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H. B. No. 1900 *HR43/A811SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ A1/2
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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. 1900
(As Sent to Governor)
AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFRAYING 1
THE EXPENSES OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2
2027. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 4
SECTION 1. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 5
necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State General 6
Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of defraying the 7
expenses of the Mississippi Public Service Commission for the 8
fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027...... 9
............................................... $ 4,868,513.00. 10
SECTION 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 11
necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the special fund in 12
the State Treasury to the credit of the Mississippi Public Service 13
Commission which is comprised of special source funds collected by 14
or otherwise available to the commission, for the purpose of 15
defraying the expenses of the commission for the fiscal year 16
beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027.................. 17
............................................... $ 464,494.00. 18
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SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of 19
this act, not more than the following amount of funds, with the 20
exception of the provisions in this section, shall be expended 21
only for "Personal Services," which includes "Vacancy Funding," 22
for the following authorized number of employment headcount: 23
FUNDING: 24
General Funds: $ 4,302,673.00 25
Special Funds: $ 0.00 26
Total Funds: $ 4,302,673.00 27
PERSONAL SERVICES: 28
Employee Salaries, Wages and 29
Fringe Benefits: $ 3,915,937.00 30
Progressions: $ 0.00 31
Vacancy Funding: $ 386,736.00 32
Total Personal Services: $ 4,302,673.00 33
AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT: 34
Permanent: 54 35
Time-Limited: 0 36
As used in this section, the term "Personal Services" shall 37
mean funds provided under the major object of expenditure category 38
Personal Services for Salaries, Wages, and Fringe Benefits. Funds 39
in this category shall not be transferred to any other category. 40
It is the intention of the Legislature to ensure compliance 41
with the Variable Compensation Plan, as outlined in Section 42
25-9-147, Mississippi Code of 1972. Payment from these funds 43
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shall be in accordance with the Variable Compensation Plan 44
promulgated by the Mississippi State Personnel Board. It is the 45
Legislature's intention that no employee's salary falls below the 46
minimum salary established by the Mississippi State Personnel 47
Board. 48
The State Personnel Board shall determine and publish the 49
projected annual cost of "Personal Services" based on monthly and 50
year-to-date payroll expenditures in compliance with the 51
provisions of this act. 52
With the funds herein appropriated, it shall be the agency's 53
responsibility to ensure that no single personnel action or 54
combination of personnel actions, when annualized, exceeds the 55
Fiscal Year 2027 appropriation for "Personal Services" with the 56
exception of escalated funds. Further, it shall be the agency's 57
responsibility to ensure that funds required to be appropriated 58
for "Personal Services" for Fiscal Year 2028 do not exceed Fiscal 59
Year 2027 funds appropriated for that purpose unless programs or 60
positions are added to the agency's Fiscal Year 2027 budget by the 61
Mississippi Legislature. 62
If, at the time the agency takes any action to change 63
"Personal Services," the State Personnel Board determines that the 64
agency has taken or will take an action that would cause the 65
agency to exceed the funds appropriated in this act when 66
annualized for Fiscal Year 2027 or increase the need for "Personal 67
Services" for Fiscal Year 2028, when annualized, the State 68
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Personnel Board shall process no salary actions until such time as 69
the requirements of the provisions of this section are met with 70
the exception of new hires determined to be essential for the 71
agency. 72
When used in this section, "Vacancy Funding" shall mean funds 73
included in the Total Personal Services amount listed above and 74
designated for approved vacancies in Fiscal Year 2027. These 75
funds are to be utilized to increase the number of filled 76
headcounts that were authorized but unfilled as of the last day of 77
Fiscal Year 2026. If the agency fills additional headcounts after 78
March 1, 2026, until the end of Fiscal Year 2026, the amount of 79
available Vacancy Funding may be proportionally adjusted to 80
reflect the updated number of filled headcounts. The agency shall 81
