MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2024 Regular Session

To: Appropriations

By: Senator(s) Hopson, Polk, Wiggins, DeBar, Hickman, Norwood, Branning

Senate Bill 3020

(As Passed the Senate)

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025.

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

SECTION 1.  The following sum of money, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, to defray the expenses of the Department of Public Safety for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025................................ $   158,155,576.00.

SECTION 2.  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 Public Safety for the purpose of defraying the expenses incurred in the operation of the various divisions of the department for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025................................ $   107,854,977.00.

     SECTION 3.  Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of this act, the following positions are authorized:

  AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT:

Permanent:        1,693

Time-Limited:        78

     With the funds herein appropriated, it shall be the agency's responsibility to make certain that funds required for Personal Services for Fiscal Year 2026 do not exceed Fiscal Year 2025 funds appropriated for that purpose unless programs or positions are added to the agency's Fiscal Year 2025 budget by the Mississippi Legislature. The Legislature shall determine the agency's personal services appropriation, which the State Personnel Board shall publish. In accordance with applicable laws, if an agency determines that its personal services amount is insufficient, the agency must contact the State Personnel Board. Any adjustment to the personal services amount must be approved by the State Personnel Director and the State Fiscal Officer after consultation with the Legislative Budget Office. Any adjustment shall be reported to the Legislative Budget Office and the House and Senate Appropriations Chairmen. The agency's personal services appropriation may consist of restricted funds for approved vacancies for Fiscal Year 2025 that may not be utilized for active Fiscal Year 2024 headcount. It shall be the agency's responsibility to ensure that the funds provided for vacancies are used to increase headcount and not for promotions, title changes, in-range salary adjustments, or any other mechanism for increasing salaries for current employees. If the State Personnel Board determines that an agency has used provided vacancy funds for any of the mechanisms previously listed, the State Personnel Board shall not process any additional salary actions for the agency in the current fiscal year, except for new hires determined by the State Personnel Board to be essential for the agency. It is the Legislature's intention that no employee salary falls below the minimum salary established by the Mississippi State Personnel Board.

     Additionally, the State Personnel Board shall determine and publish the projected annualized payroll costs based on current employees. It shall be the responsibility of the agency head to ensure that actual personnel expenditures for Fiscal Year 2025 do not exceed the data provided by the Legislative Budget Office. If the agency's projected cost for Fiscal Year 2025 exceeds the annualized costs, no salary actions shall be processed by the State Personnel Board except for new hires determined to be essential for the agency.

     Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with the terms, conditions, and procedures established by law or allowable under the terms set forth within this act. The State Personnel Board shall not escalate positions without written approval from the Department of Finance and Administration. The Department of Finance and Administration shall not provide written approval to escalate any funds for salaries and/or positions without proof of availability of new or additional funds above the appropriated level.

     No general funds authorized to be expended herein shall be used to replace federal funds and/or other special funds used for salaries authorized under the provisions of this act and which are withdrawn and no longer available.

     None of the funds herein appropriated shall be used in violation of the Internal Revenue Service's Publication 15-A relating to the reporting of income paid to contract employees, as interpreted by the Office of the State Auditor.

SECTION 4.  The Commissioner of Public Safety may, on a case-by-case basis, within funds available, recommend that corrective salary adjustments be made to the compensation of employees of the Department of Public Safety where an inequity was created between employees of equivalent capacity by previous application of the agency appropriation acts.  Any such corrective salary adjustment plan must have prior approval by the State Personnel Board.  Such adjustments will not be retroactive.

     Any funds in the Salary, Wages and Fringe Benefits major object of expenditure may be used to purchase accumulated compensatory time within funds available.

     SECTION 5.  It is the intention of the Legislature, that the Department of Public Safety shall receive Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00) from the Mississippi Department of Transportation, for the operations of the Office of Commercial Transportation Enforcement Division that is authorized in Section 77-7-330, Mississippi Code of 1972.

     SECTION 6.  It is the intent of the Legislature that the local governments pay for part of the computer cost of the Mississippi Justice Information Center by maintaining their contribution to the Department of Public Safety.

     SECTION 7.  It is the intention of the Legislature that the Department of Public Safety designate certain employees to aid the Office of Forensics Laboratories in the billing and collecting of all fees charged for services rendered by the Office of Forensics Laboratories.

     SECTION 8.  No part of the funds appropriated herein shall be transferred to, expended by, or used, directly or indirectly, for the benefit of any public relations, publicity or publication activities of any other state agency, department or officer, nor shall any personnel paid with funds appropriated herein be transferred or assigned to any other state agency, department or officer for public relations, publicity, or publication activities of such office.

