clerk, or their designee, as the case may be, and not the governing authority, shall be liable for any penalties and/or damages as may be imposed by law for any act or omission of the purchasing agent or purchase clerk, or their designee, constituting a violation of law in accepting any bid without approval by the governing authority. The term "competitive written bid" shall mean a bid submitted on a bid form furnished by the buying agency or governing authority and signed by authorized personnel representing the vendor, or a bid submitted on a vendor's letterhead or identifiable bid form and signed by authorized personnel representing the vendor. "Competitive" shall mean that the bids are developed based upon comparable identification of the needs and are developed independently and without knowledge of other bids or prospective bids. Any bid item for construction in excess of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) shall be broken down by components to provide detail of component description and pricing. These details shall be submitted with the written bids and become part of the bid evaluation criteria. Bids may be submitted by facsimile, electronic mail or other generally accepted method of information distribution. Bids submitted by electronic transmission shall not require the signature of the vendor's representative unless required by agencies or governing authorities.

(i) Publication requirement.

1. Purchases which involve an expenditure of more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), exclusive of freight and shipping charges, may be made from the lowest and best bidder after advertising for competitive bids once each week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a regular newspaper published in the county or municipality in which such agency or governing authority is located. However, all American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects in excess of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) shall be bid. All references to American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects in this section shall not apply to programs identified in Division B of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

2. Reverse auctions shall be the primary method for receiving bids during the bidding process. If a purchasing entity determines that a reverse auction is not in the best interest of the state, then that determination must be approved by the Public Procurement Review Board. The purchasing entity shall submit a detailed explanation of why a reverse auction would not be in the best interest of the state and present an alternative process to be approved by the Public Procurement Review Board. If the Public Procurement Review Board authorizes the purchasing entity to solicit bids with a method other than reverse auction, then the purchasing entity may designate the other methods by which the bids will be received, including, but not limited to, bids sealed in an envelope, bids received electronically in a secure system, or bids received by any other method that promotes open competition and has been approved by the Office of Purchasing and Travel. However, reverse auction shall not be used for any public contract for design or construction of public facilities, including buildings, roads and bridges. The Public Procurement Review Board must approve any contract entered into by alternative process. The provisions of this item 2 shall not apply to the individual state institutions of higher learning.

3. The date as published for the bid opening shall not be less than seven (7) working days after the last published notice; however, if the purchase involves a construction project in which the estimated cost is in excess of Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), such bids shall not be opened in less than fifteen (15) working days after the last notice is published and the notice for the purchase of such construction shall be published once each week for two (2) consecutive weeks. However, all American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects in excess of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) shall be bid. For any projects in excess of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, publication shall be made one (1) time and the bid opening for construction projects shall not be less than ten (10) working days after the date of the published notice. The notice of intention to let contracts or purchase equipment shall state the time and place at which bids shall be received, list the contracts to be made or types of equipment or supplies to be purchased, and, if all plans and/or specifications are not published, refer to the plans and/or specifications on file. If there is no newspaper published in the county or municipality, then such notice shall be given by posting same at the courthouse, or for municipalities at the city hall, and at two (2) other public places in the county or municipality, and also by publication once each week for two (2) consecutive weeks in some newspaper having a general circulation in the county or municipality in the above-provided manner. On the same date that the notice is submitted to the newspaper for publication, the agency or governing authority involved shall mail written notice to, or provide electronic notification to the main office of the Mississippi Procurement Technical Assistance Program under the Mississippi Development Authority that contains the same information as that in the published notice. Submissions received by the Mississippi Procurement Technical Assistance Program for projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act shall be displayed on a separate and unique Internet web page accessible to the public and maintained by the Mississippi Development Authority for the Mississippi Procurement Technical Assistance Program. Those American Recovery and Reinvestment Act related submissions shall be publicly posted within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt by the Mississippi Development Authority and the bid opening shall not occur until the submission has been posted for ten (10) consecutive days. The Department of Finance and Administration shall maintain information regarding contracts and other expenditures from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, on a unique Internet web page accessible to the public. The Department of Finance and Administration shall promulgate rules regarding format, content and deadlines, unless otherwise specified by law, of the posting of award notices, contract execution and subsequent amendments, links to the contract documents, expenditures against the awarded contracts and general expenditures of funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Within one (1) working day of the contract award, the agency or governing authority shall post to the designated web page maintained by the Department of Finance and Administration, notice of the award, including the award recipient, the contract amount, and a brief summary of the contract in accordance with rules promulgated by the department. Within one (1) working day of the contract execution, the agency or governing authority shall post to the designated web page maintained by the Department of Finance and Administration a summary of the executed contract and make a copy of the appropriately redacted contract documents available for linking to the designated web page in accordance with the rules promulgated by the department. The information provided by the agency or governing authority shall be posted to the web page for the duration of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding or until the project is completed, whichever is longer.

(ii) Bidding process amendment procedure. If all plans and/or specifications are published in the notification, then the plans and/or specifications may not be amended. If all plans and/or specifications are not published in the notification, then amendments to the plans/specifications, bid opening date, bid opening time and place may be made, provided that the agency or governing authority maintains a list of all prospective bidders who are known to have received a copy of the bid documents and all such prospective bidders are sent copies of all amendments. This notification of amendments may be made via mail, facsimile, electronic mail or other generally accepted method of information distribution. No addendum to bid specifications may be issued within two (2) working days of the time established for the receipt of bids unless such addendum also amends the bid opening to a date not less than five (5) working days after the date of the addendum.

(iii) Filing requirement. In all cases involving governing authorities, before the notice shall be published or posted, the plans or specifications for the construction or equipment being sought shall be filed with the clerk of the board of the governing authority. In addition to these requirements, a bid file shall be established which shall indicate those vendors to whom such solicitations and specifications were issued, and such file shall also contain such information as is pertinent to the bid.

(iv) Specification restrictions.

1. Specifications pertinent to such bidding shall be written so as not to exclude comparable equipment of domestic manufacture. However, if valid justification is presented, the Department of Finance and Administration or the board of a governing authority may approve a request for specific equipment necessary to perform a specific job. Further, such justification, when placed on the minutes of the board of a governing authority, may serve as authority for that governing authority to write specifications to require a specific item of equipment needed to perform a specific job. In addition to these requirements, from and after July 1, 1990, vendors of relocatable classrooms and the specifications for the purchase of such relocatable classrooms published by local school boards shall meet all pertinent regulations of the State Board of Education, including prior approval of such bid by the State Department of Education.

2. Specifications for construction projects may include an allowance for commodities, equipment, furniture, construction materials or systems in which prospective bidders are instructed to include in their bids specified amounts for such items so long as the allowance items are acquired by the vendor in a commercially reasonable manner and approved by the agency/governing authority. Such acquisitions shall not be made to circumvent the public purchasing laws.

(v) Electronic bids. Agencies and governing authorities shall provide a secure electronic interactive system for the submittal of bids requiring competitive bidding that shall be an additional bidding option for those bidders who choose to submit their bids electronically. The Department of Finance and Administration shall provide, by regulation, the standards that agencies must follow when receiving electronic bids. Agencies and governing authorities shall make the appropriate provisions necessary to accept electronic bids from those bidders who choose to submit their bids electronically for all purchases requiring competitive bidding under this section. Any special condition or requirement for the electronic bid submission shall be specified in the advertisement for bids required by this section. Agencies or governing authorities that are currently without available high speed Internet access shall be exempt from the requirement of this subparagraph (v) until such time that high speed Internet access becomes available. Any county having a population of less than twenty thousand (20,000) shall be exempt from the provisions of this subparagraph (v). Any municipality having a population of less than ten thousand (10,000) shall be exempt from the provisions of this subparagraph (v). The provisions of this subparagraph (v) shall not require any bidder to submit bids electronically. When construction bids are submitted electronically, the requirement for including a certificate of responsibility, or a statement that the bid enclosed does not exceed Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), on the exterior of the bid envelope as indicated in Section 31-3-21(1) and (2) shall be deemed in compliance with by including same as an attachment with the electronic bid submittal.

(d) Lowest and best bid decision procedure.

(i) Decision procedure. Purchases may be made from the lowest and best bidder. In determining the lowest and best bid, freight and shipping charges shall be included. Life-cycle costing, total cost bids, warranties, guaranteed buy-back provisions and other relevant provisions may be included in the best bid calculation. All best bid procedures for state agencies must be in compliance with regulations established by the Department of Finance and Administration. If any governing authority accepts a bid other than the lowest bid actually submitted, it shall place on its minutes detailed calculations and narrative summary showing that the accepted bid was determined to be the lowest and best bid, including the dollar amount of the accepted bid and the dollar amount of the lowest bid. No agency or governing authority shall accept a bid based on items not included in the specifications.

(ii) Decision procedure for Certified Purchasing Offices. In addition to the decision procedure set forth in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph (d), Certified Purchasing Offices may also use the following procedure: Purchases may be made from the bidder offering the best value. In determining the best value bid, freight and shipping charges shall be included. Life-cycle costing, total cost bids, warranties, guaranteed buy-back provisions, documented previous experience, training costs and other relevant provisions, including, but not limited to, a bidder having a local office and inventory located within the jurisdiction of the governing authority, may be included in the best value calculation. This provision shall authorize Certified Purchasing Offices to utilize a Request For Proposals (RFP) process when purchasing commodities. All best value procedures for state agencies must be in compliance with regulations established by the Department of Finance and Administration. No agency or governing authority shall accept a bid based on items or criteria not included in the specifications.

(iii) Decision procedure for Mississippi Landmarks. In addition to the decision procedure set forth in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph (d), where purchase involves renovation, restoration, or both, of the State Capitol Building or any other historical building designated for at least five (5) years as a Mississippi Landmark by the Board of Trustees of the Department of Archives and History under the authority of Sections 39-7-7 and 39-7-11, the agency or governing authority may use the following procedure: Purchases may be made from the lowest and best prequalified bidder. Prequalification of bidders shall be determined not less than fifteen (15) working days before the first published notice of bid opening. Prequalification criteria shall be limited to bidder's knowledge and experience in historical restoration, preservation and renovation. In determining the lowest and best bid, freight and shipping charges shall be included. Life-cycle costing, total cost bids, warranties, guaranteed buy-back provisions and other relevant provisions may be included in the best bid calculation. All best bid and prequalification procedures for state agencies must be in compliance with regulations established by the Department of Finance and Administration. If any governing authority accepts a bid other than the lowest bid actually submitted, it shall place on its minutes detailed calculations and narrative summary showing that the accepted bid was determined to be the lowest and best bid, including the dollar amount of the accepted bid and the dollar amount of the lowest bid. No agency or governing authority shall accept a bid based on items not included in the specifications.

(iv) Construction project negotiations authority. If the lowest and best bid is not more than ten percent (10%) above the amount of funds allocated for a public construction or renovation project, then the agency or governing authority shall be permitted to negotiate with the lowest bidder in order to enter into a contract for an amount not to exceed the funds allocated.

(e) Lease-purchase authorization. For the purposes of this section, the term "equipment" shall mean equipment, furniture and, if applicable, associated software and other applicable direct costs associated with the acquisition. Any lease-purchase of equipment which an agency is not required to lease-purchase under the master lease-purchase program pursuant to Section 31-7-10 and any lease-purchase of equipment which a governing authority elects to lease-purchase may be acquired by a lease-purchase agreement under this paragraph (e). Lease-purchase financing may also be obtained from the vendor or from a third-party source after having solicited and obtained at least two (2) written competitive bids, as defined in paragraph (b) of this section, for such financing without advertising for such bids. Solicitation for the bids for financing may occur before or after acceptance of bids for the purchase of such equipment or, where no such bids for purchase are required, at any time before the purchase thereof. No such lease-purchase agreement shall be for an annual rate of interest which is greater than the overall maximum interest rate to maturity on general obligation indebtedness permitted under Section 75-17-101, and the term of such lease-purchase agreement shall not exceed the useful life of equipment covered thereby as determined according to the upper limit of the asset depreciation range (ADR) guidelines for the Class Life Asset Depreciation Range System established by the Internal Revenue Service pursuant to the United States Internal Revenue Code and regulations thereunder as in effect on December 31, 1980, or comparable depreciation guidelines with respect to any equipment not covered by ADR guidelines. Any lease-purchase agreement entered into pursuant to this paragraph (e) may contain any of the terms and conditions which a master lease-purchase agreement may contain under the provisions of Section 31-7-10(5), and shall contain an annual allocation dependency clause substantially similar to that set forth in Section 31-7-10(8). Each agency or governing authority entering into a lease-purchase transaction pursuant to this paragraph (e) shall maintain with respect to each such lease-purchase transaction the same information as required to be maintained by the Department of Finance and Administration pursuant to Section 31-7-10(13). However, nothing contained in this section shall be construed to permit agencies to acquire items of equipment with a total acquisition cost in the aggregate of less than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) by a single lease-purchase transaction. All equipment, and the purchase thereof by any lessor, acquired by lease-purchase under this paragraph and all lease-purchase payments with respect thereto shall be exempt from all Mississippi sales, use and ad valorem taxes. Interest paid on any lease-purchase agreement under this section shall be exempt from State of Mississippi income taxation.

(f) Alternate bid authorization. When necessary to ensure ready availability of commodities for public works and the timely completion of public projects, no more than two (2) alternate bids may be accepted by a governing authority for commodities. No purchases may be made through use of such alternate bids procedure unless the lowest and best bidder cannot deliver the commodities contained in his bid. In that event, purchases of such commodities may be made from one (1) of the bidders whose bid was accepted as an alternate.

(g) Construction contract change authorization. In the event a determination is made by an agency or governing authority after a construction contract is let that changes or modifications to the original contract are necessary or would better serve the purpose of the agency or the governing authority, such agency or governing authority may, in its discretion, order such changes pertaining to the construction that are necessary under the circumstances without the necessity of further public bids; provided that such change shall be made in a commercially reasonable manner and shall not be made to circumvent the public purchasing statutes. In addition to any other authorized person, the architect or engineer hired by an agency or governing authority with respect to any public construction contract shall have the authority, when granted by an agency or governing authority, to authorize changes or modifications to the original contract without the necessity of prior approval of the agency or governing authority when any such change or modification is less than one percent (1%) of the total contract amount. The agency or governing authority may limit the number, manner or frequency of such emergency changes or modifications.

(h) Petroleum purchase alternative. In addition to other methods of purchasing authorized in this chapter, when any agency or governing authority shall have a need for gas, diesel fuel, oils and/or other petroleum products in excess of the amount set forth in paragraph (a) of this section, such agency or governing authority may purchase the commodity after having solicited and obtained at least two (2) competitive written bids, as defined in paragraph (b) of this section. If two (2) competitive written bids are not obtained, the entity shall comply with the procedures set forth in paragraph (c) of this section. In the event any agency or governing authority shall have advertised for bids for the purchase of gas, diesel fuel, oils and other petroleum products and coal and no acceptable bids can be obtained, such agency or governing authority is authorized and directed to enter into any negotiations necessary to secure the lowest and best contract available for the purchase of such commodities.

(i) Road construction petroleum products price adjustment clause authorization. Any agency or governing authority authorized to enter into contracts for the construction, maintenance, surfacing or repair of highways, roads or streets, may include in its bid proposal and contract documents a price adjustment clause with relation to the cost to the contractor, including taxes, based upon an industry-wide cost index, of petroleum products including asphalt used in the performance or execution of the contract or in the production or manufacture of materials for use in such performance. Such industry-wide index shall be established and published monthly by the Mississippi Department of Transportation with a copy thereof to be mailed, upon request, to the clerks of the governing authority of each municipality and the clerks of each board of supervisors throughout the state. The price adjustment clause shall be based on the cost of such petroleum products only and shall not include any additional profit or overhead as part of the adjustment. The bid proposals or document contract shall contain the basis and methods of adjusting unit prices for the change in the cost of such petroleum products.

(j) State agency emergency purchase procedure. If the governing board or the executive head, or his designees, of any agency of the state shall determine that an emergency exists in regard to the purchase of any commodities or repair contracts, so that the delay incident to giving opportunity for competitive bidding would be detrimental to the interests of the state, then the head of such agency, or his designees, shall file with the Department of Finance and Administration (i) a statement explaining the conditions and circumstances of the emergency, which shall include a detailed description of the events leading up to the situation and the negative impact to the entity if the purchase is made following the statutory requirements set forth in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this section, and (ii) a certified copy of the appropriate minutes of the board of such agency requesting the emergency purchase, if applicable. Upon receipt of the statement and applicable board certification, the State Fiscal Officer, or his designees, may, in writing, authorize the purchase or repair without having to comply with competitive bidding requirements.

If the governing board or the executive head, or his

designees, of any agency determines that an emergency exists in regard to the purchase of any commodities or repair contracts, so that the delay incident to giving opportunity for competitive bidding would threaten the health or safety of any person, or the preservation or protection of property, then the provisions in this section for competitive bidding shall not apply, and any officer or agent of the agency having general or specific authority for making the purchase or repair contract shall approve the bill presented for payment, and he shall certify in writing from whom the purchase was made, or with whom the repair contract was made.

Total purchases made under this paragraph (j) shall only be for the purpose of meeting needs created by the emergency situation. Following the emergency purchase, documentation of the purchase, including a description of the commodity purchased, the purchase price thereof and the nature of the emergency shall be filed with the Department of Finance and Administration. Any contract awarded pursuant to this paragraph (j) shall not exceed a term of one (1) year.

(k) Governing authority emergency purchase procedure. If the governing authority, or the governing authority acting through its designee, shall determine that an emergency exists in regard to the purchase of any commodities or repair contracts, so that the delay incident to giving opportunity for competitive bidding would be detrimental to the interest of the governing authority, then the provisions herein for competitive bidding shall not apply and any officer or agent of such governing authority having general or special authority therefor in making such purchase or repair shall approve the bill presented therefor, and he shall certify in writing thereon from whom such purchase was made, or with whom such a repair contract was made. At the board meeting next following the emergency purchase or repair contract, documentation of the purchase or repair contract, including a description of the commodity purchased, the price thereof and the nature of the emergency shall be presented to the board and shall be placed on the minutes of the board of such governing authority.

