MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2024 Regular Session

To: Appropriations D; Appropriations A

By: Representatives Mims, Read, Barton, Cockerham, Faulkner, Hood, McKnight, Rushing, Watson

House Bill 1817

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF PAYING THE EXPENSES AND PROVIDING CONTINGENT FUNDS FOR THE LEGISLATURE, THE EXPENSES OF THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE BUDGET COMMITTEE, THE EXPENSES OF THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ON PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND EXPENDITURE REVIEW, THE EXPENSES OF THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE REAPPORTIONMENT COMMITTEE, THE EXPENSES OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON COMPILATION, REVISION AND PUBLICATION OF LEGISLATION, PAYING THE MONTHLY EXPENSE ALLOWANCE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE, PAYING THE STATE'S SHARE OF VARIOUS ASSESSMENTS, AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2025.

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

SECTION 1. The following sums, or so much thereof as may be necessary, are appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of paying salaries, mileage, insurance, matching funds and the daily expense allowance of the members of the Legislature for the Regular Session of 2025 and providing contingent funds for the House of Representatives and Senate for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025, as follows:

For salaries, mileage, insurance,

matching funds and daily

expense allowance of members

of the House of Representatives........ $ 4,594,746.00.

For Contingent Fund for the

House of Representatives............... $ 8,844,451.00.

Out of the above amount appropriated for the Contingent Fund for the House of Representatives, not more than Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00) shall be expended for defraying the expenses of and for the use of the members of the Mississippi Commission on Interstate Cooperation, as created under Section 5-5-1 et seq., Mississippi Code of 1972.

For salaries, mileage, insurance,

matching funds and daily

expense allowance of members

of the Senate......................... $ 2,039,306.00.

For Contingent Fund for the Senate.......... $ 6,698,539.00.

Out of the above amount appropriated for the Contingent Fund for the Senate, not more than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) shall be expended for defraying the expenses of and for the use of the members of the Mississippi Commission on Interstate Cooperation, as created under Section 5-5-1 et seq., Mississippi Code of 1972.

For the joint legislative operations of the House of

Representatives and the Senate........ $ 1,252,149.00.

For the expenses of the Joint Legislative

Budget Committee..................... $ 4,953,639.00.

For the expenses of the Joint Legislative

Committee on Performance Evaluation

and Expenditure Review................ $ 2,767,768.00.

For the expenses of the Joint Legislative

Reapportionment Committee.............. $ 303,162.00.

For the expenses of the Joint Legislative

Code Committee........................ $ 400,000.00.

The Joint Legislative Reapportionment Committee shall prepare, publish and provide semiannual reports to each member of the Legislature and such reports shall provide a line-by-line detailed accounting of all receipts and expenditures of any and all monies appropriated by the Legislature to the Joint Legislative Reapportionment Committee. Any meetings of the Joint Legislative Reapportionment Committee shall be held in state offices or at publicly owned facilities.

SECTION 2. The following sums, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of paying the monthly expense allowance of the members of the Legislature, as provided in Section 5-1-41, Mississippi Code of 1972, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025, as follows:

For the House of Representatives............ $ 2,682,317.00.

For the Senate............................. $ 1,164,718.00.

SECTION 3. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary is appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of paying the state's share of various assessments for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025............................ $ 471,211.00.

Of the funds authorized in this section, the following distribution shall be made:

Southern States Energy Board............... $ 29,077.00.

Interstate Cooperation..................... $ 361,899.00.

National Conference of Commissioners

on Uniform State Laws.................... $ 41,835.00.

The Energy Council......................... $ 38,400.00.

SECTION 4. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the joint operations of the House of Representatives and the Senate not otherwise appropriated, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025..................................

............................................... $ 50,000.00.

SECTION 5. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund,as created in Section 27-103-303, Mississippi Code of 1972, and allocated in a manner as determined by the State Treasurer, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025........................................

............................................... $ 250,000.00.

SECTION 6. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, as created in Section 27-103-303, Mississippi Code of 1972, and allocated in a manner as determined by the State Treasurer, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025 $ 1,000,000.00.

SECTION 7. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is reappropriated out of any money in the General Fund not otherwise appropriated for the House of Representatives for the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of General Funds as authorized in HB 1610, 2023 Regular Session, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025........................................

............................................... $ 500,000.00.

Notwithstanding the amount reappropriated under this section, the amount that may be expended under the authority of this section, shall not exceed the unexpended balance of the funds remaining as of June 30, 2024, from the amount authorized for the previous fiscal year. In addition, this reappropriation shall not change the purpose for which the funds were originally authorized.

SECTION 8. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is reappropriated out of any money in the General Fund not otherwise appropriated for the Senate for the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of General Funds as authorized in HB 1610, 2023 Regular Session, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025........................................... $ 500,000.00.

SECTION 9. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby reappropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the joint operations of the House of Representatives and the Senate for the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of State General Funds, as authorized in HB 1610, 2023 Regular Session, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025..................................................

............................................... $ 500,000.00.

SECTION 10. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby reappropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the Joint Legislative Reapportionment Committee for the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of State General Funds, as authorized in HB 1610, 2023 Regular Session, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025................................... $ 20,000.00.

SECTION 11. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby reappropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the Joint Legislative Budget Committee for the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of State General Funds, as authorized in HB 1610, 2023 Regular Session, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025.... $ 300,000.00.

SECTION 12. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is reappropriated out of any money in the Capital Expense Fund not otherwise appropriated for the Joint Legislative Budget Committee for the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of Capital Expense Funds, as authorized in HB 1610, 2023 Regular Session, to defray expenses of the Committee for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025...........................................................

............................................... $ 2,838,800.00.

SECTION 13. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby reappropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review for the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of State General Funds, as authorized in HB 1610, 2023 Regular Session, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025........................................

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

SECTION 14. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is reappropriated out of any money in the Capital Expense Fund not otherwise appropriated for the Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review for the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of Capital Expense Funds, as authorized in HB 1610, 2023 Regular Session, to defray expenses of the Committee for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025 $ 105,000.00.

SECTION 15. It is the intention of the Legislature that whenever two (2) or more bids are received by this Legislature for the purchase of commodities or equipment, and whenever all things stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, quality and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to the Mississippi Industries for the Blind whenever purchases are made without competitive bids.

SECTION 16. None of the funds appropriated under the provisions of this act may be used to pay or reimburse any expenses of out-of-state travel for any member or employee of the House of Representatives without prior approval of the House Management Committee or for any member or employee of the Senate without prior approval of the Senate Rules Committee.

SECTION 17. Of the funds provided herein, the Clerk of the Mississippi House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Mississippi Senate may transfer funds between accounts for their respective chambers which are administered by the Mississippi House of Representatives and the Mississippi Senate.

SECTION 18. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in this act, upon warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal Officer shall issue warrants upon requisitions signed by the proper person, officer or officers, in the manner provided by law.

SECTION 19. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.