     SECTION 9.  It is the intention of the Legislature that the Department of Public Safety shall not issue citations for violations of speed limits on a quota basis.  No funds expended under this act shall be used for such quota-based citations for violations of speed limits.

     SECTION 10.  In compliance with the "Mississippi Performance Budget and Strategic Planning Act of 1994," it is the intent of the Legislature that the funds provided herein shall be utilized in the most efficient and effective manner possible to achieve the intended mission of this agency.  Based on the funding authorized, this agency shall make every effort to attain the targeted performance measures provided below:

                                                          FY2025

Performance Measures                                       Target

Enforcement

     Percent Increase in Enforcement Citations                7.50

     Percent Decrease in Fatalities                          4.00

     Percent Increase in DUI Arrests

          (includes felony DUI)                              5.00

     Number of Criminal Investigations                     68,000

     Number of Highway Fatalities per 100

          Million Vehicle Miles of Travel                    0.80

     Number of Alcohol Impaired Driving

          Fatalities per 100,000 Population                  1.60

     Number of Driving Under the Influence

          (DUI) Arrests per 100,000 population              230.00

     Percent Increase in Seatbelt/Child

          Restraint Citations                                7.00

Driver Services

     Number of Driver's License/ID Cards Issued            635,250

     Cost per License Document Produced                     24.00

     Number of Driver's Suspended                          24,300

     Number of Accident Reports Processed                   1,650

     Average Wait Time (Minutes)                            20.00

     Number of Documented Complaints                           24

     Percent Change in Wait Time                            -5.00

     Percent Change in Complaints                            1.10

     Percent Increase in Regular and

          Commercial Driver Licenses Issued                 10.00

Support Services

     Number of Financial Transactions Processed             45,402

     Number of Employees Supported                          1,776

Forensic Analysis

     Number of Reports Issued (Cases)                      25,000

     Number of Court Testimonies (Cases)                      200

     Cost per Case Analyzed                                450.00

     Cost per Testimony                                    550.00

     Percent of Days for Reports Issued                     40.00

Dna Analysis

     Number of Known Felony Offender Samples

          in Database                                     165,000

     Number of Proficiency Samples                            950

     Number of Casework Samples Examined                   12,500

     Cost per Sample                                       750.00

     Maintain the Integrity of the CODIS Database            99.00

Forensic Pathology

     Number of Deaths Investigated                         26,500

     Number of Autopsies Performed SME Office                1,400

     Cost per Autopsy Performed                          2,000.00

     Percent Change in the Number of Deaths

          Investigated                                       3.00

     Percent of Coroners Educated by ME's Office             45.00

     Percent Change in the Number of

          Autopsies Performed at SME Office                  2.00

Training Academy

     Number of Basic Students to Graduate                     200

     Number of Basic Refresher Students to

          Graduate                                            10

     Number of In-Service and Advanced

          Students to Graduate                                850

     Percent of Law Enforcement Officers Trained            100.00

Drug Enforcement

     Number of Drug Suspects Arrested                       1,300

     Number of Drug Cases Prosecuted                          600

     Number of Drug Organization Disrupted

          and/or Dismantled                                     4

     Percent Change in Number of Drug

          Suspects Arrested                                  1.00

     Percent Change in Number of Drug Cases

          Prosecuted                                         1.00

     Percent Change in Number of Drug

          Organization Disrupted and/or Dismantled            1.00

Jail Officer Training

     Number of Jail and Youth Detention

          Officers Certified                                  250

     Number of Certification Transactions                   2,750

     Number of Administrative Review Actions                    5

     Percent of Appointed Jail and Youth

          Detention Officers Obtaining

          Certification                                     60.00

     Percent of Administrative Review Actions

          Taken Within One Year                              1.00

Law Enforcement Training

     Number of Basic Law Enforcement Officers

          Certified                                          500

     Number of Certification Transactions                   2,500

     Number of Training Quality Monitoring

          Actions                                          1,000

     Percent of Appointed Law Enforcement

          Officers Obtaining Certification                  75.00

     Percent of Appointed Part-Time, Reserve,

          Auxiliary Officers Obtaining

          Certification                                     80.00

     Percent of Administrative Disciplinary

          Actions Taken Within One Year                      3.50

Highway Safety

     Number of Federal Applications Funded

          and Statewide Pgms Supported                         10

     Percent Decrease in the Number of

          Unrestrained Passenger Vehicle Occupant

          Fatalities by 5%                                   2.00

     Percent Decrease in the Number of

          Fatalities in Crashes Involving a Driver

          or Motorcycle Operator with a BAC of

          .08 and Above                                      1.00

Justice

     Number of Juvenile Jail/Detention

          Alternatives                                         4