(l) Hospital purchase, lease-purchase and lease authorization.

(i) The commissioners or board of trustees of any public hospital may contract with such lowest and best bidder for the purchase or lease-purchase of any commodity under a contract of purchase or lease-purchase agreement whose obligatory payment terms do not exceed five (5) years.

(ii) In addition to the authority granted in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph (l), the commissioners or board of trustees is authorized to enter into contracts for the lease of equipment or services, or both, which it considers necessary for the proper care of patients if, in its opinion, it is not financially feasible to purchase the necessary equipment or services. Any such contract for the lease of equipment or services executed by the commissioners or board shall not exceed a maximum of five (5) years' duration and shall include a cancellation clause based on unavailability of funds. If such cancellation clause is exercised, there shall be no further liability on the part of the lessee. Any such contract for the lease of equipment or services executed on behalf of the commissioners or board that complies with the provisions of this subparagraph (ii) shall be excepted from the bid requirements set forth in this section.

(m) Exceptions from bidding requirements. Excepted from bid requirements are:

(i) Purchasing agreements approved by department. Purchasing agreements, contracts and maximum price regulations executed or approved by the Department of Finance and Administration.

(ii) Outside equipment repairs. Repairs to equipment, when such repairs are made by repair facilities in the private sector; however, engines, transmissions, rear axles and/or other such components shall not be included in this exemption when replaced as a complete unit instead of being repaired and the need for such total component replacement is known before disassembly of the component; however, invoices identifying the equipment, specific repairs made, parts identified by number and name, supplies used in such repairs, and the number of hours of labor and costs therefor shall be required for the payment for such repairs.

(iii) In-house equipment repairs. Purchases of parts for repairs to equipment, when such repairs are made by personnel of the agency or governing authority; however, entire assemblies, such as engines or transmissions, shall not be included in this exemption when the entire assembly is being replaced instead of being repaired.

(iv) Raw gravel or dirt. Raw unprocessed deposits of gravel or fill dirt which are to be removed and transported by the purchaser.

(v) Governmental equipment auctions. Motor vehicles or other equipment purchased from a federal agency or authority, another governing authority or state agency of the State of Mississippi, or any governing authority or state agency of another state at a public auction held for the purpose of disposing of such vehicles or other equipment. Any purchase by a governing authority under the exemption authorized by this subparagraph (v) shall require advance authorization spread upon the minutes of the governing authority to include the listing of the item or items authorized to be purchased and the maximum bid authorized to be paid for each item or items.

(vi) Intergovernmental sales and transfers. Purchases, sales, transfers or trades by governing authorities or state agencies when such purchases, sales, transfers or trades are made by a private treaty agreement or through means of negotiation, from any federal agency or authority, another governing authority or state agency of the State of Mississippi, or any state agency or governing authority of another state. Nothing in this section shall permit such purchases through public auction except as provided for in subparagraph (v) of this paragraph (m). It is the intent of this section to allow governmental entities to dispose of and/or purchase commodities from other governmental entities at a price that is agreed to by both parties. This shall allow for purchases and/or sales at prices which may be determined to be below the market value if the selling entity determines that the sale at below market value is in the best interest of the taxpayers of the state. Governing authorities shall place the terms of the agreement and any justification on the minutes, and state agencies shall obtain approval from the Department of Finance and Administration, prior to releasing or taking possession of the commodities.

(vii) Perishable supplies or food. Perishable supplies or food purchased for use in connection with hospitals, the school lunch programs, homemaking programs and for the feeding of county or municipal prisoners.

(viii) Single source items. Noncompetitive items available from one (1) source only. In connection with the purchase of noncompetitive items only available from one (1) source, a certification of the conditions and circumstances requiring the purchase shall be filed by the agency with the Department of Finance and Administration and by the governing authority with the board of the governing authority. Upon receipt of that certification the Department of Finance and Administration or the board of the governing authority, as the case may be, may, in writing, authorize the purchase, which authority shall be noted on the minutes of the body at the next regular meeting thereafter. In those situations, a governing authority is not required to obtain the approval of the Department of Finance and Administration. Following the purchase, the executive head of the state agency, or his designees, shall file with the Department of Finance and Administration, documentation of the purchase, including a description of the commodity purchased, the purchase price thereof and the source from whom it was purchased.

(ix) Waste disposal facility construction contracts. Construction of incinerators and other facilities for disposal of solid wastes in which products either generated therein, such as steam, or recovered therefrom, such as materials for recycling, are to be sold or otherwise disposed of; however, in constructing such facilities, a governing authority or agency shall publicly issue requests for proposals, advertised for in the same manner as provided herein for seeking bids for public construction projects, concerning the design, construction, ownership, operation and/or maintenance of such facilities, wherein such requests for proposals when issued shall contain terms and conditions relating to price, financial responsibility, technology, environmental compatibility, legal responsibilities and such other matters as are determined by the governing authority or agency to be appropriate for inclusion; and after responses to the request for proposals have been duly received, the governing authority or agency may select the most qualified proposal or proposals on the basis of price, technology and other relevant factors and from such proposals, but not limited to the terms thereof, negotiate and enter contracts with one or more of the persons or firms submitting proposals.

(x) Hospital group purchase contracts. Supplies, commodities and equipment purchased by hospitals through group purchase programs pursuant to Section 31-7-38.

(xi) Information technology products. Purchases of information technology products made by governing authorities under the provisions of purchase schedules, or contracts executed or approved by the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services and designated for use by governing authorities.

(xii) Energy efficiency services and equipment. Energy efficiency services and equipment acquired by school districts, community and junior colleges, institutions of higher learning and state agencies or other applicable governmental entities on a shared-savings, lease or lease-purchase basis pursuant to Section 31-7-14.

(xiii) Municipal electrical utility system fuel. Purchases of coal and/or natural gas by municipally owned electric power generating systems that have the capacity to use both coal and natural gas for the generation of electric power.

(xiv) Library books and other reference materials. Purchases by libraries or for libraries of books and periodicals; processed film, videocassette tapes, filmstrips and slides; recorded audiotapes, cassettes and diskettes; and any such items as would be used for teaching, research or other information distribution; however, equipment such as projectors, recorders, audio or video equipment, and monitor televisions are not exempt under this subparagraph.

(xv) Unmarked vehicles. Purchases of unmarked vehicles when such purchases are made in accordance with purchasing regulations adopted by the Department of Finance and Administration pursuant to Section 31-7-9(2).

(xvi) Election ballots. Purchases of ballots printed pursuant to Section 23-15-351.

(xvii) Multichannel interactive video systems. From and after July 1, 1990, contracts by Mississippi Authority for Educational Television with any private educational institution or private nonprofit organization whose purposes are educational in regard to the construction, purchase, lease or lease-purchase of facilities and equipment and the employment of personnel for providing multichannel interactive video systems (ITSF) in the school districts of this state.

(xviii) Purchases of prison industry products by the Department of Corrections, regional correctional facilities or privately owned prisons. Purchases made by the Mississippi Department of Corrections, regional correctional facilities or privately owned prisons involving any item that is manufactured, processed, grown or produced from the state's prison industries.

(xix) Undercover operations equipment. Purchases of surveillance equipment or any other high-tech equipment to be used by law enforcement agents in undercover operations, provided that any such purchase shall be in compliance with regulations established by the Department of Finance and Administration.

(xx) Junior college books for rent. Purchases by community or junior colleges of textbooks which are obtained for the purpose of renting such books to students as part of a book service system.

(xxi) Certain school district purchases. Purchases of commodities made by school districts from vendors with which any levying authority of the school district, as defined in Section 37-57-1, has contracted through competitive bidding procedures for purchases of the same commodities.

(xxii) Garbage, solid waste and sewage contracts. Contracts for garbage collection or disposal, contracts for solid waste collection or disposal and contracts for sewage collection or disposal.

(xxiii) Municipal water tank maintenance contracts. Professional maintenance program contracts for the repair or maintenance of municipal water tanks, which provide professional services needed to maintain municipal water storage tanks for a fixed annual fee for a duration of two (2) or more years.

(xxiv) Purchases of Mississippi Industries for the Blind products. Purchases made by state agencies or governing authorities involving any item that is manufactured, processed or produced by the Mississippi Industries for the Blind.

(xxv) Purchases of state-adopted textbooks. Purchases of state-adopted textbooks by public school districts.

(xxvi) Certain purchases under the Mississippi Major Economic Impact Act. Contracts entered into pursuant to the provisions of Section 57-75-9(2), (3) and (4).

(xxvii) Used heavy or specialized machinery or equipment for installation of soil and water conservation practices purchased at auction. Used heavy or specialized machinery or equipment used for the installation and implementation of soil and water conservation practices or measures purchased subject to the restrictions provided in Sections 69-27-331 through 69-27-341. Any purchase by the State Soil and Water Conservation Commission under the exemption authorized by this subparagraph shall require advance authorization spread upon the minutes of the commission to include the listing of the item or items authorized to be purchased and the maximum bid authorized to be paid for each item or items.

(xxviii) Hospital lease of equipment or services. Leases by hospitals of equipment or services if the leases are in compliance with paragraph (l)(ii).

(xxix) Purchases made pursuant to qualified cooperative purchasing agreements. Purchases made by certified purchasing offices of state agencies or governing authorities under cooperative purchasing agreements previously approved by the Office of Purchasing and Travel and established by or for any municipality, county, parish or state government or the federal government, provided that the notification to potential contractors includes a clause that sets forth the availability of the cooperative purchasing agreement to other governmental entities. Such purchases shall only be made if the use of the cooperative purchasing agreements is determined to be in the best interest of the governmental entity.

(xxx) School yearbooks. Purchases of school yearbooks by state agencies or governing authorities; provided, however, that state agencies and governing authorities shall use for these purchases the RFP process as set forth in the Mississippi Procurement Manual adopted by the Office of Purchasing and Travel.

(xxxi) Design-build method and dual-phase design-build method of contracting. Contracts entered into under the provisions of Section 31-7-13.1, 37-101-44 or 65-1-85.

(xxxii) Toll roads and bridge construction projects. Contracts entered into under the provisions of Section 65-43-1 or 65-43-3.

(xxxiii) Certain purchases under Section 57-1-221. Contracts entered into pursuant to the provisions of Section 57-1-221.

(xxxiv) Certain transfers made pursuant to the provisions of Section 57-105-1(7). Transfers of public property or facilities under Section 57-105-1(7) and construction related to such public property or facilities.

(xxxv) Certain purchases or transfers entered into with local electrical power associations. Contracts or agreements entered into under the provisions of Section 55-3-33.

(xxxvi) Certain purchases by an academic medical center or health sciences school. Purchases by an academic medical center or health sciences school, as defined in Section 37-115-50, of commodities that are used for clinical purposes and 1. intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions or in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease, and 2. medical devices, biological, drugs and radiation-emitting devices as defined by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

(xxxvii) Certain purchases made under the Alyce G. Clarke Mississippi Lottery Law. Contracts made by the Mississippi Lottery Corporation pursuant to the Alyce G. Clarke Mississippi Lottery Law.

(xxxviii) Public-private partnership agreements. Contracts or agreements entered into under the provisions of Sections 31-33-1 through 31-33-25.

(n) Term contract authorization. All contracts for the purchase of:

(i) All contracts for the purchase of commodities, equipment and public construction (including, but not limited to, repair and maintenance), may be let for periods of not more than sixty (60) months in advance, subject to applicable statutory provisions prohibiting the letting of contracts during specified periods near the end of terms of office. Term contracts for a period exceeding twenty-four (24) months shall also be subject to ratification or cancellation by governing authority boards taking office subsequent to the governing authority board entering the contract.

(ii) Bid proposals and contracts may include price adjustment clauses with relation to the cost to the contractor based upon a nationally published industry-wide or nationally published and recognized cost index. The cost index used in a price adjustment clause shall be determined by the Department of Finance and Administration for the state agencies and by the governing board for governing authorities. The bid proposal and contract documents utilizing a price adjustment clause shall contain the basis and method of adjusting unit prices for the change in the cost of such commodities, equipment and public construction.

(o) Purchase law violation prohibition and vendor penalty. No contract or purchase as herein authorized shall be made for the purpose of circumventing the provisions of this section requiring competitive bids, nor shall it be lawful for any person or concern to submit individual invoices for amounts within those authorized for a contract or purchase where the actual value of the contract or commodity purchased exceeds the authorized amount and the invoices therefor are split so as to appear to be authorized as purchases for which competitive bids are not required. Submission of such invoices shall constitute a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) nor more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by imprisonment for thirty (30) days in the county jail, or both such fine and imprisonment. In addition, the claim or claims submitted shall be forfeited.

(p) Electrical utility petroleum-based equipment purchase procedure. When in response to a proper advertisement therefor, no bid firm as to price is submitted to an electric utility for power transformers, distribution transformers, power breakers, reclosers or other articles containing a petroleum product, the electric utility may accept the lowest and best bid therefor although the price is not firm.

(q) Fuel management system bidding procedure. Any governing authority or agency of the state shall, before contracting for the services and products of a fuel management or fuel access system, enter into negotiations with not fewer than two (2) sellers of fuel management or fuel access systems for competitive written bids to provide the services and products for the systems. In the event that the governing authority or agency cannot locate two (2) sellers of such systems or cannot obtain bids from two (2) sellers of such systems, it shall show proof that it made a diligent, good-faith effort to locate and negotiate with two (2) sellers of such systems. Such proof shall include, but not be limited to, publications of a request for proposals and letters soliciting negotiations and bids. For purposes of this paragraph (q), a fuel management or fuel access system is an automated system of acquiring fuel for vehicles as well as management reports detailing fuel use by vehicles and drivers, and the term "competitive written bid" shall have the meaning as defined in paragraph (b) of this section. Governing authorities and agencies shall be exempt from this process when contracting for the services and products of fuel management or fuel access systems under the terms of a state contract established by the Office of Purchasing and Travel.

(r) Solid waste contract proposal procedure. Before entering into any contract for garbage collection or disposal, contract for solid waste collection or disposal or contract for sewage collection or disposal, which involves an expenditure of more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), a governing authority or agency shall issue publicly a request for proposals concerning the specifications for such services which shall be advertised for in the same manner as provided in this section for seeking bids for purchases which involve an expenditure of more than the amount provided in paragraph (c) of this section. Any request for proposals when issued shall contain terms and conditions relating to price, financial responsibility, technology, legal responsibilities and other relevant factors as are determined by the governing authority or agency to be appropriate for inclusion; all factors determined relevant by the governing authority or agency or required by this paragraph (r) shall be duly included in the advertisement to elicit proposals. After responses to the request for proposals have been duly received, the governing authority or agency shall select the most qualified proposal or proposals on the basis of price, technology and other relevant factors and from such proposals, but not limited to the terms thereof, negotiate and enter into contracts with one or more of the persons or firms submitting proposals. If the governing authority or agency deems none of the proposals to be qualified or otherwise acceptable, the request for proposals process may be reinitiated. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this paragraph, where a county with at least thirty-five thousand (35,000) nor more than forty thousand (40,000) population, according to the 1990 federal decennial census, owns or operates a solid waste landfill, the governing authorities of any other county or municipality may contract with the governing authorities of the county owning or operating the landfill, pursuant to a resolution duly adopted and spread upon the minutes of each governing authority involved, for garbage or solid waste collection or disposal services through contract negotiations.

(s) Minority set-aside authorization. Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, any agency or governing authority, by order placed on its minutes, may, in its discretion, set aside not more than twenty percent (20%) of its anticipated annual expenditures for the purchase of commodities from minority businesses; however, all such set-aside purchases shall comply with all purchasing regulations promulgated by the Department of Finance and Administration and shall be subject to bid requirements under this section. Set-aside purchases for which competitive bids are required shall be made from the lowest and best minority business bidder. For the purposes of this paragraph, the term "minority business" means a business which is owned by a majority of persons who are United States citizens or permanent resident aliens (as defined by the Immigration and Naturalization Service) of the United States, and who are Asian, Black, Hispanic or Native American, according to the following definitions:

(i) "Asian" means persons having origins in any of the original people of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands.

(ii) "Black" means persons having origins in any black racial group of Africa.

(iii) "Hispanic" means persons of Spanish or Portuguese culture with origins in Mexico, South or Central America, or the Caribbean Islands, regardless of race.

(iv) "Native American" means persons having origins in any of the original people of North America, including American Indians, Eskimos and Aleuts.

(t) Construction punch list restriction. The architect, engineer or other representative designated by the agency or governing authority that is contracting for public construction or renovation may prepare and submit to the contractor only one (1) preliminary punch list of items that do not meet the contract requirements at the time of substantial completion and one (1) final list immediately before final completion and final payment.

(u) Procurement of construction services by state institutions of higher learning. Contracts for privately financed construction of auxiliary facilities on the campus of a state institution of higher learning may be awarded by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning to the lowest and best bidder, where sealed bids are solicited, or to the offeror whose proposal is determined to represent the best value to the citizens of the State of Mississippi, where requests for proposals are solicited.

(v) Insurability of bidders for public construction or other public contracts. In any solicitation for bids to perform public construction or other public contracts to which this section applies including, but not limited to, contracts for repair and maintenance, for which the contract will require insurance coverage in an amount of not less than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00), bidders shall be permitted to either submit proof of current insurance coverage in the specified amount or demonstrate ability to obtain the required coverage amount of insurance if the contract is awarded to the bidder. Proof of insurance coverage shall be submitted within five (5) business days from bid acceptance.

(w) Purchase authorization clarification. Nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing any purchase not authorized by law.

