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AMENDMENT NO 3 PROPOSED TO

Senate Bill No. 2727

BY: Representative Holloway (76th)

Amend after line 263 by inserting the following:

     "SECTION 3.  (1)  There is hereby established the Land Grant Institutions Funding History Task Force to Examine 50 years, from 1962 to 2012, of State Funding to the Agricultural Land Grant Extension and Research institutions of higher learning in Mississippi created in Sections 37-121-1 and 37-113-1.  The members of the task force shall be as follows:

          (a)  The Chairmen of the Universities and Colleges  Committees of the Mississippi Senate and Mississippi House of Representatives, or their designees from their respective committee membership;

          (b)  The Chairmen of the Appropriations Committees of the Mississippi Senate and Mississippi House of Representatives, or their designees from their respective committee membership;

          (c)  A member of the Board of Trustees of State

Institutions of Higher Learning or the Commissioner of

Higher Education;

          (d)  The President of Alcorn State University or the

president's designee; and

          (e)  The President of Mississippi State University or the president's designee;

          (f)  A resident of the state appointed by the Governor who holds an undergraduate degree from Alcorn State University. Such designee shall have significant business or other professional experience;

          (g)  A resident of the state appointed by the Lieutenant

Governor who holds an undergraduate degree from Mississippi State University. Such designee shall have significant business or other professional experience;

          (h)  A resident of the state appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Such designee shall have significant business or other professional experience;

          (i)  The Executive Director of the Joint Legislative

Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) or the executive director's designee.

     (2)  All appointments to the task force must be made no later than June 30, 2024.  After the members are appointed, the members of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning or Commissioner of Higher Education shall set the date for an organizational meeting within forty-five (45) days of this bill becoming law and which is mutually acceptable to a majority of the task force members. Meetings of the task force shall be held at the State Capitol or any state institution of higher learning; however, if it is not feasible for the task force to hold an in-person meeting, the task force may convene utilizing an online meeting platform that is accessible for viewing by the public. At the organizational meeting, the task force shall elect a chair from the members designated under paragraphs (a) through (i) of subsection (1).  A majority of the members of the task force constitute a quorum at all task force meetings and shall be required to approve any final report and recommendation.

     (3)  The task force shall evaluate the current and historical data, resources, and laws and policies of the State of Mississippi.  Specifically, the task force shall:

          (a)  Examine, research, and analyze fifty (50) years of data, from the period of 1962 to 2012, of historical land grant federal and match funding, extension service and research for the land grant state institutions of higher learning in Mississippi to compare and determine the extent to which the institutions were funded under federal land grant laws and policies;

          (b)  The economic impact on students, faculty, the regional community served by Alcorn State University and Mississippi State University, and the State of Mississippi, which resulted from differences in funding;

          (c)  Recommendations for the state to address any funding distinctions in prior years by allocating additional state funding to the respective institution for such number of years determined to be appropriate by the task force; and

          (d)  Review any other relevant matters related to the above issues or of the land grant state institutions of higher learning in Mississippi.

     (4)  Based upon the results of its research, analysis, and study, the task force shall develop and make recommendations for a plan of action to address any funding differences discovered in prior years and to secure ongoing greater state funding for the land grant state institutions of higher learning in Mississippi, in future years.

     (5) Members of the task force shall serve without compensation and subject to appropriations, members of the task force who are not state employees may be compensated at the per diem rate authorized by Section 25-3-69 and reimbursed in accordance with Section 25-3-41 for mileage and actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.  However, task force members may not incur per diem, travel or other expenses unless previously authorized by vote at a meeting of the task force, which action must be recorded in the official minutes of the meeting. Per diem and expense payments made pursuant to this subsection may be paid from any funds made available to the task force for that purpose.

     (6)  The Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning and any other related agency, entity or organization with expertise in higher education, federal designated land grant institutions, historically black colleges and universities, legislative funding history and other issues shall assist the task force.

     (7)  The Department of Finance and Administration and the Legislative Budget Office shall provide administrative, technology and clerical support to meetings of the task force and draft the final report.

     (8) Before December 31, 2024, the task force shall prepare and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, with copies to all task force members."

     Further, amend the title to conform on line 23, by inserting the following after the semicolon:

"TO CREATE THE LAND GRANT INSTITUTIONS FUNDING HISTORY TASK FORCE TO EXAMINE 50 YEARS OF FUNDING TO THE STATE AGRICULTURAL LAND GRANT EXTENSION AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI; TO PRESCRIBE THE MEMBERSHIP AND SPECIFIC DUTIES OF THE TASK FORCE; TO REQUIRE THE TASK FORCE TO SUBMIT A REPORT OF ITS WORK AND RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE DECEMBER 31, 2024, TO THE GOVERNOR, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, ON FUNDING, POLICY AND LAWS IN MISSISSIPPI WITH A GOAL OF GREATER INVESTMENT IN THE STATE LAND GRANT SYSTEM FOR THE FUTURE;".