     Number of Hot Spots Policing Programs Funded                3

Emerg Telecommunications Tng

     Number of Emergency Telecommunicators

          Certified                                          500

     Number of Certification Transactions                   2,000

     Percent of Appointed Emergency

          Telecommunicators Obtaining

          Certification                                     75.00

     Percent of Appointed Emergency

          Telecommunicators Obtaining

          Recertification                                   75.00

     Percent of Administrative Review Actions

          Taken Within One Year                              1.00

Council On Aging

     Number of Triad Programs Established                       2

     Number of Training Programs Conducted                      0

     Provide On-Site-Training                                   0

     Percent Change in Number of Operational

          Triad Programs                                     3.00

     Percent Increase in Funding to Counties

          to Educate Senior Citizens                         0.00

Juvenile Facility Monitoring Unit

     Number of Facilities Inspected                           125

     Number of Strategic Plans Implemented                     20

     Percentage of Admin Review Actions Taken

          Within One Year                                   80.00

Homeland Security

     Number of OHS Grants for Jurisdictions                   325

     Number of First Responder Classes                        210

     Percent Increase in Emergency Task Force

          Responder Training and Exercises                   2.00

     Percent Increase in Citizen and

          Community Preparedness Training and

          Exercises                                         10.00

     Percent Increase in Requests for Information             3.08

     Percent Increase in National Incident

          Mgmt Training and Exercises                        1.49

Investigations

     Number of Human Trafficking Cases Initiated               250

     Number of Human Trafficking Arrests                       50

     Number of Human Trafficking Child Recoveries               25

Capitol Police

     Number of Patrols                                         65

     Number of Emergencies (Medical, Weather,

          Active Shooter, etc.)                             4,500

     Average Time to Respond to an Emergency

          (Minutes)                                          5.00

Motor Carrier

     Number of Compliance Reviews                          50,000

     Number of On-site Examinations at Scales               32,000

     Number of Trucks Weighed                           5,800,000

     A reporting of the degree to which the performance targets set above have been or are being achieved shall be provided in the agency's budget request submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee for Fiscal Year 2026.

     SECTION 11.  It is the intention of the Legislature that all divisions within the Mississippi Department of Public Safety shall maintain complete accounting and personnel records related to the expenditure of all funds appropriated under this act and that such records shall be in the same format and level of detail as maintained for Fiscal Year 2024.  It is further the intention of the Legislature that the agency's budget request for Fiscal Year 2026 shall be submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee in a format and level of detail comparable to the format and level of detail provided during the Fiscal Year 2025 budget request process.

     SECTION 12.  Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 2 of this act, funds may be expended to defray the costs of clothing for sworn nonuniform law enforcement officers in an amount not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) annually per officer.

     SECTION 13.  It is the intention of the Legislature that whenever two (2) or more bids are received by this agency 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 14.  The department is authorized to expend available funds on technology or equipment upgrades or replacements when it will generate savings through efficiency or when the savings generated from such upgrades or replacements exceed expenditures thereof.

     SECTION 15.  Of the funds provided herein, and in addition to the One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) authorized in Section 45-3-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, Department of Public Safety Officers who are licensed commercial pilots shall receive an additional Nine Hundred Dollars ($900.00), for a total of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), additional compensation for such service.

     SECTION 16.  It is the direction of the Legislature that all Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) nonexempt sworn officers of the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol who are working one hundred seventy-one (171) hours in a twenty-eight-day work cycle be compensated based on the annual salary established by the State Personnel Board for a one-hundred-sixty-hour per month schedule divided by two thousand eighty-seven and one hundred forty-three one thousandths (2,087.143), for an hourly rate, to be multiplied by two thousand two hundred twenty-three (2,223) or one hundred seventy-one (171) hours in a twenty-eight-day work cycle for a new annual salary.  All hours worked over one hundred seventy-one (171) hours in a twenty-eight-day schedule shall be governed by the FLSA or other special compensation plan.  All realignments after July 1, 2010, shall be calculated using this formula.  This section shall be known as the "David R. Huggins Act."

SECTION 17.  Of the funds appropriated in Sections 1 and 2 of this act, Four Hundred Ninety-five Thousand One Hundred Ninety Dollars ($495,190.00) is appropriated out of any funds in the State Treasury to the credit of the Department of Public Safety for the purposes of paying for eleven (11) hours of compensatory time at an hourly rate based on two thousand eighty-seven and one hundred forty-three one thousandths (2,087.143) hours per year for sworn officers who hold the rank of Lieutenant and above.  The funds provided in this section to pay for the eleven (11) hours authorized in this section shall be expended only for this purpose.