SECTION 16. Section 31-7-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-1. The following terms are defined for the purposes of this chapter to have the following meanings:

(a) "Agency" means any state board, commission, committee, council, university, department or unit thereof created by the Constitution or statutes if such board, commission, committee, council, university, department, unit or the head thereof is authorized to appoint subordinate staff by the Constitution or statute, except a legislative or judicial board, commission, committee, council, department or unit thereof; except a charter school authorized by the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board; and except the Mississippi State Port Authority. An academic medical center or health sciences school as defined in Section 37-115-50 is not an "agency" for those purchases of commodities as defined in this section that are used for clinical purposes and (i) intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions or in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease, and (ii) medical devices, biological, drugs and radiation emitting devices as defined by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

(b) "Governing authority" means boards of supervisors, governing boards of all school districts, all boards of directors of public water supply districts, boards of directors of master public water supply districts, municipal public utility commissions, governing authorities of all municipalities, port authorities, Mississippi State Port Authority, commissioners and boards of trustees of any public hospitals, boards of trustees of public library systems, district attorneys, school attendance officers and any political subdivision of the state supported wholly or in part by public funds of the state or political subdivisions thereof, including commissions, boards and agencies created or operated under the authority of any county or municipality of this state. The term "governing authority" shall not include economic development authorities supported in part by private funds, or commissions appointed to hold title to and oversee the development and management of lands and buildings which are donated by private individuals to the public for the use and benefit of the community and which are supported in part by private funds. The term "governing authority" also shall not include the governing board of a charter school.

(c) "Purchasing agent" means any administrator, superintendent, purchase clerk or other chief officer so designated having general or special authority to negotiate for and make private contract for or purchase for any governing authority or agency, including issue purchase orders, invitations for bid, requests for proposals, and receive and accept bids.

(d) "Public funds" means and includes any appropriated funds, special funds, fees or any other emoluments received by an agency or governing authority.

(e) "Commodities" means and includes the various commodities, goods, merchandise, furniture, equipment, automotive equipment of every kind, and other personal property purchased by the agencies of the state and governing authorities, but not commodities purchased for resale or raw materials converted into products for resale.

(i) "Equipment" shall be construed to include: automobiles, trucks, tractors, office appliances and all other equipment of every kind and description.

(ii) "Furniture" shall be construed to include: desks, chairs, tables, seats, filing cabinets, bookcases and all other items of a similar nature as well as dormitory furniture, appliances, carpets and all other items of personal property generally referred to as home, office or school furniture.

(f) "Emergency" means any circumstances caused by fire, flood, explosion, storm, earthquake, epidemic, riot, insurrection or caused by any inherent defect due to defective construction, or when the immediate preservation of order or of public health is necessary by reason of unforeseen emergency, or when the immediate restoration of a condition of usefulness of any public building, equipment, road or bridge appears advisable, or in the case of a public utility when there is a failure of any machine or other thing used and useful in the generation, production or distribution of electricity, water or natural gas, or in the transportation or treatment of sewage; or when the delay incident to obtaining competitive bids could cause adverse impact upon the governing authorities or agency, its employees or its citizens; or in the case of a public airport, when the delay incident to publishing an advertisement for competitive bids would endanger public safety in a specific (not general) manner, result in or perpetuate a specific breach of airport security, or prevent the airport from providing specific air transportation services.

(g) "Construction" means the process of building, altering, improving, renovating or demolishing a public structure, public building, or other public real property. It does not include routine operation, routine repair or regularly scheduled maintenance of existing public structures, public buildings or other public real property.

(h) "Purchase" means buying, renting, leasing or otherwise acquiring.

(i) "Certified purchasing office" means any purchasing office in which fifty percent (50%) or more of the purchasing agents hold a certification from the Universal Public Purchasing Certification Council or other nationally recognized purchasing certification, and in which, in the case of a state agency purchasing office, in addition to the national certification, one hundred percent (100%) of the purchasing officials hold a certification from the State of Mississippi's Basic or Advanced Purchasing Certification Program.

(j) "Certified Mississippi Purchasing Agent" means a state agency purchasing official who holds a certification from the Mississippi Basic Purchasing Certification Program as established by the Office of Purchasing, Travel and Fleet Management.

(k) "Certified Mississippi Procurement Manager" means a state agency purchasing official who holds a certification from the Mississippi Advanced Purchasing Certification Program as established by the Office of Purchasing, Travel and Fleet Management.

SECTION 17. Section 65-1-85, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

65-1-85. (1) All contracts by or on behalf of the commission for the purchase of materials, equipment and supplies shall be made in compliance with Section 31-7-1 et seq. All contracts by or on behalf of the commission for construction, reconstruction or other public work authorized to be done under the provisions of this chapter, except maintenance, shall be made by the executive director, subject to the approval of the commission, only upon competitive bids after due advertisement as follows, to wit:

(a) Advertisement for bids shall be in accordance with such rules and regulations, in addition to those herein provided, as may be adopted therefor by the commission, and the commission is authorized and empowered to make and promulgate such rules and regulations as it may deem proper, to provide and adopt standard specifications for road and bridge construction, and to amend such rules and regulations from time to time.

(b) The advertisement shall be inserted twice, being once a week for two (2) successive weeks in a newspaper published at the seat of government in Jackson, Mississippi, having a general circulation throughout the state, and no letting shall be less than fourteen (14) days nor more than sixty (60) days after the publication of the first notice of such letting, and notices of such letting may be placed in a metropolitan paper or national trade publication.

(c) Before advertising for such work, the executive director shall cause to be prepared and filed in the department detailed plans and specifications covering the work proposed to be done and copies of the plans and specifications shall be subject to inspection by any citizen during all office hours and made available to all prospective bidders upon such reasonable terms and conditions as may be required by the commission. A fee shall be charged equal to the cost of producing a copy of any such plans and specifications.

(d) All such contracts shall be let to a responsible bidder with the lowest and best bid, and a record of all bids received for construction and reconstruction shall be preserved.

(e) Each bid for such a construction and reconstruction contract must be accompanied by a cashier's check, a certified check or bidders bond executed by a surety company authorized to do business in the State of Mississippi, in the principal amount of not less than five percent (5%) of the bid, guaranteeing that the bidder will give bond and enter into a contract for the faithful performance of the contract according to plans and specifications on file.

(f) Bonds shall be required of the successful bidder in an amount equal to the contract price. The contract price shall mean the entire cost of the particular contract let. In the event change orders are made after the execution of a contract which results in increasing the total contract price, additional bond in the amount of the increased cost may be required. The surety or sureties on such bonds shall be a surety company or surety companies authorized to do business in the State of Mississippi, all bonds to be payable to the State of Mississippi and to be conditioned for the prompt, faithful and efficient performance of the contract according to plans and specifications, and for the prompt payment of all persons furnishing labor, material, equipment and supplies therefor. Such bonds shall be subject to the additional obligation that the principal and surety or sureties executing the same shall be liable to the state in a civil action instituted by the state at the instance of the commission or any officer of the state authorized in such cases, for double any amount in money or property the state may lose or be overcharged or otherwise defrauded of by reason of any wrongful or criminal act, if any, of the contractor, his agent or employees.

(2) With respect to equipment used in the construction, reconstruction or other public work authorized to be done under the provisions of this chapter: the word "equipment," in addition to all equipment incorporated into or fully consumed in connection with such project, shall include the reasonable value of the use of all equipment of every kind and character and all accessories and attachments thereto which are reasonably necessary to be used and which are used in carrying out the performance of the contract, and the reasonable value of the use thereof, during the period of time the same are used in carrying out the performance of the contract, shall be the amount as agreed upon by the persons furnishing the equipment and those using the same to be paid therefor, which amount, however, shall not be in excess of the maximum current rates and charges allowable for leasing or renting as specified in Section 65-7-95; the word "labor" shall include all work performed in repairing equipment used in carrying out the performance of the contract, which repair labor is reasonably necessary to the efficient operation of said equipment; and the words "materials" and "supplies" shall include all repair parts installed in or on equipment used in carrying out the performance of the contract, which repair parts are reasonably necessary to the efficient operation of said equipment.

(3) The executive director, subject to the approval of the commission, shall have the right to reject any and all bids, whether such right is reserved in the notice or not.

(4) The commission may require the prequalification of any and all bidders and the failure to comply with prequalification requirements may be the basis for the rejection of any bid by the commission. The commission may require the prequalification of any and all subcontractors before they are approved to participate in any contract awarded under this section.

(5) The commission may adopt rules and regulations for the termination of any previously awarded contract which is not timely proceeding toward completion. The failure of a contractor to comply with such rules and regulations shall be a lawful basis for the commission to terminate the contract with such contractor. In the event of a termination under such rules and regulations, the contractor shall not be entitled to any payment, benefit or damages beyond the cost of the work actually completed.

(6) Any contract for construction or paving of any highway may be entered into for any cost which does not exceed the amount of funds that may be made available therefor through bond issues or from other sources of revenue, and the letting of contracts for such construction or paving shall not necessarily be delayed until the funds are actually on hand, provided authorization for the issuance of necessary bonds has been granted by law to supplement other anticipated revenue, or when the department certifies to the Department of Finance and Administration and the Legislative Budget Office that projected receipts of funds by the department will be sufficient to pay such contracts as they become due and the Department of Finance and Administration determines that the projections are reasonable and receipts will be sufficient to pay the contracts as they become due. The Department of Finance and Administration shall spread such determination on its minutes prior to the letting of any contracts based on projected receipts. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the issuance of bonds, which have been authorized, at any time in the discretion of the State Bond Commission, nor to prevent investment of surplus funds in United States government bonds or State of Mississippi bonds as presently authorized by Section 12, Chapter 312, Laws of 1956.

(7) All other contracts for work to be done under the provisions of this chapter and for the purchase of materials, equipment and supplies to be used as provided for in this chapter shall be made in compliance with Section 31-7-1 et seq.

(8) The commission shall not empower or authorize the executive director, or any one or more of its members, or any engineer or other person to let or make contracts for the construction or repair of public roads, or building bridges, or for the purchase of material, equipment or supplies contrary to the provisions of this chapter as set forth in this section, except in cases of flood or other cases of emergency where the public interest requires that the work be done or the materials, equipment or supplies be purchased without the delay incident to advertising for competitive bids. Such emergency contracts may be made without advertisement under such rules and regulations as the commission may prescribe.

(9) The executive director, subject to the approval of the commission, is authorized to negotiate and make agreements with communities and/or civic organizations for landscaping, beautification and maintenance of highway rights-of-way; however, nothing in this subsection shall be construed as authorization for the executive director or commission to participate in such a project to an extent greater than the average cost for maintenance of shoulders, backslopes and median areas with respect thereto.

(10) The executive director may negotiate and enter into contracts with private parties for the mowing of grass and trimming of vegetation on the rights-of-way of state highways whenever such practice is possible and cost effective.

(11) (a) As an alternative to the method of awarding contracts as otherwise provided in this section, the commission may use the design-build method of contracting for the following:

(i) Projects for the Mississippi Development Authority pursuant to agreements between both governmental entities;

(ii) Any project with an estimated cost of not more than Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000.00), not to exceed two (2) projects per fiscal year; and

(iii) Any project which has an estimated cost of more than Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000.00), not to exceed one (1) project per fiscal year.

(b) As used in this subsection, the term "design-build" method of contracting means a contract that combines the design and construction phases of a project into a single contract and the contractor is required to satisfactorily perform, at a minimum, both the design and construction of the project.

(c) The commission shall establish detailed criteria for the selection of the successful design-build contractor in each request for design-build proposals. The evaluation of the selection committee is a public record and shall be maintained for a minimum of ten (10) years after project completion.

(d) The commission shall maintain detailed records on projects separate and apart from its regular record keeping. The commission shall file a report to the Legislature evaluating the design-build method of contracting by comparing it to the low-bid method of contracting. At a minimum, the report must include:

(i) The management goals and objectives for the design-build system of management;

(ii) A complete description of the components of the design-build management system, including a description of the system the department put into place on all projects managed under the system to insure that it has the complete information on highway segment costs and to insure proper analysis of any proposal the commission receives from a highway contractor;

(iii) The accountability systems the Transportation Department established to monitor any design-build project's compliance with specific goals and objectives for the project;

(iv) The outcome of any project or any interim report on an ongoing project let under a design-build management system showing compliance with the goals, objectives, policies and procedures the department set for the project; and

(v) The method used by the department to select projects to be let under the design-build system of management and all other systems, policies and procedures that the department considered as necessary components to a design-build management system.

(e) All contracts let under the provisions of this subsection shall be subject to oversight and review by the State Auditor. The State Auditor shall file a report with the Legislature on or before January 1 of each year detailing his findings with regard to any contract let or project performed in violation of the provisions of this subsection. The actual and necessary expenses incurred by the State Auditor in complying with this paragraph (e) shall be paid for and reimbursed by the Mississippi Department of Transportation out of funds made available for the contract or contracts let and project or projects performed.

(12) The provisions of this section shall not be construed to prohibit the commission from awarding or entering into contracts for the design, construction and financing of toll roads, highways and bridge projects as provided under Sections 65-43-1 and 65-43-3.

(13) The provisions of this section shall not be construed to prohibit the commission from awarding or entering into contracts under the provisions of Sections 31-33-1 through 31-33-25.

SECTION 18. Section 27-31-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

27-31-1. The following shall be exempt from taxation:

(a) All cemeteries used exclusively for burial purposes.

(b) All property, real or personal, belonging to the State of Mississippi or any of its political subdivisions, except property of a municipality not being used for a proper municipal purpose and located outside the county or counties in which such municipality is located. A proper municipal purpose within the meaning of this section shall be any authorized governmental or corporate function of a municipality.

(c) All property, real or personal, owned by units of the Mississippi National Guard, or title to which is vested in trustees for the benefit of any unit of the Mississippi National Guard; provided such property is used exclusively for such unit, or for public purposes, and not-for-profit.

(d) All property, real or personal, belonging to any religious society, or ecclesiastical body, or any congregation thereof, or to any charitable society, or to any historical or patriotic association or society, or to any garden or pilgrimage club or association and used exclusively for such society or association and not for profit; not exceeding, however, the amount of land which such association or society may own as provided in Section 79-11-33. All property, real or personal, belonging to any rural waterworks system or rural sewage disposal system incorporated under the provisions of Section 79-11-1. All property, real or personal, belonging to any college or institution for the education of youths, used directly and exclusively for such purposes, provided that no such college or institution for the education of youths shall have exempt from taxation more than six hundred forty (640) acres of land; provided, however, this exemption shall not apply to commercial schools and colleges or trade institutions or schools where the profits of same inure to individuals, associations or corporations. All property, real or personal, belonging to an individual, institution or corporation and used for the operation of a grammar school, junior high school, high school or military school. All property, real or personal, owned and occupied by a fraternal and benevolent organization, when used by such organization, and from which no rentals or other profits accrue to the organization, but any part rented or from which revenue is received shall be taxed.

(e) All property, real or personal, held and occupied by trustees of public schools, and school lands of the respective townships for the use of public schools, and all property kept in storage for the convenience and benefit of the State of Mississippi in warehouses owned or leased by the State of Mississippi, wherein said property is to be sold by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division of the Department of Revenue of the State of Mississippi.

(f) All property, real or personal, whether belonging to religious or charitable or benevolent organizations, which is used for hospital purposes, and nurses' homes where a part thereof, and which maintain one or more charity wards that are for charity patients, and where all the income from said hospitals and nurses' homes is used entirely for the purposes thereof and no part of the same for profit.

(g) The wearing apparel of every person; and also jewelry and watches kept by the owner for personal use to the extent of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) in value for each owner.

(h) Provisions on hand for family consumption.

(i) All farm products grown in this state for a period of two (2) years after they are harvested, when in the possession of or the title to which is in the producer, except the tax of one-fifth of one percent (1/5 of 1%) per pound on lint cotton now levied by the Board of Commissioners of the Mississippi Levee District; and lint cotton for five (5) years, and cottonseed, soybeans, oats, rice and wheat for one (1) year regardless of ownership.

(j) All guns and pistols kept by the owner for private use.

(k) All poultry in the hands of the producer.

(l) Household furniture, including all articles kept in the home by the owner for his own personal or family use; but this shall not apply to hotels, rooming houses or rented or leased apartments.

(m) All cattle and oxen.

(n) All sheep, goats and hogs.

(o) All horses, mules and asses.

(p) Farming tools, implements and machinery, when used exclusively in the cultivation or harvesting of crops or timber.

(q) All property of agricultural and mechanical associations and fairs used for promoting their objects, and where no part of the proceeds is used for profit.

(r) The libraries of all persons.

(s) All pictures and works of art, not kept for or offered for sale as merchandise.

(t) The tools of any mechanic necessary for carrying on his trade.

(u) All state, county, municipal, levee, drainage and all school bonds or other governmental obligations, and all bonds and/or evidences of debts issued by any church or church organization in this state, and all notes and evidences of indebtedness which bear a rate of interest not greater than the maximum rate per annum applicable under the law; and all money loaned at a rate of interest not exceeding the maximum rate per annum applicable under the law; and all stock in or bonds of foreign corporations or associations shall be exempt from all ad valorem taxes.

(v) All lands and other property situated or located between the Mississippi River and the levee shall be exempt from the payment of any and all road taxes levied or assessed under any road laws of this state.

(w) Any and all money on deposit in either national banks, state banks or trust companies, on open account, savings account or time deposit.

(x) All wagons, carts, drays, carriages and other horse-drawn vehicles, kept for the use of the owner.

(y) (i) Boats, seines and fishing equipment used in fishing and shrimping operations and in the taking or catching of oysters.

(ii) All towboats, tugboats and barges documented under the laws of the United States, except watercraft of every kind and character used in connection with gaming operations.

(z) (i) All materials used in the construction and/or conversion of vessels in this state;

(ii) Vessels while under construction and/or conversion;

(iii) Vessels while in the possession of the manufacturer, builder or converter, for a period of twelve (12) months after completion of construction and/or conversion; however, the twelve-month limitation shall not apply to:

1. Vessels used for the exploration for, or production of, oil, gas and other minerals offshore outside the boundaries of this state; or

2. Vessels that were used for the exploration for, or production of, oil, gas and other minerals that are converted to a new service for use outside the boundaries of this state;

(iv) 1. In order for a vessel described in subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph (z) to be exempt for a period of more than twelve (12) months, the vessel must:

a. Be operating or operable, generating or capable of generating its own power or connected to some other power source, and not removed from the service or use for which manufactured or to which converted; and

b. The manufacturer, builder, converter or other entity possessing the vessel must be in compliance with any lease or other agreement with any applicable port authority or other entity regarding the vessel and in compliance with all applicable tax laws of this state and applicable federal tax laws.

