HB1809_S_Cmte_Amend

SECTION 1. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the purposes of defraying the expenses of the Department of Rehabilitation Services for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025..........................

............................................ $ 31,663,477.00.

SECTION 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in any special fund in the State Treasury to the credit of the Department of Rehabilitation Services which is comprised of special source funds collected by or otherwise available to the department for the support of the various offices of the department, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the department for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025

............................................ $ 219,338,956.00.

SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 2, Three Million Six Hundred Eighty-one Thousand Eight Hundred Two Dollars ($3,681,802.00) shall be derived from the Health Care Expendable Fund created in Section 43-13-407, Mississippi Code of 1972. The above funds shall be allocated as follows:

Fully match all available federal

funds.............................. $ 2,782,590.00.

Independent Living Program which

includes the State Attendant

Care Program....................... $ 854,903.00.

Deaf and hard of hearing................. $ 44,309.00.

SECTION 4. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of this act, the following positions are authorized:

AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT:

Permanent: 859

Time-Limited: 185

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 5. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Department of Rehabilitation Services 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 6. The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind shall remain accredited by using not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) of the funds appropriated along with matching funds for payment of fees to an accreditation agency recommended by the Rehabilitation Services Administration.

SECTION 7. Of the funds appropriated herein, the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind is authorized to expend an amount not to exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) for the National Federation for the Blind (NFB) News line service to allow blind and visually impaired persons to access newspapers through toll-free telephone calls.

SECTION 8. 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 9. 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

Disability Determination Services

Number of Dispositions 60,000

Processing Time (Days) 150

Voc Rehabilitation For The Blind

Blind & Visually Impaired Served (Persons) 2,050

Number of Persons Rehabilitated 295

Independent Living (Number Served) 720

Percent Change in Persons Employed

Compared to Persons Served 14.00

Vocational Rehabilitation

Number of Clients Served 15,050

Number of Clients Rehabilitated 2,545

Percent Change of Persons Employed

Compared to Persons Served 16.00

Persons Employed with Pay Rate Greater

than Federal or State Minimum Wage 2,545

Persons with Significant Disabilities

Leaving VR With Competitive, Self, or

BEP Employment, Wage = or > Than Minimum 1,588

Spinal Cord & Head Injury Program

Number of Clients Served 1,050

Percent Change in Number of Spinal Cord

& Brain injuries per Year 3.00

Special Disability Programs

Number of Clients Served 3,100

Percent Change in Persons Receiving HCBW

Services Compared to Waiting List 25.00

Ratio of Cost to HCBW Services per

Person Compared to an Institutional

Setting 38.00

Support Services

Percent of Total Budget 2.00

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 10. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1, it is the intention of the Legislature that One Million Five Hundred Sixty-three Thousand Thirty-nine Dollars ($1,563,039.00) shall be allocated to the Spinal Cord & Head Injury Trust supported from General Fund court assessments.

SECTION 11. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 and Section 2 of this act, it is the intention of the Legislature that continued funding at or above the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriated amount shall be provided for Forty-one Hundred (4,100) slots in the Home and Community Based Waiver programs for Independent Living and Spinal Cord/Traumatic Brain Injury Waiver programs.

SECTION 12. It is the intention of the Legislature that the funds herein appropriated shall be expended in compliance with Section 27-104-25, Mississippi Code of 1972, that no state agency shall incur obligations or indebtedness in excess of their appropriation and that the responsible officers, either personally or upon their official bonds, shall be held responsible for actions contrary to this provision.

SECTION 13. 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 14. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024, and shall stand repealed June 29, 2024.