Read the full stored bill text
H. B. No. 1890 *HR26/A841SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ A1/2
26/HR26/A841SG
PAGE 1
To: Appropriations B;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representatives Bounds, Read, Anderson
(122nd), Clark, Eure, Hale, Jackson (11th),
Pigott, Rosebud
HOUSE BILL NO. 1890
(As Sent to Governor)
AN ACT APPROVING THE EXPENDITURE OF SPECIAL FUNDS FOR THE 1
PURPOSE OF DEFRAYING THE EXPENSES OF THE STATE BOARD OF 2
REGISTRATION FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS AND LAND SURVEYORS FOR 3
FISCAL YEAR 2027. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 5
SECTION 1. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 6
necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State 7
Treasury to the credit of the State Board of Registration for 8
Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, for the purpose of 9
defraying the expenses of the board for the fiscal year beginning 10
July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027......... $ 1,277,547.00. 11
SECTION 2. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of 12
this act, not more than the following amount of funds, with the 13
exception of the provisions in this section, shall be expended 14
only for "Personal Services," which includes "Vacancy Funding," 15
for the following authorized number of employment headcount: 16
FUNDING: 17
General Funds: $ 0.00 18
Special Funds: $ 471,877.00 19
H. B. No. 1890 *HR26/A841SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR26/A841SG
PAGE 2
Total Funds: $ 471,877.00 20
PERSONAL SERVICES: 21
Employee Salaries, Wages and 22
Fringe Benefits: $ 399,825.00 23
Progressions: $ 0.00 24
Vacancy Funding: $ 72,052.00 25
Total Personal Services: $ 471,877.00 26
AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT: 27
Permanent: 6 28
Time-Limited: 0 29
As used in this section, the term "Personal Services" shall 30
mean funds provided under the major object of expenditure category 31
Personal Services for Salaries, Wages, and Fringe Benefits. Funds 32
in this category shall not be transferred to any other category. 33
It is the intention of the Legislature to ensure compliance 34
with the Variable Compensation Plan, as outlined in Section 35
25-9-147, Mississippi Code of 1972. Payment from these funds 36
shall be in accordance with the Variable Compensation Plan 37
promulgated by the Mississippi State Personnel Board. It is the 38
Legislature's intention that no employee's salary falls below the 39
minimum salary established by the Mississippi State Personnel 40
Board. 41
The State Personnel Board shall determine and publish the 42
projected annual cost of "Personal Services" based on monthly and 43
H. B. No. 1890 *HR26/A841SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR26/A841SG
PAGE 3
year-to-date payroll expenditures in compliance with the 44
provisions of this act. 45
With the funds herein appropriated, it shall be the agency's 46
responsibility to ensure that no single personnel action or 47
combination of personnel actions, when annualized, exceeds the 48
Fiscal Year 2027 appropriation for "Personal Services" with the 49
exception of escalated funds. Further, it shall be the agency's 50
responsibility to ensure that funds required to be appropriated 51
for "Personal Services" for Fiscal Year 2028 do not exceed Fiscal 52
Year 2027 funds appropriated for that purpose unless programs or 53
positions are added to the agency's Fiscal Year 2027 budget by the 54
Mississippi Legislature. 55
If, at the time the agency takes any action to change 56
"Personal Services," the State Personnel Board determines that the 57
agency has taken or will take an action that would cause the 58
agency to exceed the funds appropriated in this act when 59
annualized for Fiscal Year 2027 or increase the need for "Personal 60
Services" for Fiscal Year 2028, when annualized, the State 61
Personnel Board shall process no salary actions until such time as 62
the requirements of the provisions of this section are met with 63
the exception of new hires determined to be essential for the 64
agency. 65
When used in this section, "Vacancy Funding" shall mean funds 66
included in the Total Personal Services amount listed above and 67
designated for approved vacancies in Fiscal Year 2027. These funds 68
H. B. No. 1890 *HR26/A841SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR26/A841SG
PAGE 4
are to be utilized to increase the number of filled headcounts 69
that were authorized but unfilled as of the last day of Fiscal 70
Year 2026. If the agency fills additional headcounts after 71
February 1, 2026, until the end of Fiscal Year 2026, the amount of 72
available Vacancy Funding may be proportionally adjusted to 73
reflect the updated number of filled headcounts. The agency shall 74