2. A vessel exempt from taxation under subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph (z) may not be exempt for a period of more than three (3) years unless the board of supervisors of the county and/or governing authorities of the municipality, as the case may be, in which the vessel would otherwise be taxable adopts a resolution or ordinance authorizing the extension of the exemption and setting a maximum period for the exemption.

(v) As used in this paragraph (z), the term "vessel" includes ships, offshore drilling equipment, dry docks, boats and barges, except watercraft of every kind and character used in connection with gaming operations.

(aa) Sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66-2/3%) of nuclear fuel and reprocessed, recycled or residual nuclear fuel by-products, fissionable or otherwise, used or to be used in generation of electricity by persons defined as public utilities in Section 77-3-3.

(bb) All growing nursery stock.

(cc) A semitrailer used in interstate commerce.

(dd) All property, real or personal, used exclusively for the housing of and provision of services to elderly persons, disabled persons, mentally impaired persons or as a nursing home, which is owned, operated and managed by a not-for-profit corporation, qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, whose membership or governing body is appointed or confirmed by a religious society or ecclesiastical body or any congregation thereof.

(ee) All vessels while in the hands of bona fide dealers as merchandise and which are not being operated upon the waters of this state shall be exempt from ad valorem taxes. As used in this paragraph, the terms "vessel" and "waters of this state" shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in Section 59-21-3.

(ff) All property, real or personal, owned by a nonprofit organization that: (i) is qualified as tax exempt under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; (ii) assists in the implementation of the national contingency plan or area contingency plan, and which is created in response to the requirements of Title IV, Subtitle B of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, Public Law 101-380; (iii) engages primarily in programs to contain, clean up and otherwise mitigate spills of oil or other substances occurring in the United States coastal or tidal waters; and (iv) is used for the purposes of the organization.

(gg) If a municipality changes its boundaries so as to include within the boundaries of such municipality the project site of any project as defined in Section 57-75-5(f)(iv)1, Section 57-75-5(f)(xxi) or Section 57-75-5(f)(xxviii) or Section 57-75-5(f)(xxix), all real and personal property located on the project site within the boundaries of such municipality that is owned by a business enterprise operating such project, shall be exempt from ad valorem taxation for a period of time not to exceed thirty (30) years upon receiving approval for such exemption by the Mississippi Major Economic Impact Authority. The provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to authorize a breach of any agreement entered into pursuant to Section 21-1-59.

(hh) All leases, lease contracts or lease agreements (including, but not limited to, subleases, sublease contracts and sublease agreements), and leaseholds or leasehold interests (including, but not limited to, subleaseholds and subleasehold interests), of or with respect to any and all property (real, personal or mixed) constituting all or any part of a facility for the manufacture, production, generation, transmission and/or distribution of electricity, and any real property related thereto, shall be exempt from ad valorem taxation during the period as the United States is both the title owner of the property and a sublessee of or with respect to the property; however, the exemption authorized by this paragraph (hh) shall not apply to any entity to whom the United States sub-subleases its interest in the property nor to any entity to whom the United States assigns its sublease interest in the property. As used in this paragraph, the term "United States" includes an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America. This paragraph (hh) shall apply to all assessments for ad valorem taxation for the 2003 calendar year and each calendar year thereafter.

(ii) All property, real, personal or mixed, including fixtures and leaseholds, used by Mississippi nonprofit entities qualified, on or before January 1, 2005, under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to provide support and operate technology incubators for research and development startup companies, telecommunication startup companies and/or other technology startup companies, utilizing technology spun-off from research and development activities of the public colleges and universities of this state, State of Mississippi governmental research or development activities resulting therefrom located within the State of Mississippi.

(jj) All property, real, personal or mixed, including fixtures and leaseholds, of startup companies (as described in paragraph (ii) of this section) for the period of time, not to exceed five (5) years, that the startup company remains a tenant of a technology incubator (as described in paragraph (ii) of this section).

(kk) All leases, lease contracts or lease agreements (including, but not limited to, subleases, sublease contracts and sublease agreements), and leaseholds or leasehold interests, of or with respect to any and all property (real, personal or mixed) constituting all or any part of an auxiliary facility, and any real property related thereto, constructed or renovated pursuant to Section 37-101-41, Mississippi Code of 1972.

(ll) Equipment brought into the state temporarily for use during a disaster response period as provided in Sections 27-113-1 through 27-113-9 and subsequently removed from the state on or before the end of the disaster response period as defined in Section 27-113-5.

(mm) For any lease or contractual arrangement to which the Department of Finance and Administration and a nonprofit corporation are a party to as provided in Section 39-25-1(5), the nonprofit corporation shall, along with the possessory and leasehold interests and/or real and personal property of the corporation, be exempt from all ad valorem taxation, including, but not limited to, school, city and county ad valorem taxes, for the term or period of time stated in the lease or contractual arrangement.

SECTION 19. Section 27-13-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

27-13-5. (1) (a) Franchise tax levy. Except as otherwise provided in subsections (3), (4), (5) and (7) of this section, there is hereby imposed, to be paid and collected as hereinafter provided, a franchise or excise tax upon every corporation, association or joint-stock company or partnership treated as a corporation under the income tax laws or regulations, organized or created for pecuniary gain, having privileges not possessed by individuals, and having authorized capital stock now existing in this state, or hereafter organized, created or established, under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Mississippi, equal to:

(i) For tax years beginning before January 1, 2018, Two Dollars and Fifty Cents ($2.50) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

(ii) For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2018, but before January 1, 2019, Two Dollars and Fifty Cents ($2.50) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

(iii) For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2019, but before January 1, 2020, Two Dollars and Twenty-five Cents ($2.25) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

(iv) For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2020, but before January 1, 2021, Two Dollars ($2.00) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

(v) For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2021, but before January 1, 2022, One Dollar and Seventy-five Cents ($1.75) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

(vi) For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2022, but before January 1, 2023, One Dollar and Fifty Cents ($1.50) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

(vii) For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2023, but before January 1, 2024, One Dollar and Twenty-five Cents ($1.25) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

(viii) For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2024, but before January 1, 2025, One Dollar ($1.00) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

(ix) For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, but before January 1, 2026, Seventy-five Cents (75¢) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

(x) For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, but before January 1, 2027, Fifty Cents (50¢) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

(xi) For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2027, but before January 1, 2028, Twenty-five Cents (25¢) for each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or fraction thereof, in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), of the value of the capital used, invested or employed in the exercise of any power, privilege or right enjoyed by such organization within this state, except as hereinafter provided.

(b) In no case shall the franchise tax due for the accounting period be less than Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00).

(c) It is the purpose of this section to require the payment to the State of Mississippi of this tax for the right granted by the laws of this state to exist as such organization, and to enjoy, under the protection of the laws of this state, the powers, rights, privileges and immunities derived from the state by the form of such existence.

(2) Annual report of domestic corporations. Each domestic corporation shall file an annual report as required by the provisions of Section 79-4-16.22.

(3) (a) A corporation that has negotiated a fee-in-lieu as defined in Section 57-75-5 shall not be subject to the tax levied by this section on such project; however, the fee-in-lieu payment shall be otherwise treated in the same manner as the payment of franchise taxes.

(b) (i) As used in this paragraph:

1. "Authority" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 57-75-5(b);

2. "Project" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 57-75-5(f)(xxix); and

3. "Enterprise" shall mean the corporation authorized for the project pursuant to Section 57-75-5(f)(xxix).

(ii) The term of the franchise tax fee-in-lieu agreement negotiated under this subsection and authorized by Section 57-75-5(j), between the authority and the enterprise for the project shall not exceed twenty-five (25) years. The franchise tax fee-in-lieu agreement shall apply only to new franchise tax liability attributable to the project, and shall not apply to any existing franchise tax liability of the enterprise in connection with any current operations in this state.

(iii) In the event that the annual number of full-time jobs maintained by the enterprise falls below the minimum annual number of full-time jobs required by the authority pursuant to a written agreement between the authority and the enterprise for two (2) consecutive years, the franchise tax fee-in-lieu for the project shall be suspended until the first tax year during which the annual number of full-time jobs maintained by the enterprise reaches the minimum annual number of full-time jobs required by the authority pursuant to a written agreement between the authority and the enterprise.

(iv) The enterprise shall be entitled to utilize a single sales apportionment factor in the calculation of its liability for franchise tax imposed by this chapter which is attributable to the project for any year for which it files a Mississippi franchise tax return. The enterprise shall be entitled to continue to utilize such single sales apportionment factor notwithstanding a suspension of the franchise tax fee-in-lieu pursuant to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph.

(4) An approved business enterprise as defined in the Growth and Prosperity Act shall not be subject to the tax levied by this section on the value of capital used, invested or employed by the approved business enterprise in a growth and prosperity county or supervisors district as provided in the Growth and Prosperity Act.

(5) A business enterprise operating a project as defined in Section 57-64-33, in a county that is a member of a regional economic development alliance created under the Regional Economic Development Act shall not be subject to the tax levied by this section on the value of capital used, invested or employed by the business enterprise in such a county as provided in Section 57-64-33.

(6) The tax levied by this chapter and paid by a business enterprise located in a redevelopment project area under Sections 57-91-1 through 57-91-11 shall be deposited into the Redevelopment Project Incentive Fund created in Section 57-91-9.

(7) A business enterprise as defined in Section 57-113-1 that is exempt from certain state taxes under Section 57-113-5 shall not be subject to the tax levied by this section on the value of capital used, invested or employed by the business enterprise.

SECTION 20. Section 27-7-15, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

27-7-15. (1) For the purposes of this article, except as otherwise provided, the term "gross income" means and includes the income of a taxpayer derived from salaries, wages, fees or compensation for service, of whatever kind and in whatever form paid, including income from governmental agencies and subdivisions thereof; or from professions, vocations, trades, businesses, commerce or sales, or renting or dealing in property, or reacquired property; also from annuities, interest, rents, dividends, securities, insurance premiums, reinsurance premiums, considerations for supplemental insurance contracts, or the transaction of any business carried on for gain or profit, or gains, or profits, and income derived from any source whatever and in whatever form paid. The amount of all such items of income shall be included in the gross income for the taxable year in which received by the taxpayer. The amount by which an eligible employee's salary is reduced pursuant to a salary reduction agreement authorized under Section 25-17-5 shall be excluded from the term "gross income" within the meaning of this article.

(2) In determining gross income for the purpose of this section, the following, under regulations prescribed by the commissioner, shall be applicable:

(a) Dealers in property. Federal rules, regulations and revenue procedures shall be followed with respect to installment sales unless a transaction results in the shifting of income from inside the state to outside the state.

(b) Casual sales of property.

(i) Prior to January 1, 2001, federal rules, regulations and revenue procedures shall be followed with respect to installment sales except they shall be applied and administered as if H.R. 3594, the Installment Tax Correction Act of 2000 of the 106th Congress, had not been enacted. This provision will generally affect taxpayers, reporting on the accrual method of accounting, entering into installment note agreements on or after December 17, 1999. Any gain or profit resulting from the casual sale of property will be recognized in the year of sale.

(ii) From and after January 1, 2001, federal rules, regulations and revenue procedures shall be followed with respect to installment sales except as provided in this subparagraph (ii). Gain or profit from the casual sale of property shall be recognized in the year of sale. When a taxpayer recognizes gain on the casual sale of property in which the gain is deferred for federal income tax purposes, a taxpayer may elect to defer the payment of tax resulting from the gain as allowed and to the extent provided under regulations prescribed by the commissioner. If the payment of the tax is made on a deferred basis, the tax shall be computed based on the applicable rate for the income reported in the year the payment is made. Except as otherwise provided in subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph (b), deferring the payment of the tax shall not affect the liability for the tax. If at any time the installment note is sold, contributed, transferred or disposed of in any manner and for any purpose by the original note holder, or the original note holder is merged, liquidated, dissolved or withdrawn from this state, then all deferred tax payments under this section shall immediately become due and payable.

(iii) If the selling price of the property is reduced by any alteration in the terms of an installment note, including default by the purchaser, the gain to be recognized is recomputed based on the adjusted selling price in the same manner as for federal income tax purposes. The tax on this amount, less the previously paid tax on the recognized gain, is payable over the period of the remaining installments. If the tax on the previously recognized gain has been paid in full to this state, the return on which the payment was made may be amended for this purpose only. The statute of limitations in Section 27-7-49 shall not bar an amended return for this purpose.

(c) Reserves of insurance companies. In the case of insurance companies, any amounts in excess of the legally required reserves shall be included as gross income.

(d) Affiliated companies or persons. As regards sales, exchanges or payments for services from one to another of affiliated companies or persons or under other circumstances where the relation between the buyer and seller is such that gross proceeds from the sale or the value of the exchange or the payment for services are not indicative of the true value of the subject matter of the sale, exchange or payment for services, the commissioner shall prescribe uniform and equitable rules for determining the true value of the gross income, gross sales, exchanges or payment for services, or require consolidated returns of affiliates.

(e) Alimony and separate maintenance payments. The federal rules, regulations and revenue procedures in determining the deductibility and taxability of alimony payments shall be followed in this state.

(f) Reimbursement for expenses of moving. There shall be included in gross income (as compensation for services) any amount received or accrued, directly or indirectly, by an individual as a payment for or reimbursement of expenses of moving from one (1) residence to another residence which is attributable to employment or self-employment.

(3) In the case of taxpayers other than residents, gross income includes gross income from sources within this state.

(4) The words "gross income" do not include the following items of income which shall be exempt from taxation under this article:

(a) The proceeds of life insurance policies and contracts paid upon the death of the insured. However, the income from the proceeds of such policies or contracts shall be included in the gross income.

(b) The amount received by the insured as a return of premium or premiums paid by him under life insurance policies, endowment, or annuity contracts, either during the term or at maturity or upon surrender of the contract.

(c) The value of property acquired by gift, bequest, devise or descent, but the income from such property shall be included in the gross income.

(d) Interest upon the obligations of the United States or its possessions, or securities issued under the provisions of the Federal Farm Loan Act of 1916, or bonds issued by the War Finance Corporation, or obligations of the State of Mississippi or political subdivisions thereof.

(e) The amounts received through accident or health insurance as compensation for personal injuries or sickness, plus the amount of any damages received for such injuries or such sickness or injuries, or through the War Risk Insurance Act, or any law for the benefit or relief of injured or disabled members of the military or naval forces of the United States.

(f) Income received by any religious denomination or by any institution or trust for moral or mental improvements, religious, Bible, tract, charitable, benevolent, fraternal, missionary, hospital, infirmary, educational, scientific, literary, library, patriotic, historical or cemetery purposes or for two (2) or more of such purposes, if such income be used exclusively for carrying out one or more of such purposes.

(g) Income received by a domestic corporation which is "taxable in another state" as this term is defined in this article, derived from business activity conducted outside this state. Domestic corporations taxable both within and without the state shall determine Mississippi income on the same basis as provided for foreign corporations under the provisions of this article.

(h) In case of insurance companies, there shall be excluded from gross income such portion of actual premiums received from an individual policyholder as is paid back or credited to or treated as an abatement of premiums of such policyholder within the taxable year.

(i) Income from dividends that has already borne a tax as dividend income under the provisions of this article, when such dividends may be specifically identified in the possession of the recipient.

(j) Amounts paid by the United States to a person as added compensation for hazardous duty pay as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States in a combat zone designated by Executive Order of the President of the United States.

(k) Amounts received as retirement allowances, pensions, annuities or optional retirement allowances paid under the federal Social Security Act, the Railroad Retirement Act, the Federal Civil Service Retirement Act, or any other retirement system of the United States government, retirement allowances paid under the Mississippi Public Employees' Retirement System, Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol Retirement System or any other retirement system of the State of Mississippi or any political subdivision thereof. The exemption allowed under this paragraph (k) shall be available to the spouse or other beneficiary at the death of the primary retiree.

(l) Amounts received as retirement allowances, pensions, annuities or optional retirement allowances paid by any public or governmental retirement system not designated in paragraph (k) or any private retirement system or plan of which the recipient was a member at any time during the period of his employment. Amounts received as a distribution under a Roth Individual Retirement Account shall be treated in the same manner as provided under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The exemption allowed under this paragraph (l) shall be available to the spouse or other beneficiary at the death of the primary retiree.

(m) National Guard or Reserve Forces of the United States compensation not to exceed the aggregate sum of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) for any taxable year through the 2005 taxable year, and not to exceed the aggregate sum of Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00) for any taxable year thereafter.

(n) Compensation received for active service as a member below the grade of commissioned officer and so much of the compensation as does not exceed the maximum enlisted amount received for active service as a commissioned officer in the Armed Forces of the United States for any month during any part of which such members of the Armed Forces (i) served in a combat zone as designated by Executive Order of the President of the United States or a qualified hazardous duty area as defined by federal law, or both; or (ii) was hospitalized as a result of wounds, disease or injury incurred while serving in such combat zone. For the purposes of this paragraph (n), the term "maximum enlisted amount" means and has the same definition as that term has in 26 USCS 112.

(o) The proceeds received from federal and state forestry incentive programs.

(p) The amount representing the difference between the increase of gross income derived from sales for export outside the United States as compared to the preceding tax year wherein gross income from export sales was highest, and the net increase in expenses attributable to such increased exports. In the absence of direct accounting, the ratio of net profits to total sales may be applied to the increase in export sales. This paragraph (p) shall only apply to businesses located in this state engaging in the international export of Mississippi goods and services. Such goods or services shall have at least fifty percent (50%) of value added at a location in Mississippi.

(q) Amounts paid by the federal government for the construction of soil conservation systems as required by a conservation plan adopted pursuant to 16 USCS 3801 et seq.

(r) The amount deposited in a medical savings account, and any interest accrued thereon, that is a part of a medical savings account program as specified in the Medical Savings Account Act under Sections 71-9-1 through 71-9-9; provided, however, that any amount withdrawn from such account for purposes other than paying eligible medical expense or to procure health coverage shall be included in gross income.

(s) Amounts paid by the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission from the Mississippi Soil and Water Cost-Share Program for the installation of water quality best management practices.

(t) Dividends received by a holding corporation, as defined in Section 27-13-1, from a subsidiary corporation, as defined in Section 27-13-1.