     SECTION 18.  It is the intention of the Legislature that the Department of Public Safety shall provide an annual report to the Mississippi Legislature detailing any elected official or any other person who is not an employee of the Department of Public Safety who was transported in Highway Patrol aircraft during the fiscal year.  The report shall be provided to each member of the Mississippi Legislature on or before January 15, 2025.

     SECTION 19.  The Commissioner of Public Safety shall have the authority to transfer any funds from any division within the Department of Public Safety to any other division of the Department of Public Safety Special Funds, including, but not limited to, Funds 3711, 371C, 371E, 3713, 3714, 3715, 3740, 3741, 3742, 3744, 3747 and 3718, not to exceed Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000.00) collectively during Fiscal Year 2025.  However, none of the funds appropriated by this act shall be expended unless the Department of Public Safety provides prior written notification of any transfer of funds provided in this section.

     SECTION 20.  The Bureau of Narcotics is authorized to expend a sum, not to exceed Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) from account No. 3371800000, for purposes of effectuating the provisions of Section 41-29-179, Mississippi Code of 1972, Section 1 of this act.  Expenditures authorized by this section may include, but not be limited to, costs associated with contracting with one or more vendors, contractors or other persons or entities to create, operate and maintain the forfeiture website and to provide continuing support in relation thereto.  In the event an amount less than Five Hundred Thousand ($500,000.00) is required to effectuate the purposes of this section, the Bureau is authorized to expend the remainder of such authorized funds for the purchase of commodities, vehicles and/or other equipment necessary in the furtherance of the needs of the Bureau.

     SECTION 21.  Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, it is the intention of the Legislature that Four Million Three Hundred Twelve Thousand Six Hundred Two Dollars ($4,312,602.00) may be allocated for the programs supported from General Fund court assessments as follows:

State Crime Stoppers Fund................. $      99,003.00.

Adult Driver Training..................... $      75,794.00.

Information Exchange Network Fund.......... $     264,007.00.

     Forensics Laboratory of MS – Implied

Consent Law Fund..................... $     404,795.00.

     Forensics Laboratory of MS – DNA

Identification Fund.................. $     629,543.00.

     Law Enforcement and Firefighters Death

Benefits Trust Fund.................. $     191,361.00.

     Law Enforcement Standards Training – Law

Enforcement Officers Training Fund.... $   2,276,404.00.

Drug Abuse/Driver's License Reinstatement.. $      13,573.00.

Federal – State Alcohol Program Fund....... $     160,431.00.

MS Leadership Council on Aging Fund........ $     197,691.00.

     SECTION 22.  It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Mississippi Department of Public Safety, shall have the authority to receive, budget and expend special funds from the Drug Evidence Disposition Funds (3372000000), not to exceed Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00).

     SECTION 23.  Of the funds appropriated by this act, pursuant to Section 97-3-54.9, Mississippi Code of 1972, Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) is provided for the duties and operations of a Statewide Human Trafficking Coordinator and a data analyst within the Bureau of Investigation in the Department of Public Safety, who shall coordinate all statewide activities and work with the Department of Child Protection Services for all victims recovered.

SECTION 24.  Of the funds appropriated by this act, pursuant to Section 45-1-2(7), Mississippi Code of 1972, Two Hundred Forty-two Thousand Six Hundred Three Dollars ($242,603.00) is provided for the duties and operations associated with the Mississippi School Safety Act of 2019.

     SECTION 25.  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 to the Department of Public Safety for the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of Capital Expense Funds, as authorized in Senate Bill No. 3012, 2023 Regular Session, to the Department of Public Safety for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending

June 30, 2025.................................. $   6,208,815.00.

This reappropriation is for the following purposes:

(a)  Forensics Case Backlog................ $     432,815.00.

(b)  Driver Services Bureau IDEMIA System.. $   5,610,000.00.

(c)  Driver Services Bureau to upgrade and maintain the IDEMIA System and any equipment necessary to implement requirements under Section 63-1-16, Mississippi Code of 1972.......................

.............................................. $     166,000.00.

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 26.  The department may subgrant a portion of the funds appropriated herein to the Jackson Police Department for eligible activities contingent upon the execution of an operational agreement between the Capitol Police and Jackson Police Department on roles and responsibilities within the Capitol Complex Improvement District.

SECTION 27.  With the funds appropriated herein, the Department of Public Safety is authorized to make payment to certain vendors for expenses incurred during 2021, 2022 and 2023 in the following total amount........................................ $      21,172.67.

     SECTION 28.  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 his warrants upon requisitions signed by the proper person, officer or officers, in the manner provided by law.

     SECTION 29.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024, and shall stand repealed from and after June 30, 2024.