be responsible for ensuring that "Vacancy Funding" is used to 75
increase headcounts and not for promotions, title changes, 76
in-range salary adjustments, or any other mechanism for increasing 77
salaries for current employees. 78
Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with 79
the terms, conditions, and procedures established by law or 80
allowable under the terms set forth within this act. The State 81
Personnel Board shall not escalate positions or increase the 82
Personal Services total without written approval from the 83
Department of Finance and Administration. The Department of 84
Finance and Administration shall not provide written approval to 85
escalate any funds for salaries and/or headcounts without proof of 86
availability of new or additional funds above the appropriated 87
level. Unless specifically noted, all Fiscal Year 2026 escalated 88
headcounts have been accounted for and shall be converted to 89
authorized time-limited headcounts. 90
No general funds authorized to be expended herein shall be 91
used to replace federal funds and/or other special funds used for 92
H. B. No. 1890 *HR26/A841SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR26/A841SG
PAGE 5
salaries authorized under the provisions of this act and which are 93
withdrawn and no longer available. 94
None of the funds herein appropriated shall be used in 95
violation of the Internal Revenue Service's Publication 15-A 96
relating to the reporting of income paid to contract employees, as 97
interpreted by the Office of the State Auditor. 98
If the agency's total authorized headcount decreases from 99
Fiscal Year 2026 to Fiscal Year 2027, it will be the agency's 100
discretion as to what headcounts are removed. 101
SECTION 3. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 102
State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land 103
Surveyors shall maintain complete accounting and personnel records 104
related to the expenditure of all funds appropriated under this 105
act and that such records shall be in the same format and level of 106
detail as maintained for Fiscal Year 2026. It is further the 107
intention of the Legislature that the agency's budget request for 108
Fiscal Year 2028 shall be submitted to the Joint Legislative 109
Budget Committee in a format and level of detail comparable to the 110
format and level of detail provided during the Fiscal Year 2027 111
budget request process. 112
SECTION 4. Of the funds provided in Section 1, Six Hundred 113
Thousand Dollars ($600,000.00) shall be provided in grants for 114
ABET-Accredited engineering programs and Board-approved surveying 115
programs of any college or university in the State of Mississippi, 116
after application to and subject to approval by the Board. The 117
H. B. No. 1890 *HR26/A841SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR26/A841SG
PAGE 6
Board will develop guidelines for application, award, and 118
disbursement of these grants. The Board will issue a written 119
report to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and the chairs of the 120
House and Senate Appropriations Committees as to how the grants 121
were awarded not later than August 1, 2027. 122
SECTION 5. It is the intention of the Legislature that 123
whenever two (2) or more bids are received by this agency for the 124
purchase of commodities or equipment, and whenever all things 125
stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, 126
quality and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind 127
shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to 128
the Mississippi Industries for the Blind whenever purchases are 129
made without competitive bids. 130
SECTION 6. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 131
funds herein appropriated shall be expended in compliance with 132
Section 27-104-25, Mississippi Code of 1972, that no state agency 133
shall incur obligations or indebtedness in excess of their 134
appropriation and that the responsible officers, either personally 135
or upon their official bonds, shall be held responsible for 136
actions contrary to this provision. 137
SECTION 7. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by 138
the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury to the 139
credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in this act, upon 140
warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal 141
H. B. No. 1890 *HR26/A841SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR26/A841SG
PAGE 7
ST: Appropriation; Engineers and Land
Surveyors, Board of Registration for
Professional.
Officer shall issue his warrants upon requisitions signed by the 142
proper person, officer or officers, in the manner provided by law. 143
SECTION 8. This act shall take effect and be in force from 144
and after July 1, 2026. 145