(u) Interest, dividends, gains or income of any kind on any account in the Mississippi Affordable College Savings Trust Fund, as established in Sections 37-155-101 through 37-155-125, to the extent that such amounts remain on deposit in the MACS Trust Fund or are withdrawn pursuant to a qualified withdrawal, as defined in Section 37-155-105.

(v) Interest, dividends or gains accruing on the payments made pursuant to a prepaid tuition contract, as provided for in Section 37-155-17.

(w) Income resulting from transactions with a related member where the related member subject to tax under this chapter was required to, and did in fact, add back the expense of such transactions as required by Section 27-7-17(2). Under no circumstances may the exclusion from income exceed the deduction add-back of the related member, nor shall the exclusion apply to any income otherwise excluded under this chapter.

(x) Amounts that are subject to the tax levied pursuant to Section 27-7-901, and are paid to patrons by gaming establishments licensed under the Mississippi Gaming Control Act.

(y) Amounts that are subject to the tax levied pursuant to Section 27-7-903, and are paid to patrons by gaming establishments not licensed under the Mississippi Gaming Control Act.

(z) Interest, dividends, gains or income of any kind on any account in a qualified tuition program and amounts received as distributions under a qualified tuition program shall be treated in the same manner as provided under the United States Internal Revenue Code, as amended. For the purposes of this paragraph (z), the term "qualified tuition program" means and has the same definition as that term has in 26 USCS 529.

(aa) The amount deposited in a health savings account, and any interest accrued thereon, that is a part of a health savings account program as specified in the Health Savings Accounts Act created in Sections 83-62-1 through 83-62-9; however, any amount withdrawn from such account for purposes other than paying qualified medical expenses or to procure health coverage shall be included in gross income, except as otherwise provided by Sections 83-62-7 and 83-62-9.

(bb) Amounts received as qualified disaster relief payments shall be treated in the same manner as provided under the United States Internal Revenue Code, as amended.

(cc) Amounts received as a "qualified Hurricane Katrina distribution" as defined in the United States Internal Revenue Code, as amended.

(dd) Amounts received by an individual which may be excluded from income as foreign earned income for federal income tax purposes.

(ee) Amounts received by a qualified individual, directly or indirectly, from an employer or nonprofit housing organization that are qualified housing expenses associated with an employer-assisted housing program. For purposes of this paragraph (ee):

(i) "Qualified individual" means any individual whose household income does not exceed one hundred twenty percent (120%) of the area median gross income (as defined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development), adjusted for household size, for the area in which the housing is located.

(ii) "Nonprofit housing organization" means an organization that is organized as a not-for-profit organization under the laws of this state or another state and has as one of its purposes:

1. Homeownership education or counseling;

2. The development of affordable housing; or

3. The development or administration of employer-assisted housing programs.

(iii) "Employer-assisted housing program" means a separate written plan of any employer (including, without limitation, tax-exempt organizations and public employers) for the exclusive benefit of the employer's employees to pay qualified housing expenses to assist the employer's employees in securing affordable housing.

(iv) "Qualified housing expenses" means:

1. With respect to rental assistance, an amount not to exceed Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) paid for the purpose of assisting employees with security deposits and rental subsidies; and

2. With respect to homeownership assistance, an amount not to exceed the lesser of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) or six percent (6%) of the purchase price of the employee's principal residence that is paid for the purpose of assisting employees with down payments, payment of closing costs, reduced interest mortgages, mortgage guarantee programs, mortgage forgiveness programs, equity contribution programs, or contributions to homebuyer education and/or homeownership counseling of eligible employees.

(ff) For the 2010 taxable year and any taxable year thereafter, amounts converted in accordance with the United States Internal Revenue Code, as amended, from a traditional Individual Retirement Account to a Roth Individual Retirement Account. The exemption allowed under this paragraph (ff) shall be available to the spouse or other beneficiary at the death of the primary retiree.

(gg) Amounts received for the performance of disaster or emergency-related work as defined in Section 27-113-5.

(hh) The amount deposited in a catastrophe savings account established under Sections 27-7-1001 through 27-7-1007, interest income earned on the catastrophe savings account, and distributions from the catastrophe savings account; however, any amount withdrawn from a catastrophe savings account for purposes other than paying qualified catastrophe expenses shall be included in gross income, except as otherwise provided by Sections 27-7-1001 through 27-7-1007.

(ii) Interest, dividends, gains or income of any kind on any account in the Mississippi Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Trust Fund, as established in Chapter 28, Title 43, to the extent that such amounts remain on deposit in the ABLE Trust Fund or are withdrawn pursuant to a qualified withdrawal, as defined in Section 43-28-11.

(jj) Subject to the limitations provided under Section 27-7-1103, amounts deposited into a first-time homebuyer savings account and any interest or other income earned attributable to an account and monies or funds withdrawn or distributed from an account for the payment of eligible costs by or on behalf of a qualified beneficiary; however, any monies or funds withdrawn or distributed from a first-time homebuyer savings account for any purpose other than the payment of eligible costs by or on behalf of a qualified beneficiary shall be included in gross income. For the purpose of this paragraph (jj), the terms "first-time homebuyer savings account," "eligible costs" and "qualified beneficiary" mean and have the same definitions as such terms have in Section 27-7-1101.

(kk) Amounts paid by an agricultural disaster program as compensation to an agricultural producer, cattle farmer or cattle rancher who has suffered a loss as the result of a disaster or emergency, including, but not limited to, the following United States Department of Agriculture programs:

(i) Livestock Forage Disaster Program;

(ii) Livestock Indemnity Program;

(iii) Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised Fish Program;

(iv) Emergency Conservation Program;

(v) Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program;

(vi) Pasture, Rangeland, Forage Pilot Insurance Program;

(vii) Annual Forage Pilot Program;

(viii) Livestock Risk Protection Insurance Program; and

(ix) Livestock Gross Margin Insurance Plan.

(5) Prisoners of war, missing in action-taxable status.

(a) Members of the Armed Forces. Gross income does not include compensation received for active service as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States for any month during any part of which such member is in a missing status, as defined in paragraph (d) of this subsection, during the Vietnam Conflict as a result of such conflict.

(b) Civilian employees. Gross income does not include compensation received for active service as an employee for any month during any part of which such employee is in a missing status during the Vietnam Conflict as a result of such conflict.

(c) Period of conflict. For the purpose of this subsection, the Vietnam Conflict began February 28, 1961, and ends on the date designated by the President by Executive Order as the date of the termination of combatant activities in Vietnam. For the purpose of this subsection, an individual is in a missing status as a result of the Vietnam Conflict if immediately before such status began he was performing service in Vietnam or was performing service in Southeast Asia in direct support of military operations in Vietnam. "Southeast Asia," as used in this paragraph, is defined to include Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and waters adjacent thereto.

(d) "Missing status" means the status of an employee or member of the Armed Forces who is in active service and is officially carried or determined to be absent in a status of (i) missing; (ii) missing in action; (iii) interned in a foreign country; (iv) captured, beleaguered or besieged by a hostile force; or (v) detained in a foreign country against his will; but does not include the status of an employee or member of the Armed Forces for a period during which he is officially determined to be absent from his post of duty without authority.

(e) "Active service" means active federal service by an employee or member of the Armed Forces of the United States in an active duty status.

(f) "Employee" means one who is a citizen or national of the United States or an alien admitted to the United States for permanent residence and is a resident of the State of Mississippi and is employed in or under a federal executive agency or department of the Armed Forces.

(g) "Compensation" means (i) basic pay; (ii) special pay; (iii) incentive pay; (iv) basic allowance for quarters; (v) basic allowance for subsistence; and (vi) station per diem allowances for not more than ninety (90) days.

(h) If refund or credit of any overpayment of tax for any taxable year resulting from the application of this subsection (5) is prevented by the operation of any law or rule of law, such refund or credit of such overpayment of tax may, nevertheless, be made or allowed if claim therefor is filed with the Department of Revenue within three (3) years after the date of the enactment of this subsection.

(i) The provisions of this subsection shall be effective for taxable years ending on or after February 28, 1961.

(6) A shareholder of an S corporation, as defined in Section 27-8-3(1)(g), shall take into account the income, loss, deduction or credit of the S corporation only to the extent provided in Section 27-8-7(2).

SECTION 21. Section 31-7-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-3. The Department of Finance and Administration shall administer the provisions of this chapter.

The purposes or aims of the Department of Finance and Administration in carrying out said provisions shall be to coordinate and promote efficiency and economy in the purchase of commodities by the agencies of the state.

SECTION 22. Section 31-7-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-5. The Department of Finance and Administration shall prescribe rules and regulations governing the manner in which the authority and duties granted to it by law may be carried out. It shall employ suitable and competent personnel, necessary to carry out its purposes. The Department of Finance and Administration may establish an Office of Purchasing, Travel and Fleet Management and employ a competent person as Director of the Office of Purchasing, Travel and Fleet Management who shall be nonstate service and paid a salary as determined by the Executive Director of the Department of Finance and Administration with the approval of the State Personnel Board.

SECTION 23. Section 31-7-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-7. Through its director and other supervisory personnel and, upon its request, through the agencies of the state, the Office of General Services shall supervise the performance of the following duties imposed upon it by this chapter:

(a) A study of the purchases of commodities by the agencies of the state; the compilation, exchange and coordination of information concerning same; and the distribution of such information to the agencies and governing authorities requesting same.

(b) The planning and coordination of purchases in volume for the agencies in order to take advantage of and secure the economies possible by volume purchasing; the arrangement of agreements between agencies and between governing authorities whereby one may make a purchase or purchases for the other or whereby an agency may make a purchase for a governing authority; the arrangement of agreements whereby purchases of commodities can be made between an agency and another agency or governing authority at a fair price, less depreciated value; the negotiations and execution of purchasing agreements and contracts through and under which the Office of General Services may require state agencies to purchase; and the obtaining or establishment of methods for obtaining of competitive bid prices upon which any agency of the state may purchase at the price approved by the Office of General Services.

(c) The arrangement of provisions in purchase contracts of the state, or any agency, providing that the same price for which a commodity is available to an agency, may also, during the period of time provided therein, be available to any governing authority.

SECTION 24. Section 31-7-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-9. (1) (a) The Office of Purchasing, Travel and Fleet Management shall adopt purchasing regulations governing the purchase by any agency of any commodity or commodities and establishing standards and specifications for a commodity or commodities and the maximum fair prices of a commodity or commodities, subject to the approval of the Public Procurement Review Board. It shall have the power to amend, add to or eliminate purchasing regulations. The adoption of, amendment, addition to or elimination of purchasing regulations shall be based upon a determination by the Office of Purchasing, Travel and Fleet Management with the approval of the Public Procurement Review Board, that such action is reasonable and practicable and advantageous to promote efficiency and economy in the purchase of commodities by the agencies of the state. Upon the adoption of any purchasing regulation, or an amendment, addition or elimination therein, copies of same shall be furnished to the State Auditor and to all agencies affected thereby. Thereafter, and except as otherwise may be provided in subsection (2) of this section, no agency of the state shall purchase any commodities covered by existing purchasing regulations unless such commodities be in conformity with the standards and specifications set forth in the purchasing regulations and unless the price thereof does not exceed the maximum fair price established by such purchasing regulations. The Office of Purchasing, Travel and Fleet Management shall furnish to any county or municipality or other local public agency of the state requesting same, copies of purchasing regulations adopted by the Office of Purchasing, Travel and Fleet Management and any amendments, changes or eliminations of same that may be made from time to time.

(b) The Office of Purchasing, Travel and Fleet Management may adopt purchasing regulations governing the use of credit cards, procurement cards and purchasing club membership cards to be used by state agencies, governing authorities of counties and municipalities, school districts and the Chickasawhay Natural Gas District. Use of the cards shall be in strict compliance with the regulations promulgated by the office. Any amounts due on the cards shall incur interest charges as set forth in Section 31-7-305 and shall not be considered debt.

(c) Pursuant to the provision of Section 37-61-33(3), the Office of Purchasing, Travel and Fleet Management of the Department of Finance and Administration is authorized to issue procurement cards to all public school district classroom teachers and other necessary direct support personnel at the beginning of the school year for the purchase of instructional supplies using Educational Enhancement Funds. The cards will be issued in equal amounts per teacher determined by the total number of qualifying personnel and the then current state appropriation for classroom instructional supplies under the Education Enhancement Fund. All purchases shall be in accordance with state law and teachers are responsible for verification of capital asset requirements when pooling monies to purchase equipment. The cards will expire on a predetermined date at the end of each school year. All unexpended amounts will be carried forward, to be combined with the following year's instructional supply fund allocation, and reallocated for the following year. The Department of Finance and Administration is authorized to loan any start-up funds at the beginning of the school year to fund this procurement system for instructional supplies with loan repayment being made from sales tax receipts earmarked for the Education Enhancement Fund.

(d) In a sale of goods or services, the seller shall not impose a surcharge on a buyer who uses a state-issued credit card, procurement card, travel card, or fuel card. The Department of Finance and Administration shall have exclusive jurisdiction to enforce and adopt rules relating to this paragraph. Any rules adopted under this paragraph shall be consistent with federal laws and regulations governing credit card transactions described by this paragraph. This paragraph does not create a cause of action against an individual for a violation of this paragraph.

(2) The Office of Purchasing, Travel and Fleet Management shall adopt, subject to the approval of the Public Procurement Review Board, purchasing regulations governing the purchase of unmarked vehicles to be used by the Bureau of Narcotics and Department of Public Safety in official investigations pursuant to Section 25-1-87. Such regulations shall ensure that purchases of such vehicles shall be at a fair price and shall take into consideration the peculiar needs of the Bureau of Narcotics and Department of Public Safety in undercover operations.

(3) The Office of Purchasing, Travel and Fleet Management shall adopt, subject to the approval of the Public Procurement Review Board, regulations governing the certification process for certified purchasing offices, including the Mississippi Purchasing Certification Program, which shall be required of all purchasing agents at state agencies. Such regulations shall require entities desiring to be classified as certified purchasing offices to submit applications and applicable documents on an annual basis, and in the case of a state agency purchasing office, to have one hundred percent (100%) participation and completion by purchasing agents in the Mississippi Purchasing Certification Program, at which time the Office of Purchasing, Travel and Fleet Management may provide the governing entity with a certification valid for one (1) year from the date of issuance. The Office of Purchasing, Travel and Fleet Management shall set a fee in an amount that recovers its costs to administer the Mississippi Purchasing Certification Program, which shall be assessed to the participating state agencies.

SECTION 25. Section 31-7-10, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-10. (1) For the purposes of this section, the term "equipment" shall mean equipment, furniture, and if applicable, associated software and other applicable direct costs associated with the acquisition. In addition to its other powers and duties, the Department of Finance and Administration shall have the authority to develop a master lease-purchase program and, pursuant to that program, shall have the authority to execute on behalf of the state master lease-purchase agreements for equipment to be used by an agency, as provided in this section. Each agency electing to acquire equipment by a lease-purchase agreement shall participate in the Department of Finance and Administration's master lease-purchase program, unless the Department of Finance and Administration makes a determination that such equipment cannot be obtained under the program or unless the equipment can be obtained elsewhere at an overall cost lower than that for which the equipment can be obtained under the program. Such lease-purchase agreements may include the refinancing or consolidation, or both, of any state agency lease-purchase agreements entered into after June 30, 1990.

(2) All funds designated by agencies for procurement of equipment and financing thereof under the master lease-purchase program shall be paid into a special fund created in the State Treasury known as the "Master Lease-Purchase Program Fund," which shall be used by the Department of Finance and Administration for payment to the lessors for equipment acquired under master lease-purchase agreements.

(3) Upon final approval of an appropriation bill, each agency shall submit to the Public Procurement Review Board a schedule of proposed equipment acquisitions for the master lease-purchase program. Upon approval of an equipment schedule by the Public Procurement Review Board with the advice of the Department of Information Technology Services, the Office of Purchasing, Travel and Fleet Management, and the Division of Energy and Transportation of the Mississippi Development Authority as it pertains to energy efficient climate control systems, the Public Procurement Review Board shall forward a copy of the equipment schedule to the Department of Finance and Administration.

(4) The level of lease-purchase debt recommended by the Department of Finance and Administration shall be subject to approval by the State Bond Commission. After such approval, the Department of Finance and Administration shall be authorized to advertise and solicit written competitive proposals for a lessor, who will purchase the equipment pursuant to bid awards made by the using agency under a given category and then transfer the equipment to the Department of Finance and Administration as lessee, pursuant to a master lease-purchase agreement.

The Department of Finance and Administration shall select the successful proposer for the financing of equipment under the master lease-purchase program with the approval of the State Bond Commission.

(5) Each master lease-purchase agreement, and any subsequent amendments, shall include such terms and conditions as the State Bond Commission shall determine to be appropriate and in the public interest, and may include any covenants deemed necessary or desirable to protect the interests of the lessor, including, but not limited to, provisions setting forth the interest rate (or method for computing interest rates) for financing pursuant to such agreement, covenants concerning application of payments and funds held in the Master Lease-Purchase Program Fund, covenants to maintain casualty insurance with respect to equipment subject to the master lease-purchase agreement (and all state agencies are specifically authorized to purchase any insurance required by a master lease-purchase agreement) and covenants precluding or limiting the right of the lessee or user to acquire equipment within a specified time (not to exceed five (5) years) after cancellation on the basis of a failure to appropriate funds for payment of amounts due under a lease-purchase agreement covering comparable equipment. The State Bond Commission shall transmit copies of each such master lease-purchase agreement and each such amendment to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. To the extent provided in any master lease-purchase agreement, title to equipment leased pursuant thereto shall be deemed to be vested in the state or the user of the equipment (as specified in such master lease-purchase agreement), subject to default under or termination of such master lease-purchase agreement.

