Senate Bill 2926

AN ACT TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION OF CAPITAL EXPENSE FUNDS, AND SPECIAL FUNDS TO DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 AND FISCAL YEAR 2025; THE STATE VETERANS AFFAIRS BOARD FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024; THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024; THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024; THE JOINT REAPPORTIONMENT COMMITTEE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024; THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024; THE DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE, FISHERIES AND PARKS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024; STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024; DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 AND FISCAL YEAR 2025; DEPARTMENT OF CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of paying for certain outside legal assistance, expert witness fees, court fees, judgments and settlement agreements incurred by the Office of the Attorney General for the period beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024............................ $ 685,916.00.

Of the funds appropriated in this section, the following amounts are provided:

(a) United States Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Mississippi; Chemfax, Inc., Superfund Site, Gulfport, Harrison County, Mississippi; Docket Number CERCLA-04-2014-3756...........

............................................... $ 6,224.00.

(b) Curtis Flowers v. State of Mississippi, Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Mississippi, Cause No. 1:20-cv-00150

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

(c) Eddie Lee Howard v. State of Mississippi, Circuit Court of Lowndes County, Mississippi, Cause No. 2021-0026-CV1C............

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

(d) Carl Lee Jordan v. State of Mississippi, Cause No. A2401-2020-160; Circuit Court of Harrison County, Mississippi..........

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

(e) Olivia Y., et al v. Phil Bryant, as Governor of the State of Mississippi and the Department of Human Services, United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Jackson Division, Cause No. 3:03cv251(L)(N).............. $ 120,000.00.

(f) Doe, et al. v. Fitch, et al, Cause No. 1:14-cv-00018-CWR-RHW............................................ $ 409,692.00.

SECTION 2. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of paying for certain outside legal assistance, expert witness fees, court fees, judgments and settlement agreements incurred by the Office of the Attorney General for the period beginning upon passage of this act and ending June 30, 2025............... $ 2,400,000.00.

Of the funds appropriated in this section, the following amounts are provided:

(a) United States Department of Justice CRIPA Investigation of MDOC........................................... $ 350,000.00.

(b) Alexander, et al. v. Hall, et al., Cause No. 4:30-CV-21-SA-JMV......................................... $ 525,000.00.

(c) State of Mississippi v. EPA, Case No.: 23-60069 (5th Cir.) and State of Mississippi v. EPA, Case No.: 23-60300 (5th Cir.).. $ 150,000.00.

(d) IRS v. State Agencies............. $ 75,000.00.

(e) White, et al. v. State Board of Election Commissioners, et al., No.4:22-CV-00062-SA-JMV (N.D. Miss)........................

............................................... $ 200,000.00.

(f) Mississippi State Conference of the National Conference for the Advancement of Colored People, et al. v. State Board of Election Commissioners, et al.No.3:22-cv-734 (S.D. Miss)

............................................... $ 750,000.00.

(g) Eric Wallace, et al. v. Mississippi Department of Corrections, et al., Civil Action No. 3:21-cv-516-CWR-LGI........

............................................... $ 350,000.00.

SECTION 3. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the State Veterans Affairs Board for the period beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024........... $ 891,805.00.

This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying expenses related to an ACA penalty.

SECTION 4. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Department of Public Safety for the period beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024............... $ 520,000.00.

This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying expenses related to legal expenses and settlement payment for the civil action titled McLean v. Davis, et al.

SECTION 5. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Department of Revenue License Tag Acquisition Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Department of Revenue for the period beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024. $ 2,700,000.00.

This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying the expenses for purchasing license tags and decals and associated freight costs under Section 27-19-179.

SECTION 6. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Joint Reapportionment Committee for the period beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024........... $ 85,000.00.

This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying legal expenses.

SECTION 7. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, 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 Secretary of State, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Secretary of State for the period beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024........... $ 3,438,425.00.

This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying expenses related to the Broadwater Marina Restoration Project.

SECTION 8. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, 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 Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks for the period beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024............................ $ 834,250.00.

This additional appropriation is for the purpose of providing special fund authority for grants awarded by the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Board.

SECTION 9. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Mississippi Burn Care Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the State Department of Health for the period beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024........... $ 407,687.00.

This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying burn care expenditures.

SECTION 10. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Department of Finance and Administration for the period beginning upon passage, and ending June 30, 2025..

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

This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying the expenses related to the distribution of Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to Nonentitlement Units of Local Government.

SECTION 11. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the General Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Department of Finance and Administration for the period beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024........... $ 4,300,000.00.

This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying state property insurance premiums.

SECTION 12. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, 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 Department of Child Protection Services, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Department of Child Protection Services for the period beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30,

2024........................................... $ 9,905,018.00.

This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying salary and operational expenditures.

SECTION 13. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.