MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2024 Regular Session
To: Appropriations
By: Senator(s) Hopson, Polk, Blackwell, McLendon, Simmons (13th)
AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF THE MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 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 hereby appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, to defray the expenses of the Mississippi Development Authority for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025..........................
............................................ $ 20,987,573.00.
SECTION 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Mississippi Development Authority or the appropriate special fund for the purpose of defraying the expenses incurred in the operation of the various divisions of the authority for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025 $ 490,878,410.00.
SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of this act, the following positions are authorized:
AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT:
Permanent: 155
Time-Limited: 39
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. 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
Economic Dev & Incentives
Number of National Recruitment Contacts 1,000
Number of International Investment Contracts 1,800
Number of International Trade Contacts 1,000
Number of Qualified National Prospects 225
Return on Investment 10.00
Number of New Businesses - Global Contacts 15
Number of New Jobs from Global Contacts 3,000
Number of Minority and Small Business
Contacts 8,000
Number of Minority Business
Certification Applications Processed 170
Technical Assistance to Disadvantaged
Contacts 2,300
State Contracting with Minority Business 55,000,000.00
Number of Interactions with Interested
Businesses 3,000
Number of Qualified Contacts 750
Number of Expansions 30
Number of Jobs Created from Expansions 3,000
Number of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy Direct Contacts 10,000
Community Dev & Incentives
Number of Requests for Financing or
Incentives 225
Awarded Grants and Loans for Community
and Economic Development 50,000,000.00
Number of Grants and Loans Awarded 100
Support Services Program
Administration as a Percent of Total Budget 9.50
Tourism (Visit MS)
Number of Tourist Inquiries Generated 38,638
Number of Visitors per Year 26,000,000
Travel Revenue ($ in Billions) 7.00
Number of Tourists Registered 2,706,927
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 5. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2 of this act, the amount of Eight Hundred Thousand Dollars ($800,000.00) shall be provided from the Mississippi Department of Transportation to defray the expenses of the Mississippi Development Authority in operating the state welcome centers.
SECTION 6. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Development Authority 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 7. Of the funds appropriated in Sections 1 and 2 of this act, the amount of Four Million Eight Hundred Seventy-six Thousand Two Hundred Ninety-eight Dollars ($4,876,298.00), or so much thereof as may be necessary, is provided for the purpose of supporting Mississippi Tourism Advertising and Promotion for Fiscal Year 2025, and shall not be expended for any type of cultural exchange program. Of the funds appropriated herein and allocated within this section, Two Hundred Ninety-nine Thousand Dollars ($299,000.00) is provided for Tourism Grant Development Awards.
SECTION 8. It is the intention of the Legislature that none of the funds appropriated above shall be expended unless members of the Mississippi House of Representatives and Mississippi Senate are notified at least five (5) days prior to a public ceremony announcing the award of any grant in their district or any public announcement or ceremony regarding the groundbreaking or opening of a facility, roadway or bridge for which the Legislature has made funds available. Any signage regarding any public event or any new facility, roadway or bridge shall include the following language: "Funds were made available for this project by the Mississippi State Legislature."
SECTION 9. 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 10. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) is provided for the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Areas.
SECTION 11. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) is provided for the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area.
SECTION 12. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Development Authority is hereby authorized to escalate, budget, and expend funds from any source not to exceed Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000.00) in accordance with rules and regulations of the Department of Finance and Administration in a manner consistent with the escalation of federal funds.
SECTION 13. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Development Authority shall submit a notification of any General Fund Transfers out of the major category Subsidies into any other major categories to the Legislative Budget Office.
SECTION 14. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, Twenty Thousand Twenty-five Dollars ($20,025.00) shall be provided for the support of the Mississippi River Parkway Commission.
SECTION 15. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) shall be transferred to Innovate Mississippi.
SECTION 16. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, One Hundred Fifty-six Thousand Dollars ($156,000.00) is provided for the Energy High School Academy, established in Section 37-69-7, Mississippi Code of 1972.
SECTION 17. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, it is the intention of the Legislature that Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) shall be allocated to the Mississippi Book Festival.
SECTION 18. Of the funds appropriated herein, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) shall be provided to the Mississippi Main Street Association for statewide support and operations.
SECTION 19. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Development Authority shall provide quarterly reports on the status of Gulf Coast Restoration Fund projects to the Legislative Budget Office and the Department of Finance and Administration. It is further the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Development Authority shall provide the Joint Legislative Budget Committee a detailed report and other such related information on each project's expenditures with the subsequent fiscal year's budget submission.
SECTION 20. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is reappropriated out of any money in the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund not otherwise appropriated to the Mississippi Development Authority for the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of Gulf Coast Restoration Fund, as provided in Senate Bill No. 3046, 2023 Regular Session, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025................................... $ 744,784.00.
These funds are provided for administrative expenses at the Mississippi Development Authority as outlined in Section 57-119-7, Mississippi Code of 1972.
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 21. 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 Mississippi Development Authority for the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of Capital Expense Funds for the Air Service Development Act, as authorized in Senate Bill No. 3046, 2023
Regular Session, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025.................................. $ 246,431.00.
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 22. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Development Authority may provide operational support to any park operated by the United States National Park Service in Mississippi during the event of a government shutdown that materially affects the operations of such park.
SECTION 23. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2 of this act, the following sums, or so much thereof as may be necessary is appropriated out of the following funds in the State Treasury to the credit of the Mississippi Development Authority for the purpose of Mississippi Major Economic Impact Projects for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025:
(a) Triple Crown Fund for the purposes described in Section 57-1-651, Mississippi Code of 1972................. $ 130,125,000.00.
(b) Project Poppy Fund for the purposes described in Senate Bill No. 2001, 2024 First Extraordinary
Session....................................... $ 235,228,000.00.
(c) Project Atlas Fund for the purposes described in House Bill No. 1, 2024 Second Extraordinary Session........... $ 44,000,000.00.
It is the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Development Authority provide the reporting requirements of each fund appropriated in this section on or before January 5 of each year.
SECTION 24. 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 25. 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.