A master lease-purchase agreement may provide for payment by the lessor to the lessee of the purchase price of the equipment to be acquired pursuant thereto prior to the date on which payment is due to the vendor for such equipment and that the lease payments by the lessee shall commence as though the equipment had been provided on the date of payment. If the lessee, or lessee's escrow agent, has sufficient funds for payment of equipment purchases prior to payment due date to vendor of equipment, such funds shall be held or utilized on an as-needed basis for payment of equipment purchases either by the State Treasurer (in which event the master lease-purchase agreement may include provisions concerning the holding of such funds, the creation of a security interest for the benefit of the lessor in such funds until disbursed and other appropriate provisions approved by the Bond Commission) or by a corporate trustee selected by the Department of Finance and Administration (in which event the Department of Finance and Administration shall have the authority to enter into an agreement with such a corporate trustee containing terms and conditions approved by the Bond Commission). Earnings on any amount paid by the lessor prior to the acquisition of the equipment may be used to make lease payments under the master lease-purchase agreement or applied to pay costs and expenses incurred in connection with such lease-purchase agreement. In such event, the equipment-use agreements with the user agency may provide for lease payments to commence upon the date of payment by the lessor and may also provide for a credit against such payments to the extent that investment receipts from investment of the purchase price are to be used to make lease-purchase payments.

(6) The annual rate of interest paid under any lease-purchase agreement authorized under this section shall not exceed the maximum interest rate to maturity on general obligation indebtedness permitted under Section 75-17-101.

(7) The Department of Finance and Administration shall furnish the equipment to the various agencies, also known as the user, pursuant to an equipment-use agreement developed by the Department of Finance and Administration. Such agreements shall require that all monthly payments due from such agency be paid, transferred or allocated into the Master Lease-Purchase Program Fund pursuant to a schedule established by the Department of Finance and Administration. In the event such sums are not paid by the defined payment period, the Executive Director of the Department of Finance and Administration shall issue a requisition for a warrant to draw such amount as may be due from any funds appropriated for the use of the agency which has failed to make the payment as agreed.

(8) All master lease-purchase agreements executed under the authority of this section shall contain the following annual allocation dependency clause or an annual allocation dependency clause which is substantially equivalent thereto: "The continuation of each equipment schedule to this agreement is contingent in whole or in part upon the appropriation of funds by the Legislature to make the lease-purchase payments required under such equipment schedule. If the Legislature fails to appropriate sufficient funds to provide for the continuation of the lease-purchase payments under any such equipment schedule, then the obligations of the lessee and of the agency to make such lease-purchase payments and the corresponding provisions of any such equipment schedule to this agreement shall terminate on the last day of the fiscal year for which appropriations were made."

(9) The maximum lease term for any equipment acquired under the master lease-purchase program shall not exceed the useful life of such equipment as determined according to the upper limit of the asset depreciation range (ADR) guidelines for the Class Life Asset Depreciation Range System established by the Internal Revenue Service pursuant to the United States Internal Revenue Code and Regulations thereunder as in effect on December 31, 1980, or comparable depreciation guidelines with respect to any equipment not covered by ADR guidelines. The Department of Finance and Administration shall be deemed to have met the requirements of this subsection if the term of a master lease-purchase agreement does not exceed the weighted average useful life of all equipment covered by such agreement and the schedules thereto as determined by the Department of Finance and Administration. For purposes of this subsection, the "term of a master lease-purchase agreement" shall be the weighted average maturity of all principal payments to be made under such master lease-purchase agreement and all schedules thereto.

(10) Interest paid on any master lease-purchase agreement under this section shall be exempt from State of Mississippi income taxation. All equipment, and the purchase thereof by any lessor, acquired under the master lease-purchase program and all lease-purchase payments with respect thereto shall be exempt from all Mississippi sales, use and ad valorem taxes.

(11) The Governor, in his annual executive budget to the Legislature, shall recommend appropriations sufficient to provide funds to pay all amounts due and payable during the applicable fiscal year under master lease-purchase agreements entered into pursuant to this section.

(12) Any master lease-purchase agreement reciting in substance that such agreement has been entered into pursuant to this section shall be conclusively deemed to have been entered into in accordance with all of the provisions and conditions set forth in this section. Any defect or irregularity arising with respect to procedures applicable to the acquisition of any equipment shall not invalidate or otherwise limit the obligation of the Department of Finance and Administration, or the state or any agency of the state, under any master lease-purchase agreement or any equipment-use agreement.

(13) There shall be maintained by the Department of Finance and Administration, with respect to each master lease-purchase agreement, an itemized statement of the cash price, interest rates, interest costs, commissions, debt service schedules and all other costs and expenses paid by the state incident to the lease-purchase of equipment under such agreement.

(14) Lease-purchase agreements entered into by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning pursuant to the authority of Section 37-101-413 or by any other agency which has specific statutory authority other than pursuant to Section 31-7-13(e) to acquire equipment by lease-purchase shall not be made pursuant to the master lease-purchase program under this section, unless the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning or such other agency elects to participate as to part or all of its lease-purchase acquisitions in the master lease-purchase program pursuant to this section.

(15) The Department of Finance and Administration may develop a master lease-purchase program for school districts and, pursuant to that program, may execute on behalf of the school districts master lease-purchase agreements for equipment to be used by the school districts. The form and structure of this program shall be substantially the same as set forth in this section for the master lease-purchase program for state agencies. If sums due from a school district under the master lease-purchase program are not paid by the expiration of the defined payment period, the Executive Director of the Department of Finance and Administration may withhold such amount that is due from the school district's minimum education or adequate education program fund allotments.

(16) The Department of Finance and Administration may develop a master lease-purchase program for community and junior college districts and, pursuant to that program, may execute on behalf of the community and junior college districts master lease-purchase agreements for equipment to be used by the community and junior college districts. The form and structure of this program must be substantially the same as set forth in this section for the master lease-purchase program for state agencies. If sums due from a community or junior college district under the master lease-purchase program are not paid by the expiration of the defined payment period, the Executive Director of the Department of Finance and Administration may withhold an amount equal to the amount due under the program from any funds allocated for that community or junior college district in the state appropriations for the use and support of the community and junior colleges.

(17) From and after July 1, 2016, the expenses of this agency shall be defrayed by appropriation from the State General Fund and all user charges and fees authorized under this section shall be deposited into the State General Fund as authorized by law.

(18) From and after July 1, 2016, no state agency shall charge another state agency a fee, assessment, rent or other charge for services or resources received by authority of this section.

SECTION 26. Section 31-7-11, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-11. Each agency of the state shall furnish information relative to its purchase of commodities, and as to its method of purchasing such commodities, to the Department of Finance and Administration annually and at such other times as the Department of Finance and Administration may request.

The Department of Finance and Administration shall have supervision over the purchasing and purchasing practices of each state agency and may by regulation or order correct any practice that appears contrary to the provisions of this chapter or to the best interests of the state. If it shall appear that any agency is not practicing economy in its purchasing or is permitting favoritism or any improper purchasing practice, the Department of Finance and Administration shall require that the agency immediately cease such improper activity, with full and complete authority in the Department of Finance and Administration to carry into effect its directions in such regard.

All purchases, trade-ins, sales or transfer of personal property made by any officer, board, agency, department or branch of the state government except the Legislature shall be subject to the approval of the Department of Finance and Administration. Such transaction shall be made in accordance with rules and regulations of the Department of Finance and Administration relating to the purchase of state-owned motor vehicles and all other personal property. The title of such property shall remain in the name of the state.

SECTION 27. Section 31-7-12, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-12. (1) Except in regard to purchases of unmarked vehicles made in accordance with purchasing regulations adopted by the Department of Finance and Administration pursuant to Section 31-7-9(2), all agencies shall purchase commodities at the state contract price from the approved source, unless approval is granted by the Department of Finance and Administration to solicit purchases outside the terms of the contracts. However, prices accepted by an agency shall be less than the prices set by the state contract. Prices accepted by an agency shall be obtained in compliance with paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of Section 31-7-13. It shall be the responsibility of the Department of Finance and Administration to ascertain that the resulting prices shall provide a cost effective alternative to the established state contract.

(2) Governing authorities may purchase commodities approved by the Department of Finance and Administration from the state contract vendor, or from any source offering the identical commodity, at a price not exceeding the state contract price established by the Department of Finance and Administration for such commodity, without obtaining or advertising for competitive bids. Governing authorities that do not exercise the option to purchase such commodities from the state contract vendor or from another source offering the identical commodity at a price not exceeding the state contract price established by the Department of Finance and Administration shall make such purchases pursuant to the provisions of Section 31-7-13 without regard to state contract prices established by the Department of Finance and Administration, unless such purchases are authorized to be made under subsection (5) of this section.

(3) Nothing in this section shall prohibit governing authorities from purchasing, pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, commodities approved by the Department of Finance and Administration at a price not exceeding the state contract price established by the Department of Finance and Administration.

(4) The Department of Finance and Administration shall ensure that the prices of all commodities on the state contract are the lowest and best prices available from any source offering that commodity at the same level of quality or service, utilizing the reasonable standards established therefor by the Department of Finance and Administration. If the Department of Finance and Administration does not list an approved price for the particular item involved, purchase shall be made according to statutory bidding and licensing requirements. To encourage prudent purchasing practices, the Department of Finance and Administration shall be authorized and empowered to exempt certain commodities from the requirement that the lowest and best price be approved by order placed on its minutes.

(5) Any school district may purchase commodities from vendors with which any levying authority of the school district, as defined in Section 37-57-1, has contracted through competitive bidding procedures pursuant to Section 31-7-13 for purchases of the same commodities. Purchases authorized by this subsection may be made by a school district without obtaining or advertising for competitive bids, and such purchases shall be made at the same prices and under the same conditions as purchases of the same commodities are to be made by the levying authority of the school district under the contract with the vendor.

SECTION 28. Section 31-7-13.1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-13.1. (1) The method of contracting for construction described in this section shall be known as the "dual-phase design-build method" of construction contracting. This method of construction contracting may be used only when the Legislature has specifically required or authorized the use of this method in the legislation authorizing a project. At a minimum, the determination must include a detailed explanation of why using the dual-phase design-build method for a particular project satisfies the public need better than the traditional design-bid-build method based on the following criteria:

(a) The project provides a savings in time or cost over traditional methods; and

(b) The size and type of the project is suitable for design-build.

(2) For each proposed dual-phase design-build project, a two-phase procedure for awarding a contract must be adopted. During Phase One, and before solicitation of initial proposals, the agency or governing authority shall develop, with the assistance of an architectural or engineering firm, a scope of work statement that provides prospective offerors with sufficient information regarding the requirements of the agency or governing authority. The scope of work statement must include, but is not limited to, the following information:

(a) Drawings must show overall building dimensions and major lines of dimensions, and site plans that show topography, adjacent buildings and utilities;

(b) Drawings must include information to adequately explain HVAC, electrical and structural requirements;

(d) The scope of work statement must include general budget parameters, schedule or delivery requirements, relevant criteria for evaluation of proposals, and any other information necessary to enable the design-builders to submit proposals that meet the needs of the agency or governing authority.

(3) The agency or governing authority shall cause to be published once a week, for at least two (2) consecutive weeks in a regular newspaper published in the county in which the project is to be located, or a newspaper with statewide circulation, a notice inviting proposals for the dual-phase design-build construction project. The proposals shall not be opened in less than fifteen (15) working days after the last notice is published. The notice must inform potential offerors of how to obtain the scope of work statement developed for the project, and the notice must contain such other information to describe adequately the general nature and scope of the project so as to promote full, equal and open competition.

(4) The agency or governing authority shall accept initial proposals only from entities able to provide an experienced and qualified design-build team that includes, at a minimum, an architectural or engineering firm registered in Mississippi and a contractor properly licensed and domiciled in Mississippi for the type of work required. From evaluation of initial proposals under Phase One, the agency or governing authority shall select a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of five (5) design-builders as "short-listed firms" to submit proposals for Phase Two.

(5) During Phase Two, the short-listed firms will be invited to submit detailed designs, specific technical concepts or solutions, pricing, scheduling and other information deemed appropriate by the agency or governing authority as necessary to evaluate and rank acceptability of the Phase Two proposals. After evaluation of these Phase Two proposals, the agency or governing authority shall award a contract to the design-builder determined to offer the best value to the public in accordance with evaluation criteria set forth in the request for proposals, of which price must be one, but not necessarily the only, criterion.

(6) If the agency or governing authority accepts a proposal other than the lowest dollar proposal actually submitted, the agency or governing authority shall enter on its minutes detailed calculations and a narrative summary showing why the accepted proposal was determined to provide the best value, and the agency or governing authority shall state specifically on its minutes the justification for its award.

(7) All facilities that are governed by this section shall be designed and constructed to comply with standards equal to or exceeding the minimum building code standards employed by the state as required under Section 31-11-33 in force at the time of contracting. All private contractors or private entities contracting or performing under this section must comply at all times with all applicable laws, codes and other legal requirements pertaining to the project.

(8) At its discretion, the agency or governing authority may award a stipulated fee equal to a percentage, as prescribed in the request for proposals, of the project's final design and construction budget, as prescribed in the request for proposals, but not less than two-tenths of one percent (2/10 of 1%) of the project's final design and construction budget, to each short-list offeror who provides a responsive, but unsuccessful, proposal. If the agency or governing authority does not award a contract, all responsive final list offerors shall receive the stipulated fee based on the owner's estimate of the project final design and construction budget as included in the request for proposals. The agency or governing authority shall pay the stipulated fee to each offeror within ninety (90) days after the award of the initial contract or the decision not to award a contract. In consideration for paying the stipulated fee, the agency or governing authority may use any ideas or information contained in the proposals in connection with any contract awarded for the project, or in connection with a subsequent procurement, without any obligation to pay any additional compensation to the unsuccessful offerors. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this subsection, an unsuccessful short-list offeror may elect to waive the stipulated fee. If an unsuccessful short-list offeror elects to waive the stipulated fee, the agency or governing authority may not use ideas and information contained in the offeror's proposal, except that this restriction does not prevent the agency or governing authority from using any idea or information if the idea or information is also included in a proposal of an offeror that accepts the stipulated fee.

(9) This section shall not authorize the awarding of construction contracts according to any contracting method that does not require the contractor to satisfactorily perform, at a minimum, both any balance of design, using an independent professional licensed in Mississippi, and construction of the project for which the contract is awarded.

(10) The provisions of this section shall not affect any procurement by the Mississippi Transportation Commission.

(11) The provisions of this section shall not apply to procurement authorized in Section 59-5-37(3).

SECTION 29. Section 31-7-13.2, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-13.2 (1) When used in this section, "construction manager at risk" means a method of project delivery in which a construction manager guarantees a maximum price for the construction of a project and in which the governing authority or board, before using this method of project delivery, shall include a detailed explanation of why using the construction manager at risk method of project delivery for a particular project satisfies the public need better than that traditional design-bid-build method based on the following criteria:

(a) The use of construction manager at risk for the project provides a savings in time or cost over traditional methods; and

(b) The size and type of the project is suitable for use of the construction management at risk method of project delivery.

(2) When the construction manager at risk method of project delivery is used:

(a) There may be a separate contract for design services and a separate contract for construction services;

(b) The contract for construction services may be entered into at the same time as a contract for the design services or later;

(d) Finance, maintenance, operation, reconstruction or other related services may be included for a guaranteed maximum price.

(3) When procuring design professional services under a construction manager at risk project delivery method, the agency or governing authority shall procure the services of a design professional pursuant to qualifications-based selection procedures.

(4) Before the substantial completion of the design documents, the agency or governing authority may elect to hire a construction manager.

(5) When procuring construction management services, the agency or governing authority shall follow the qualifications-based selection procedures as outlined in subsection (10) of this section or the competitive sealed proposal procedures as outlined in Section 31-17-13.

(6) The agency or governing authority may require the architect or engineer and the construction manager, by contract, to cooperate in the design, planning and scheduling, and construction process. The contract shall not make the primary designer or construction manager a subcontractor or joint-venture partner to the other or limit the primary designer's or construction manager's independent obligations to the agency or governing authority.

(7) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this chapter:

(a) Each project for construction under a construction manager at risk contract shall be a specific, single project with a minimum construction cost of Twenty-five Million Dollars ($25,000,000.00).

(b) Each project under a construction manager at risk contract shall be a specific, single project. For the purposes of this paragraph, "specific, single project" means a project that is constructed at a single location, at a common location or for a common purpose.

(8) Agencies shall retain an independent architectural or engineering firm to provide guidance and administration of the professional engineering or professional architecture aspects of the project throughout the development of the scope, design, and construction of the project.

(9) The state shall, on an annual basis, compile and make public all proceedings, records, contracts and other public records relating to procurement transactions authorized under this section.

(10) For purposes of this section, the "qualifications-based selection procedure" shall include:

(a) Publicly announcing all requirements for architectural, engineering, and land surveying services, to procure these services on the basis of demonstrated competence and qualifications, and to negotiate contracts at fair and reasonable prices after the most qualified firm has been selected.

(b) Agencies or governing authorities shall establish procedures to prequalify firms seeking to provide architectural, engineering, and land surveying services or may use prequalification lists from other state agencies or governing authorities to meet the requirements of this section.

(c) Whenever a project requiring architectural, engineering, or land surveying services is proposed for an agency or governing authority, the agency or governing authority shall provide advance notice published in a professional services bulletin or advertised within the official state newspaper setting forth the projects and services to be procured for not less than fourteen (14) days. The professional services bulletin shall be mailed to each firm that has requested the information or is prequalified under Section 31-7-13. The professional services bulletin shall include a description of each project and shall state the time and place for interested firms to submit a letter of interest and, if required by the public notice, a statement of qualifications.

(d) The agency or governing authority shall evaluate the firms submitting letters of interest and other prequalified firms, taking into account qualifications. The agency or governing authority may consider, but shall not be limited to, considering:

(i) Ability of professional personnel;

(ii) Past record and experience;

(iii) Performance data on file;

(iv) Willingness to meet time requirements;

(v) Location;

(vi) Workload of the firm; and

(vii) Any other qualifications-based factors as the agency or governing authority may determine in writing are applicable.

The agency or governing authority may conduct discussions with and require public presentations by firms deemed to be the most qualified regarding their qualifications, approach to the project and ability to furnish the required services.

(e) The agency or governing authority shall establish a committee to select firms to provide architectural, engineering, and land surveying services. A selection committee may include at least one (1) public member nominated by a statewide association of the profession affected. The public member may not be employed or associated with any firm holding a contract with the agency or governing authority nor may the public member's firm be considered for a contract with that agency or governing authority while serving as a public member of the committee. In no case shall the agency or governing authority, before selecting a firm for negotiation under paragraph (f) of this section, seek formal or informal submission of verbal or written estimates of costs or proposals in terms of dollars, hours required, percentage of construction cost, or any other measure of compensation.

