Senate Bill 3054

AN ACT TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION OF CAPITAL EXPENSE FUNDS, AND SPECIAL FUNDS TO DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR FISCAL YEARS 2025 AND FISCAL YEAR 2026; THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025; THE MISSISSIPPI STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR YEARS 2025 AND 2026; THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES FOR YEAR 2025; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of paying for certain outside legal assistance, expert witness fees, court fees, judgments and settlement agreements incurred by the Office of the Attorney General for the period beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025............................ $ 156,842.00.

Of the funds appropriated in this section, the following amounts are provided:

(a) United States Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Mississippi; Chemfax, Inc., Superfund Site, Gulfport, Harrison County, Mississippi; Docket Number CERCLA 04 2014 3756..................

................................................ $ 6,224.00.

(b) Marta Salvador as Next of Kin to Minor D.C. and Minor D.C. v. Mississippi School for the Deaf and Blind; Civil Action No. 3:23-cv-3100-TSL-RPM (S.D. Miss)............................. $ 25,000.00.

.......................................... $ 50,000.00.

(d) Eddie Lee Howard v. State of Mississippi, Circuit Court of Lowndes County, Mississippi, Cause No. 2021 0026 CV1C............

............................................... $ 50,000.00.

(e) Anthony Fox v. State of Mississippi, Circuit Court of Hinds County, Mississippi, Cause No. 24-188............ $ 25,618.00.

SECTION 2. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of paying for certain outside legal assistance, expert witness fees, court fees, judgments and settlement agreements incurred by the Office of the Attorney General for the period beginning upon passage of this act and ending June 30, 2026............... $ 995,000.00.

Of the funds appropriated in this section, the following amounts are provided:

(a) Olivia Y., et al v. Phil Bryant, as Governor of the State of Mississippi and the Department of Human Services, United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Jackson Division, Cause No. 3:03cv251(L)(N)............................. $ 120,000.00.

(b) United States Department of Justice CRIPA Investigation of MDOC............................................... $ 350,000.00.

(c) Alexander, et al. v. Hall, et al., Cause No. 4:30 CV 21 SA JMV............................................... $ 300,000.00.

(d) IRS v. State Agencies................. $ 75,000.00.

(e) White, et al.v. State Board of Election Commissioners, et al., No.4:22-CV-00062-SA-JMV (N.D. Miss).............. $ 150,000.00.

SECTION 3. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Department of Corrections for the period beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025.............. $ 4,314,425.00.

This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying expenses of the medical program.

SECTION 4. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Mississippi State Department of Health for the period beginning upon passage of this act and ending June 30, 2026..... $ 4,091,381.00.

This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying legal expenses associated with the City of Jackson Water litigation.

SECTION 5. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Department of Child Protection Services for the period beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025 $ 4,497,176.00.

This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying out-of-state therapeutic placement expenditures.

SECTION 6. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Department of Child Protection Services for the period beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025 $ 3,339,144.00.

This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying salary and operational expenditures due to the increased number of children in custody and in-home cases.

SECTION 7. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Department of Child Protection Services for the period beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025 $ 3,988,367.00.

This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying temporary placement expenditures.

SECTION 8. This act shall take effect and be in force from and July 1, 2025, and shall stand repealed from and after June 30, 2025.