Senate Bill 3048

(As Passed the Senate)

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025.

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

SECTION 1. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the support and maintenance of the Secretary of State for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025..................................................

............................................ $ 12,844,299.00.

SECTION 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized for expenditure out of any special source funds which are collected by or otherwise become available for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Secretary of State for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025.... $ 17,420,640.00.

SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 1, the following positions are authorized:

AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT:

Permanent: 88

Time-Limited: 12

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. None of the funds appropriated by this act shall be expended for any purpose that is not actually required or necessary for performing any of the powers or duties of the Office of the Secretary of State that are authorized by the Mississippi Constitution of 1890, state or federal law, or rules or regulations that implement state or federal law.

SECTION 5. No part of the funds appropriated herein shall be used, either directly or indirectly, for the purpose of paying any clerk, stenographer, assistant, deputy, or other person who may be related by blood or marriage within the third degree, computed by the rules of the civil law, to the official employing or having the right of employment or selection thereof; and in the event of any such payment, then the official or person approving and making or receiving such payment shall be jointly and severally liable to return to the State of Mississippi and to pay into the State Treasury three (3) times any such amount so paid or received, to be recovered at suit of the Attorney General; provided that when the relationship is by affinity and the person through whom the relationship was established is dead, this provision shall not apply.

SECTION 6. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, the Secretary of State may use funds appropriated for the purposes of defraying litigation expenses associated with the enforcement of the Mississippi Securities Act, the Regulation of Charitable Solicitations Act, and the administration of the Public Trust.

SECTION 7. 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

Business Services

Percent of Business Services Customer

Phone Calls Answered 95.00

Elections

Number of Poll Workers to Successfully

Complete the Online Training Program 82

Number of Voter Registrations Updated on

Secure Online Website 1,433

Percent of Poll Workers who Successfully

Complete the Online Poll Manager

Training on Their First Attempt 60.00

Publications

Number of Visits to the Secretary of

State's Website 9,000,000

Public Lands

Number of Tax-Forfeited Properties Sold 2,000

Support Services

Support Services as a Percent of Total

Agency Expenditures 16.00

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 8. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, no more than Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) is provided for paying principal and interest on bond issues for county voting systems.

SECTION 9. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2 of this act, One Million Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($1,750,000.00), or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Land Records Maintenance Fund, for the purpose of making distributions to local governments for taxes owed during the fiscal year.

SECTION 10. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2 of this act, Four Million Two Hundred Fifteen Thousand Three Hundred Ninety-three Dollars ($4,215,393.00), or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Elections Support Fund, for the purpose of acquiring, upgrading, maintaining, or repairing voting equipment, systems, and supplies, hiring temporary technical support, conducting elections using such voting equipment or systems and training election officials during the fiscal year.

SECTION 11. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2 of this act, Eleven Million Dollars ($11,000,000.00), or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Public Trust Tidelands Fund, and is authorized to be transferred by the Secretary of State to the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources.

SECTION 12. 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 13. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) is for the purpose of expenses related to cybersecurity and election integrity.

SECTION 14. 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 15. 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.