(f) On the basis of evaluations, discussions, and any presentations, the agency or governing authority shall select no less than three (3) firms that it determines to be qualified to provide services for the project and rank them in order of qualifications to provide services regarding the specific project. The agency or governing authority shall then contact the firm ranked most preferred to negotiate a contract at a fair and reasonable compensation. If fewer than three (3) firms submit letters of interest and the agency or governing authority determines that one (1) or both of those firms are so qualified, the agency or governing authority may proceed to negotiate a contract under paragraph (g) of this section.

(g) The agency or governing authority shall prepare a written description of the scope of the proposed services to be used as a basis for negotiations and shall negotiate a contract with the highest qualified firm at compensation that the agency or governing authority determines in writing to be fair and reasonable. In making this decision, the agency or governing authority shall take into account the estimated value, scope, complexity, and professional nature of the services to be rendered. In no case may the agency or governing authority establish a maximum overhead rate or other payment formula designed to eliminate firms from contention or restrict competition or negotiation of fees. If the agency or governing authority is unable to negotiate a satisfactory contract with the firm that is most preferred, negotiations with that firm shall be terminated. The agency or governing authority shall then begin negotiations with the firm that is next preferred. If the agency or governing authority is unable to negotiate a satisfactory contract with that firm, negotiations with that firm shall be terminated. The agency or governing authority shall then begin negotiations with the firm that is next preferred. If the agency or governing authority is unable to negotiate a satisfactory contract with any of the selected firms, the agency or governing authority shall reevaluate the architectural, engineering, or land surveying services requested, including the estimated value, scope, complexity, and fee requirements. The agency or governing authority shall then compile a second list of not less than three (3) qualified firms and proceed in accordance with the provisions of this section. A firm negotiating a contract with an agency or governing authority shall negotiate subcontracts for architectural, engineering, and land surveying services at compensation that the firm determines in writing to be fair and reasonable based upon a written description of the scope of the proposed services.

(11) The provisions of this section shall not affect any procurement by the Mississippi Transportation Commission.

SECTION 30. Section 31-7-14, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-14. (1) (a) For purposes of this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meaning ascribed herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(i) "Division" means the Energy Division of the Mississippi Development Authority.

(ii) "Energy services" or "energy efficient services" means energy efficiency equipment, services relating to the installation, operation and maintenance of equipment and improvements reasonably required to existing or new equipment and existing or new improvements and facilities including, but not limited to, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, lighting, windows, insulation and energy management controls, life safety measures that provide long-term, operating-cost reductions, building operation programs that reduce operating costs, alternative fuel motor vehicles including vehicles that have been converted to such and ancillary equipment related to or associated with the fueling of alternative fuel motor vehicles, or other energy-conservation-related improvements, including improvements or equipment related to renewable energy, water and other natural resources conservation, including accuracy and measurement of water distribution and/or consumption, and other equipment, services and improvements providing verifiable cost savings.

(iii) "Energy services provider" means a person or business with a successful record of documented energy savings projects that is experienced in the design, implementation and installation of energy conservation measures; has the technical capabilities to verify that such measures generate energy and operational cost savings or enhanced revenues; has the ability to guarantee the savings; has the ability to secure or arrange the financing necessary to support the implementation of the energy conservation measures; and is approved by the division.

Approval by the division of an energy services provider shall be granted in a prequalification process.

Such energy services providers may petition the division to review their qualifications and deem them to be qualified for inclusion on a prequalification list if they meet the qualifications set forth by the division.

Any energy services project that has been competitively bid and awarded prior to any change in law shall be allowed to continue under the laws current at the time the project was awarded.

The division shall ensure that small businesses are not disadvantaged in the determination of a qualified energy services provider.

(iv) "Entity" means the board of trustees of any public school district, junior college, institution of higher learning, publicly owned hospital, state agency or governmental authority under this chapter.

(v) "Energy services contract" means an agreement to provide energy services which include, but are not limited to, the design, installation, financing and maintenance or management of the energy systems or equipment in order to improve its energy efficiency. Payments for the contract are not contingent upon the actual savings realized from the equipment.

(vi) "Energy performance contract" means an agreement to provide energy services which includes, but is not limited to, the design, installation, financing and maintenance or management of the energy systems or equipment in order to improve its energy efficiency.

(vii) "Shared-savings contract" means an agreement where the contractor and the entity each receive a preagreed percentage or dollar value of the energy cost savings over the life of the contract.

(viii) "Reduce operating costs" means elimination of future expenses or avoidance of future replacement expenditures as a result of new equipment installed or services performed. Material savings, labor savings, cancelled maintenance contracts, et cetera, shall be considered as being viable to reduce operating costs. Reduce operating costs may be included in the performance contract or energy services agreement solely at the discretion of the entity. A contract that otherwise satisfies the requirements of this section shall satisfy the requirements allowing use of an energy performance, energy services or shared-savings contract even if the sole expense being eliminated is maintenance expense.

(ix) "Capital cost avoidance" means planned capital improvement expenditures that will be avoided through implementation of the energy services project. Capital cost avoidance may be included in an energy services contract or an energy performance contract solely at the discretion of the entity. Capital cost avoidance may be claimed as an annual avoidance or as a one-time avoidance in a specific year of the contract term, depending upon the nature of the avoided capital cost.

(x) "Alternative fuel motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle propelled by alternative fuel either as a dedicated alternative fuel vehicle, as a bi-fuel vehicle using alternative fuel as one of its fuels, or as a dual fuel vehicle using alternative fuel as one of its fuels.

(xi) "Energy conservation measure" means the individual items or components of a large energy services or energy efficient services program.

(xii) "Simple payback period" means the amount of time for the recuperation of the initial investment. The simple payback period is calculated by dividing the initial investment by the annual savings. The simple payback period for any contract shall not exceed twenty (20) years. The simple payback period of an individual energy conservation measure shall not be considered in any evaluation provided the simple payback period for the contract does not exceed twenty (20) years.

(b) An entity may enter into an energy services contract, energy performance contract, shared-savings contract, any of which may contain a lease, or lease-purchase contract for energy efficiency equipment, services relating to the installation, operation and maintenance of equipment or improvements reasonably required to existing or new equipment and existing or new improvements and facilities and shall contract in accordance with the following provisions:

(i) The division may assemble a list of prequalified energy services providers. The division shall use objective criteria in the selection process. The criteria for evaluation shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following factors: to assess the capability of the qualified energy services provider in the area of design engineering, installation, maintenance and repairs associated with energy services or guaranteed energy performance contracts; qualifications including engineering depth and experience, post-installation project monitoring, data collection, and verification of and reporting of savings; overall project experience and qualifications; management capability; ability to access long-term sources of project financing; financial health and stability, litigation history with customers and other factors determined by the division to be relevant and appropriate and related to the ability to perform the project. The division shall either accept or reject an application for prequalification from an energy services provider within sixty (60) days after receipt. If the division fails to act within sixty (60) days from the date of receiving an application, then the application shall automatically be accepted and the energy services provider shall be added to the prequalified list.

(ii) An entity shall publicly issue requests for proposals, advertised in the same manner as provided in Section 31-7-13 for seeking competitive sealed bids, concerning the provision of energy efficiency services relating to the installation, operation and maintenance of equipment, improvements reasonably required to existing or new equipment and existing or new improvements and facilities or the design, installation, ownership, operation and maintenance of energy efficiency equipment. Those requests for proposals shall contain terms and conditions relating to submission of proposals, evaluation and selection of proposals, financial terms, legal responsibilities, and any other matters as the entity determines to be appropriate for inclusion.

(iii) Upon receiving responses to the request for proposals, the entity may select the most qualified proposal or proposals on the basis of experience and qualifications of the proposers, the technical approach, the financial arrangements, the overall benefits to the entity and any other relevant factors determined to be appropriate.

(iv) An entity shall negotiate and enter into contracts with the person, persons, firm or firms submitting the proposal selected as the most qualified under this section.

(v) The annual rate of interest paid under any lease-purchase agreement authorized by this section shall not exceed the maximum interest rate to maturity on general obligation indebtedness permitted under Section 75-17-101.

(vi) The maximum lease-purchase term for any equipment acquired under this section shall not exceed the lesser of twenty (20) years or the average useful life of the energy conservation measures from the date the energy conservation measures have been completed and accepted by the governmental unit.

(vii) This subsection shall, with respect to the procurement of energy efficiency services and/or equipment, supersede any contradictory or conflicting provisions of Chapter 7, Title 31, Mississippi Code of 1972, and other laws with respect to awarding public contracts.

(2) (a) The division may contract with a party selected under this subsection to provide financing to entities and private "nonprofit" hospitals, to purchase energy efficiency equipment, services relating to the installation, operation and maintenance of equipment or improvements reasonably required to existing or new equipment and existing or new improvements and facilities or an energy saving performance contract, energy services contract, or lease-purchase basis. Any energy efficiency lease financing contract entered into by the division before May 15, 1992, shall be valid and binding when the contract was entered into under this subsection.

(b) The entities and private "nonprofit" hospitals that decide to contract for energy efficiency equipment, services relating to the installation, operation and maintenance of equipment or improvements reasonably required to existing or new equipment and existing or new improvements and facilities on a lease, energy services contract or lease-purchase basis, may request financial assistance from the division.

(c) The provisions of any energy efficiency lease-purchase agreements authorized under this subsection (2) shall comply with the requirements of subsection (1)(b)(v) of this section. The term of any lease or lease-purchase agreement for energy efficiency services and/or equipment entered into under this section shall not exceed twenty (20) years, commencing on the completion of the installation of equipment or improvements under the contract.

(d) Any entity or private "nonprofit" hospital having approval of the division may borrow money in anticipation of entering into a lease-purchase agreement pursuant to subsection (2)(b) of this section. Any borrowing may be upon terms and conditions as may be agreed upon by the borrowing entity and the party advancing interim funds; however, the principal on any borrowing shall be repaid within a period of time not to exceed one hundred eighty (180) days. In borrowing money under this paragraph (d), it is not necessary to publish notice of intention to do so or to secure the consent of the qualified electors, either by election or otherwise. Any borrowing may be negotiated between the parties and is not required to be publicly bid, may be evidenced by negotiable notes or lease and shall not be considered when computing any limitation of indebtedness of the borrowing entity established by law. The principal, interest and costs of incurring any borrowing shall not exceed the principal amount of the final contract or agreement approved by the division, and accepted by the borrowing entity, under subsection (2)(b) of this section.

(e) This subsection (2) shall, with respect to the procurement of energy efficiency services and/or equipment, supersede the provisions of any contradictory or conflicting provisions of Chapter 7, Title 31, Mississippi Code of 1972, and other laws with respect to awarding public contracts.

(3) All lease-purchase agreements authorized by this section and the income from those agreements shall be exempt from all taxation within the State of Mississippi, except gift, transfer and inheritance taxes.

(4) (a) An entity may contract for energy efficiency equipment services relating to the installation, operation or maintenance of equipment or improvements reasonably required to existing or new equipment and existing or new improvements and facilities on a shared-savings basis or performance basis.

(b) If an entity decides to enter into a contract for energy efficiency equipment, services relating to the installation, operation or maintenance of equipment or improvements reasonably required to existing or new equipment and existing or new improvements and facilities on a shared-savings basis or performance basis, the entity shall issue a request for proposals or a request for qualifications, as determined necessary by the division, in the same manner as prescribed under subsection (1)(b) of this section. The entity shall notify the division in writing of its intention to issue a request for proposals or a request for qualifications.

(c) The terms of any shared-savings contract, energy services contract, or energy performance contract entered into under this section may not exceed twenty (20) years, commencing on the completion of the installation of equipment or improvements under the contract.

(d) The terms of any shared savings or energy performance contract entered into under this section must contain a guarantee of savings clause from the company providing energy efficiency equipment services relating to the installation, operation and maintenance of equipment or improvements reasonably required to existing or new equipment and existing or new improvements and facilities.

(5) (a) By March 1 and September 1 of each year, each entity that enters into an energy performance contract or shared-savings contract shall report to the division its energy usage by meter in dollars and consumption by fuel type for the previous six-month period determined by the division.

(b) The division shall remove qualified status of an energy services provider that fails to meet the reporting requirements of paragraph (a) of this subsection after two (2) such violations.

(c) Any costs associated with the reporting made under this subsection (5) shall be paid by the energy services provider.

(6) The contract may be construed to provide flexibility to public agencies in structuring agreements entered into hereunder so that economic benefits may be maximized.

(7) This section shall stand repealed on July 1, 2019.

SECTION 31. Section 31-7-15, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-15. (1) Whenever two (2) or more competitive bids are received, one or more of which relates to commodities grown, processed or manufactured within this state, and whenever all things stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, quality and service, the commodities grown, processed or manufactured within this state shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to commodities grown, processed or manufactured within this state whenever purchases are made without competitive bids, and when practical the Department of Finance and Administration may by regulation establish reasonable preferential policies for other commodities, giving preference to resident suppliers of this state.

(2) Any foreign manufacturing company with a factory in the state and with over fifty (50) employees working in the state shall have preference over any other foreign company where both price and quality are the same, regardless of where the product is manufactured.

(3) On or before January 1, 1991, the Department of Finance and Administration shall adopt bid and product specifications to be utilized by all state agencies that encourage the procurement of commodities made from recovered materials. Preference in awarding contracts for commodities shall be given to commodities offered at a competitive price.

(4) Each state agency is required to procure products made from recovered materials when those products are available at a competitive price. For purposes of this subsection, "competitive price" means a price not greater than ten percent (10%) above the lowest and best bidder. A decision not to procure products made from recovered materials must be based on a determination that such procurement:

(a) Is not available within a reasonable period of time; or

(b) Fails to meet the performance standards set forth in the applicable specifications; or

(5) Whenever economically feasible, each state agency is required to purchase products manufactured or sold by the Mississippi Industries for the Blind.

SECTION 32. Section 31-7-16, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-16. In the event equipment is required which is capable of being manufactured or assembled in separate units such as school bus chassis and bodies or other bodies of equipment installed upon chassis, and there is a manufacturer of such bodies located within the State of Mississippi, a public purchase may be made of such chassis and such body or equipment as separate items.

SECTION 33. Section 31-7-18, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-18. In addition to the method of purchasing authorized in this chapter, said governing authorities are hereby authorized to accept the lowest bid received from a motor vehicle dealer domiciled within the county of the governing authority for the purchase of any motor vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating of less than twenty-six thousand (26,000) pounds that shall not exceed a sum equal to three percent (3%) greater than the price or cost which the dealer pays the manufacturer, as evidenced by the factory invoice for the motor vehicle. In the event said county does not have an authorized motor vehicle dealer, said board or governing authority may, in like manner, receive bids from motor vehicle dealers in any adjoining county.

No purchase of a motor vehicle under the provisions of this section shall be valid unless the purchase is made according to statutory bidding and licensing requirements. Provided, however, that the governing authorities may choose to purchase a motor vehicle from the authorized state contract dealer without having to advertise and receive bids therefor.

No purchase shall be made in excess of the approved state contract price by any of the aforementioned governing authorities when such authorities are situated wholly or in part in the county wherein the authorized state contract dealer for a particular item is domiciled.

SECTION 34. Section 31-7-21, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-21. The provisions of this chapter shall neither repeal nor modify the functions of the Governor's Office of General Services as set forth in Sections 31-11-1 through 31-11-89.

SECTION 35. Section 31-7-23, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-23. Any rebates, refunds, coupons, merit points, gratuities or any article of value tendered or received by any agency or governing authority from any vendor of material, supplies, equipment or other articles shall inure to the benefit of the agency or governing authority making the purchase. The agency or governing authority may, in accordance with its best interest, either take delivery of the article of value tendered and use the same or convert it to cash by selling it for its fair and reasonable value, making use of the proceeds from such sale for the exclusive benefit of the agency or governing authority.

SECTION 36. Section 31-7-38, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-38. The board of trustees or governing board of any hospital or regional mental health center owned or owned and operated separately or jointly by the State of Mississippi or any of its branches, agencies, departments or subdivisions, or by one or more counties, cities, towns, supervisors districts or election districts, or combinations thereof, may authorize by resolution the organization and operation of, or the participation in, a group purchasing program with other hospitals or regional mental health centers, for the purchase of supplies, commodities and equipment when it appears to the board of trustees or governing board that such a group purchasing program could or would affect economy or efficiency in their operations. Purchases by hospitals or regional mental health centers participating in group purchasing programs of supplies, commodities and equipment through such programs shall be exempt from the provisions of Sections 31-7-9, 31-7-10, 31-7-11, 31-7-12 and 31-7-13.

SECTION 37. Section 31-7-47, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-47. In the letting of public contracts, preference shall be given to resident contractors, and a nonresident bidder domiciled in a state, city, county, parish, province, nation or political subdivision having laws granting preference to local contractors shall be awarded Mississippi public contracts only on the same basis as the nonresident bidder's state, city, county, parish, province, nation or political subdivision awards contracts to Mississippi contractors bidding under similar circumstances. Resident contractors actually domiciled in Mississippi, be they corporate, individuals or partnerships, are to be granted preference over nonresidents in awarding of contracts in the same manner and to the same extent as provided by the laws of the state, city, county, parish, province, nation or political subdivision of domicile of the nonresident.

SECTION 38. Section 31-7-49, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-49. In placing orders for purchases under bids received and contracts awarded under the provisions of this chapter, the governing authority, by orders entered on its minutes, may authorize its members, or agents designated by its order, to place orders for the purchase of such supplies and materials from time to time during the period covered by the contract, as such supplies and materials are needed. Claims for such supplies so ordered by an individual board member or other duly authorized agent shall not be allowed and paid by the board until such claims shall have been approved in writing by the individual board member or agent who ordered such supplies or the successor to such member or agent.

SECTION 39. Section 31-7-53, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-53. In making any and all purchases of fertilizer for all state institutions and agencies, the board, officer, or employee given the authority to make such purchases shall take into consideration the chemical analysis and percentage of plant food unit value in such fertilizer in determining the lowest and best bid. No awards of contracts shall be made until the best price is determined on the basis of the chemical analysis as to the plant food unit value of the product, and the contract shall be awarded on the basis of such an analysis of the plant food unit value.

