Senate Bill 2718

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A PAID INTERNSHIP PROGRAM UNDER THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES TO TRAIN AND RETAIN COLLEGE GRADUATES WITH A TECHNICAL OR ENGINEERING DEGREE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) Within the limits of the funds available to the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (MDITS) for such purpose, the executive director may grant a paid internship to undergraduate-level students classified as juniors or seniors and pursuing coursework toward a technical or engineering Bachelor's degree or to graduate-level students pursing coursework toward a technical or engineering Master's degree. Qualified applicants shall receive funds which may be used to pay for tuition, books and other education-related expenses and fees. It is the intent of the Legislature that the paid internship program shall be used as an incentive for students pursuing a technical degree to develop job-related skills and to encourage technical careers at MDITS.

(2) In order to be eligible for the program, an applicant must:

(a) Attend a university, college or technical school approved and designated by MDITS;

(b) Work a total of three hundred thirty six (336) hours each summer at MDITS in Jackson, Mississippi;

(c) Agree to work with MDITS upon graduation for a period of time equivalent to the period of time for which the applicant receives compensation, calculated to the nearest whole month, but in no event less than two (2) years; and

(d) Satisfy the following conditions:

(i) Undergraduate stipulations: Applicants must have successfully completed a minimum of fifty-eight (58) semester hours toward a technical or engineering bachelor's degree from a Mississippi institution of higher learning and earned a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, which GPA the applicant shall maintain if accepted into the program; or

(ii) Graduate stipulations: Applicants must have met the regular admission standards of and have been accepted into a technical or engineering master's program at a Mississippi institution of higher learning. Accepted applicants shall maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all coursework counted toward the technical or engineering master's degree.

(3) (a) Before being placed into the program, each applicant shall enter into a contract with MDITS, which shall be deemed a contract with the State of Mississippi, agreeing to the terms and conditions upon which the internship shall be granted to them. The contract shall include such terms and provisions necessary to carry out the full purpose and intent of this section. The form of such contract shall be prepared and approved by the Attorney General of this state and shall be signed by the executive director and the participant.

(b) Upon entry into the program, participants will become employees of MDITS during their time in the program and shall be eligible for benefits such as medical insurance paid by the agency for the participant; however, in accordance with Section 25-11-105, those participants shall not become members of the Public Employees Retirement System while participating in the program. Participants shall not accrue personal or major medical leave while they are in the program.

(c) MDITS shall have the authority to cancel any contract made between the agency and any program participant upon such cause being deemed sufficient by the executive director. (d) MDITS shall have full and complete authority and power to sue in its own name any participant for any damages due to the state on any such uncompleted contract, which suit shall be filed and handled by the Attorney General. MDITS may contract with a collections agency or banking institution, subject to approval by the Attorney General, for collection of any damages due to the state from any participant. The State of Mississippi, MDITS and its employees are immune from any suit brought in law or equity for actions taken by the collection agency or banking institution incidental to or arising from their performance under the contract. MDITS, the collection agency and banking institution may negotiate for the payment of a sum that is less than full payment in order to satisfy any damages the participant owes the state, subject to approval by the executive directors.

(4) (a) Any participant who fails to complete undergraduate-or-graduate-level coursework toward a technical or engineering degree or withdraws from school at any time before completing their education shall be liable to repay to MDITS all monies received during the time the recipient was in the program at the rate of pay received by the participant while in the program, including benefits paid by the agency for the participant and monies received for tuition, books and other education-related expenses and fees with interest accruing at ten percent (10%) per annum from the date the participant failed or withdrew from school. The participant will not be liable for repayment for any money earned during the required summer hours. Such money shall be considered earned by the participant at the federal minimum wage rate.

(b) All paid internship compensation received by the participant while in school shall be considered earned, conditioned upon the fulfillment of the terms and obligations of the paid internship contract and this section. However, no recipient of the paid internship shall accrue personal or major medical leave while the recipient is pursuing junior or senior undergraduate-level coursework toward a technical or engineering Bachelor's degree or graduate-level coursework toward a technical or engineering Master's degree. The participant shall not be liable for liquidated damages.

(c) If the recipient does not work at MDITS for the period required under subsection (2)(c) of this section, the recipient shall be liable for repayment on demand of the remaining portion of the compensation that the recipient was paid while in the program which has not been unconditionally earned, with interest accruing at ten percent (10%) per annum from the recipient's date of graduation or the date that the recipient last worked at ITS, whichever is the later date. In addition, there shall be included in any contract for paid student internship a provision for liquidated damages equal to Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), which may be reduced on a pro rata basis for each year served under such contract.

SECTION 2. Section 1 of this act shall be codified in Title 25, Chapter 53, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2023.