House Bill 1800

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FROM THE MISSISSIPPI ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES BROADBAND COVID-19 GRANT PROGRAM FUND AND THE COVID-19 BROADBAND PROVIDER GRANT PROGRAM FUND TO THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION FOR PURPOSES OF THE MISSISSIPPI ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES BROADBAND COVID-19 GRANT PROGRAM AND THE COVID-19 BROADBAND PROVIDER GRANT PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) The following sum, or so much of it as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the Mississippi Electric Cooperatives Broadband COVID-19 Grant Program Fund to the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration for the purposes of the Mississippi Electric Cooperatives Broadband COVID-19 Grant Program, for the period beginning upon July 1, 2020, and ending December 30, 2020, or to such later date as may be specified in the guidelines, guidance rules, regulations and/or other criteria of the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, but not to a date later than June 30, 2021...$ 65,000,000.00.

(2) The following sum, or so much of it as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the COVID-19 Broadband Provider Grant Program Fund to the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration for the purposes of the COVID-19 Broadband Provider Grant Program, for the period beginning upon July 1, 2020, and ending December 30, 2020, or to such later date as may be specified in the guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria of the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, but not to a date later than June 30, 2021.........................................$ 10,000,000.00.

SECTION 2. The Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration shall not disburse any funds appropriated under this act to any recipient without first receiving from the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff records containing the following information: (a) making an individualized determination that the reimbursement sought is, in the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff's independent judgment, for necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to COVID-19 as provided under Section 601(d) of the federal Social Security Act as added by Section 5001 of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and its implementing guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, by the United States Department of the Treasury; and (b) determining that the recipient has not received and will not receive reimbursement for the expense in question from any source of funds, including insurance proceeds, other than those funds provided under Section 601 of the federal Social Security Act as added by Section 5001 of the CARES Act.

SECTION 3. (1) As a condition of receiving and expending the funds appropriated to the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration under this act, the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration shall require the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff to certify that each expenditure of the funds appropriated to the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration under this act is in compliance with the guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended from time to time, of the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the CARES Act.

(2) If the Office of Inspector General of the United States Department of the Treasury, or the Office of Inspector General of any other federal agency having oversight over the use of monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the CARES Act (a) determines that the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration has expended or otherwise used any of the funds appropriated to the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration under this act for any purpose that is not in compliance with the guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended from time to time, of the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the CARES Act, and (b) the State of Mississippi is required to repay the federal government for any of those funds that the Office of the Inspector General determined were expended or otherwise used improperly by the State of Mississippi, then the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff shall be required to pay the amount of those funds to the State of Mississippi for repayment to the federal government.

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2020.