This section does not apply for the purchase of material by research agencies of the state for use in experimental projects.

The State Penitentiary Board, the Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning, and any other agency, department, or board of trustees of the State of Mississippi are hereby authorized to purchase all needed quantities of anhydrous ammonia and ammonium nitrate fertilizers available through the facilities of Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science. Such purchase may be at public or private sale, provided that such fertilizers can be obtained for not more than the price that the same are then available to such board, agency, or department from any other source.

SECTION 40. Section 31-7-55, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-55. [For penalties applicable to violations occurring between January 1, 1981, and August 15, 1988, the following provisions govern.]

(1) It is hereby declared to be unlawful and a violation of public policy of the State of Mississippi for any elected or appointed public officer of the state or the executive head of a state board, commission, department, subdivision of the state government or governing authority to make any purchases without the full compliance with the provisions of Chapter 7, Title 31, Mississippi Code of 1972. Any elected or appointed public officer of the state or the executive head of a state board, commission, department, subdivision of the state government or governing authority who violates the provisions of Chapter 7, Title 31, Mississippi Code of 1972, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction therefor, shall be fined not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) and not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for each separate offense, or sentenced to the county jail for not more than six (6) months, or both such fine and imprisonment, and shall be removed from his office or position.

(2) Any person diverting the benefits of any article of value tendered or received by any agency or governing authority to his or her personal use, in violation of Section 31-7-23, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or sentenced to the county jail for not more than six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and shall be required to return the money value of the article unlawfully diverted to the agency involved.

[The following provisions apply to violations which occur on or after August 16, 1988.]

(1) It is hereby declared to be unlawful and a violation of public policy of the State of Mississippi for any elected or appointed public officer of an agency or a governing authority, or the executive head, any employee or agent of an agency or governing authority to make any purchases without the full compliance with the provisions of Chapter 7, Title 31, Mississippi Code of 1972.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (4) of this section, any person who intentionally, willfully and knowingly violates the provisions of Chapter 7, Title 31, Mississippi Code of 1972, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) and not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for each separate offense, or sentenced to the county jail for not more than six (6) months, or both such fine and imprisonment, and shall be removed from his office or position.

(3) Any person who intentionally, willfully and knowingly violates the provisions of subsection (1) of Section 31-7-57 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) and not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or sentenced to the county jail for not more than six (6) months, or both such fine and imprisonment, and shall be removed from his office or position.

(4) Any person diverting the benefits of any article of value tendered or received by any agency or governing authority to his or her personal use, in violation of Section 31-7-23, if the value of such article be less than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or sentenced to the county jail for not more than six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment, shall be removed from his office or position, and shall be required to return the money value of the article unlawfully diverted to the agency or governing authority involved. If the value of the article be Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or more, such person shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) nor more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or sentenced to the Department of Corrections for not less than one (1) year nor more than five (5) years, or by both such fine and imprisonment, shall be removed from his office or position, and shall be required to return the money value of the article unlawfully diverted to the agency or governing authority involved.

(5) The provisions of this section are supplemental to any other criminal statutes of this state.

SECTION 41. Section 31-7-57, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-57. (1) Any elected or appointed public officer of an agency or a governing authority, or the executive head, any employee or agent of an agency or governing authority, who appropriates or authorizes the expenditure of any money to an object not authorized by law, shall be liable personally for up to the full amount of the appropriation or expenditure as will fully and completely compensate and repay such public funds for any actual loss caused by such appropriation or expenditure, to be recovered by suit in the name of the governmental entity involved, or in the name of any person who is a taxpayer suing for the use of the governmental entity involved, and such taxpayer shall be liable for costs in such case. In the case of a governing board of an agency or governing authority, only the individual members of the governing board who voted for the appropriation or authorization for expenditure shall be liable under this subsection.

(2) No individual member, officer, employee or agent of any agency or board of a governing authority shall let contracts or purchase commodities or equipment except in the manner provided by law, including the provisions of Section 25-9-120(3), Mississippi Code of 1972, relating to personal and professional service contracts by state agencies; nor shall any such agency or board of a governing authority ratify any such contract or purchase made by any individual member, officer, employee or agent thereof, or pay for the same out of public funds unless such contract or purchase was made in the manner provided by law; provided, however, that any vendor who, in good faith, delivers commodities or printing or performs any services under a contract to or for the agency or governing authority, shall be entitled to recover the fair market value of such commodities, printing or services, notwithstanding some error or failure by the agency or governing authority to follow the law, if the contract was for an object authorized by law and the vendor had no control of, participation in, or actual knowledge of the error or failure by the agency or governing authority.

(3) The individual members, officers, employees or agents of any agency or governing authority as defined in Section 31-7-1 causing any public funds to be expended, any contract made or let, any payment made on any contract or any purchase made, or any payment made, in any manner whatsoever, contrary to or without complying with any statute of the State of Mississippi, regulating or prescribing the manner in which such contracts shall be let, payment on any contract made, purchase made, or any other payment or expenditure made, shall be liable, individually, and upon their official bond, for compensatory damages, in such sum up to the full amount of such contract, purchase, expenditure or payment as will fully and completely compensate and repay such public funds for any actual loss caused by such unlawful expenditure.

(4) In addition to the foregoing provision, for any violation of any statute of the State of Mississippi prescribing the manner in which contracts shall be let, purchases made, expenditure or payment made, any individual member, officer, employee or agent of any agency or governing authority who shall substantially depart from the statutory method of letting contracts, making payments thereon, making purchases or expending public funds shall be liable, individually and on his official bond, for penal damages in such amount as may be assessed by any court of competent jurisdiction, up to three (3) times the amount of the contract, purchase, expenditure or payment. The person so charged may offer mitigating circumstances to be considered by the court in the assessment of any penal damages.

(5) Any sum recovered under the provisions hereof shall be credited to the account from which such unlawful expenditure was made.

(6) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (1) of this section, any individual member of an agency or governing authority as defined in Section 31-7-1 shall not be individually liable under this section if he voted against payment for contracts let or purchases made contrary to law and had his vote recorded in the official minutes of the board or governing authority at the time of such vote, or was absent at the time of such vote.

SECTION 42. Section 31-7-59, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-59. (1) Any municipality of over one hundred thousand (100,000) population, according to the latest decennial census and qualified to do so, is hereby empowered to purchase from the General Services Administration of the United States of America, without advertising for bids, any and all articles of supplies and equipment necessary for the operation of said municipality so long as the purchase price of such articles is below the purchase price of similar articles on a state contract accepted by the Office of General Services.

(2) The aforesaid supplies and equipment may likewise be purchased from the General Services Administration without advertising for bids even though the Office of General Services does not have same listed on statewide contracts so long as the purchase price thereof is ten percent (10%) below the latest purchase price of comparable supplies and equipment.

SECTION 43. Section 31-7-61, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-61. It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to purchase or to authorize or requisition the purchase of beef other than beef raised and produced within the United States when such purchase is to be paid by the state government or any of its political subdivisions out of public funds of any nature. However, all canned meats not available which are processed in the United States shall be exempt from Sections 31-7-61 through 31-7-65.

SECTION 44. Section 31-7-63, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-63. Any person who violates the provisions of Section 31-7-61 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than thirty (30) days or by a fine of not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). In addition to any criminal sanction authorized herein, a civil proceeding may be brought by a district attorney or county prosecuting attorney for recovery of funds paid out in violation of this section.

SECTION 45. Section 31-7-65, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-65. The Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce of the State of Mississippi shall notify all state agencies, political subdivisions or public institutions within the State of Mississippi as to the provisions of Sections 31-7-61 through 31-7-65.

SECTION 46. Section 31-7-73, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-73. Any state agency, as defined in Section 31-7-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, shall be authorized and empowered, in its discretion, to enter into an energy performance contract, energy services contract, on a shared-savings, lease or lease-purchase basis, for energy efficiency services and/or equipment as provided for in Section 31-7-14.

SECTION 47. Section 31-7-301, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-301. (1) The Legislature hereby declares that it is essential to the efficient operation of public bodies of this state that adequate supplies of goods and services continue to be available from private sources; that the good name and credit of the state may be promoted by timely and responsible payment of just claims; and that fair compensation be awarded suppliers when payments of their claims are delayed without justification.

(2) The term "public bodies" shall mean all state agencies, political subdivisions, school districts, municipalities and public corporations, whether created by charter, statute or executive order, whether supported wholly or in part by public funds, or which expend public funds.

SECTION 48. Section 31-7-303, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-303. (1) The requisition for payment of an invoice submitted to a public body and required by law to be filed with the State Fiscal Management Board shall be filed with the State Fiscal Management Board not later than thirty (30) days after receipt of the invoice and receipt, inspection and approval of the goods or services, except that in the case of a bona fide dispute the requisition for payment shall contain a statement of the dispute and authorize payment only in the amount not disputed. If a requisition for payment filed within the thirty-day period is returned by the State Fiscal Management Board because of an error, it shall nevertheless be deemed timely filed. The thirty-day filing requirement may be waived by the State Fiscal Management Board on a showing of exceptional circumstances in accordance with rules and regulations established by the State Fiscal Management Board.

(2) The warrant, in payment of an invoice submitted to a public body of the state, shall be mailed or otherwise delivered by the public body not later than fifteen (15) days after filing of the requisition for payment; however, this requirement may be waived by the State Fiscal Management Board on a showing of exceptional circumstances in accordance with rules and regulations of the State Fiscal Management Board or as otherwise provided in Section 7-7-35, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 49. Section 31-7-305, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-305. (1) All public bodies of the state, including those which issue checks and those which file requisitions for payment with the State Fiscal Management Board, shall keep a record of the date of receipt of the invoice, dates of receipt, inspection and approval of the goods or services, date of issuing the check or date of filing the requisition for payment, as the case may be, and date of mailing or otherwise delivering the warrant or check in payment thereof. In the event that the State Fiscal Management Board mails or otherwise delivers the warrant directly to the claimant, pursuant to Section 7-7-35, Mississippi Code of 1972, the State Fiscal Management Board shall notify the public body of the date thereof. The provisions of this section are supplemental to the requirements of Sections 19-13-29, 21-39-7, 21-39-13 and 37-5-93, Mississippi Code of 1972.

(2) All public bodies that are authorized to issue checks in payment of goods and services and are not required to issue requisitions for payment to the State Fiscal Management Board shall mail or otherwise deliver such checks no later than forty-five (45) days after receipt of the invoice and receipt, inspection and approval of the goods or services; however, in the event of a bona fide dispute, the public body shall pay only the amount not disputed.

(3) If a warrant or check, as the case may be, in payment of an invoice is not mailed or otherwise delivered within forty-five (45) days after receipt of the invoice and receipt, inspection and approval of the goods and services, the public body shall be liable to the vendor, in addition to the amount of the invoice, for interest at a rate of one and one-half percent (1-1/2%) per month or portion thereof on the unpaid balance from the expiration of such forty-five-day period until such time as the warrant or check is mailed or otherwise delivered to the vendor. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply only to undisputed amounts for which payment has been authorized. In the case of an error on the part of the vendor, the forty-five-day period shall begin to run upon receipt of a corrected invoice by the public body and upon compliance with the other provisions of this section. The various public bodies shall be responsible for initiating the penalty payments required by this subsection and shall use this subsection as authority to make such payments. Also, at the time of initiating such penalty payment, the public body shall specify in writing an explanation of the delay and shall attach such explanation to the requisition for payment of the penalty or to the file copy of the check issued by the public body, as the case may be.

(4) (a) In the event of a bona fide dispute as to an invoice, or any portion thereof, the dispute shall be settled within thirty (30) days after interest penalties could begin to be assessed, if it were not for the dispute.

(b) If a warrant or check, as the case may be, in payment of an invoice, subject to a prior dispute, is not mailed or otherwise delivered within thirty (30) days after settlement of the dispute, the public body shall be liable to the vendor, in addition to the amount of the invoice, for interest at a rate of one and one-half percent (1-1/2%) per month or portion thereof on the unpaid balance from the expiration of said thirty-day period until such time as the warrant or check is mailed or otherwise delivered to the vendor. At the time of initiating such penalty payment, the public body shall specify in writing an explanation of the delay and shall attach such explanation to the requisition for payment of the penalty or to the file copy of the check issued by the public body, as the case may be. The interest penalty prescribed in this paragraph shall be in lieu of the penalty provided in subsection (3).

SECTION 50. Section 31-7-307, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-307. (1) The budget request submitted by a public body to the Legislature shall specifically disclose the amount of any interest paid by any public body pursuant to Sections 31-7-301 through 31-7-317. However, no provision of Sections 31-7-301 through 31-7-317 authorizes a new appropriation to cover such interest penalties, and public bodies shall not seek to increase appropriations for the purpose of obtaining funds to pay any interest penalties.

(2) All public bodies of the state, including those which issue checks and those which file requisitions for payment with the State Fiscal Management Board, shall monthly notify the State Fiscal Management Board of the number and dollar amount of late payments by the public body along with the amounts of interest paid and the specific steps being taken to reduce the incidence of late payments.

(3) If the terms of the invoice provide a discount for payment in less than forty-five (45) days, public bodies shall preferentially process it and use all diligence to obtain the savings by compliance with the invoice terms, if it would be cost effective.

SECTION 51. Section 31-7-309, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-309. Whenever a vendor brings formal administrative or judicial action to collect interest due under Sections 31-7-301 through 31-7-317, the public body shall be required to pay any reasonable attorney's fees if the vendor prevails.

SECTION 52. Section 31-7-311, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-311. The State Fiscal Management Board shall submit to the Appropriations Committee of each house of the Legislature by January 15 of each year a report summarizing the payment record for the preceding fiscal year. The report shall include the number and dollar amount of late payments by each public body along with the amounts of interest paid and the specific steps being taken to reduce the incidence of late payments.

SECTION 53. Section 31-7-313, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-313. The State Fiscal Management Board is authorized and directed to adopt and promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement this section.

SECTION 54. Section 31-7-315, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-315. Sections 31-7-301 through 31-7-317 shall not affect payment under public works contracts as provided in Sections 31-5-25 and 31-5-27, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 55. Section 31-7-317, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-7-317. (1) The Governor's Office of General Services shall study the feasibility of:

(a) Requiring the Bureau of Purchasing to act as purchasing agent for state agencies;

(b) Requiring the Bureau of Purchasing to purchase frequently used products and supplies and warehouse them for state agencies, especially in the Jackson metropolitan area; and

(2) On or before January 15, 1987, the Governor's Office of General Services shall transmit its written report of the feasibility studies to the Legislature, along with its recommendations and an estimate of the fiscal impact of the recommendations. If the Governor's Office of General Services recommends that the bureau should be required to act as purchasing agent for smaller state agencies, the report shall include a list of state agencies to be included.

SECTION 56. Section 31-17-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

31-17-3. The State Bond Commission, with the approval and consent of the State Auditor of Public Accounts and the Chairman of the State Tax Commission, is hereby authorized to purchase outstanding bonds of the State of Mississippi, retire such bonds, and pay the purchase price thereof out of any surplus remaining in the State Treasury at the end of any fiscal year, all in accord with the provisions of Sections 31-17-21 through 31-17-25. The State Bond Commission, with the consent and approval of the State Auditor of Public Accounts and the Chairman of the State Tax Commission, shall determine the amount of bonds to be purchased, the maximum price to be paid therefor not to exceed par and accrued interest, and the date upon which it will receive proposals to purchase such bonds, all in accord with the provisions of Sections 31-17-21 through 31-17-25.

SECTION 57. Section 57-62-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

57-62-13. (1) As soon as practicable after the end of a calendar quarter for which a qualified business or industry has qualified to receive an incentive payment, the qualified business or industry shall file a claim for the payment with the Department of Revenue and shall specify the actual number of new direct jobs created and maintained by the business or industry for the calendar quarter and the gross payroll thereof. The Department of Revenue shall verify the actual number of new direct jobs created and maintained by the business or industry and compliance with the average annual wage requirements for such business or industry under this chapter. If the qualified business or industry files a claim for an incentive payment during an additional incentive period provided under Section 57-62-9(2), the Department of Revenue shall verify the actual number of new direct jobs created and maintained by the business or industry and compliance with the average annual wage requirements for such business or industry under this chapter. If the Department of Revenue is not able to provide such verification utilizing all available resources, the Department of Revenue may request such additional information from the business or industry as may be necessary.

(2) (a) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the business or industry must meet the salary and job requirements of this chapter for four (4) consecutive calendar quarters prior to payment of the first incentive payment. Except as otherwise provided in Section 57-62-9, if the business or industry does not maintain the salary or job requirements of this chapter at any other time during the ten-year period after the date the first payment was made, the incentive payments shall not be made and shall not be resumed until such time as the actual verified number of new direct jobs created and maintained by the business or industry equals or exceeds the requirements of this chapter for one (1) calendar quarter.

(b) If the business or industry is qualified to receive incentive payments for an additional period provided under Section 57-62-9(2), the business or industry must meet the wage and job requirements of Section 57-62-9(2), for four (4) consecutive calendar quarters prior to payment of the first incentive payment. If the business or industry does not maintain the wage or job requirements of Section 57-62-9(2), at any other time during the appropriate additional period after the date the first payment was made, the incentive payments shall not be made and shall not be resumed until such time as the actual verified number of new direct jobs created and maintained by the business or industry equals or exceeds the amounts specified in Section 57-62-9(2), for one (1) calendar quarter.

(3) An establishment that has qualified pursuant to this chapter may receive payments only in accordance with the provision under which it initially applied and was approved. If an establishment that is receiving incentive payments expands, it may apply for additional incentive payments based on the new gross payroll for new direct jobs anticipated from the expansion only, pursuant to this chapter.

(4) As soon as practicable after verification of the qualified business or industry meeting the requirements of this chapter and all rules and regulations, the Department of Finance and Administration, upon requisition of the Department of Revenue, shall issue a warrant drawn on the Mississippi Advantage Jobs Incentive Payment Fund to the establishment in the amount of the incentive payment as determined pursuant to subsection (1) of this section for the calendar quarter.

SECTION 58. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2019.