be responsible for ensuring that "Vacancy Funding" is used to 82
increase headcounts and not for promotions, title changes, 83
in-range salary adjustments, or any other mechanism for increasing 84
salaries for current employees. 85
Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with 86
the terms, conditions, and procedures established by law or 87
allowable under the terms set forth within this act. The State 88
Personnel Board shall not escalate positions or increase the 89
Personal Services total without written approval from the 90
Department of Finance and Administration. The Department of 91
Finance and Administration shall not provide written approval to 92
escalate any funds for salaries and/or headcounts without proof of 93
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availability of new or additional funds above the appropriated 94
level. Unless specifically noted, all Fiscal Year 2026 escalated 95
headcounts have been accounted for and shall be converted to 96
authorized time-limited headcounts. 97
No general funds authorized to be expended herein shall be 98
used to replace federal funds and/or other special funds used for 99
salaries authorized under the provisions of this act and which are 100
withdrawn and no longer available. 101
None of the funds herein appropriated shall be used in 102
violation of the Internal Revenue Service's Publication 15-A 103
relating to the reporting of income paid to contract employees, as 104
interpreted by the Office of the State Auditor. 105
If the agency's total authorized headcount decreases from 106
Fiscal Year 2026 to Fiscal Year 2027, it will be the agency's 107
discretion as to what headcounts are removed. 108
SECTION 4. In compliance with the "Mississippi Performance 109
Budget and Strategic Planning Act of 1994," it is the intent of 110
the Legislature that the funds provided herein shall be utilized 111
in the most efficient and effective manner possible to achieve the 112
intended mission of this agency. Based on the funding authorized, 113
this agency shall make every effort to attain the targeted 114
performance measures provided below: 115
FY2027 116
Performance Measures Target 117
Utility Regulatory Services 118
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Number of Utility Docket Cases 169 119
Number of Utility Complaints 4,600 120
Electric Complaints as a Percent of Total 58.00 121
Telecommunication Complaints as a 122
Percent of Total 26.00 123
Water Complaints as a Percent of Total 12.00 124
Gas Complaints as a Percent of Total 3.00 125
Sewer Complaints as a Percent of Total 1.00 126
Average Cost per Utility Complaint 638.00 127
Time to Resolve Utility Complaints (Days) 3 128
Average Price of Electricity per 129
Kilowatt Hour in MS for Residential 130
Customers, by Utility Type: 131
Investor-Owned Utilities (Cents/kWh) 0.13 132
Average Price of Electricity per 133
Kilowatt Hour - National Average 134
(Cents/kWh) 17.47 135
Average Price of Electricity for 136
Residential Customers in MS as a Percent 137
of the 2020 National Average, 13.15 138
Cents/kWh - Investor Owned Utilities 88.45 139
Average Price of Electricity for 140
Residential Customers in MS as a Percent 141
of the 2020 National Average, 13.15 142
Cents/kWh - Electric Cooperative 88.45 143
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Average Monthly Residential Electric 144
Usage in MS (kWh) 1,132.00 145
Average Monthly Residential Electric 146
Usage in MS as a Percent of the 2015 147
National Average, 909 kWh 128.00 148
Number of Pipeline Inspections 900 149
Average Cost per Pipeline Inspection 883.00 150
A reporting of the degree to which the performance targets 151
set above have been or are being achieved shall be provided in the 152
agency's budget request submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget 153
Committee for Fiscal Year 2028. 154
SECTION 5. None of the funds herein appropriated by this act 155
to the Public Service Commission shall be expended for any purpose 156
that is not actually required or necessary for performing any of 157
the powers or duties of the Mississippi Public Service Commission 158
that are authorized by the Mississippi Constitution of 1890, state 159
or federal law, or rules or regulations that implement state or 160
federal law. 161
SECTION 6. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 162
Public Service Commission shall maintain complete accounting and 163
personnel records related to the expenditure of all funds 164
appropriated under this act and that such records shall be in the 165
same format and level of detail as maintained for Fiscal Year 166
2026. It is further the intention of the Legislature that the 167
agency's budget request for Fiscal Year 2028 shall be submitted to 168
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the Joint Legislative Budget Committee in a format and level of 169
detail comparable to the format and level of detail provided 170
during the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request process. 171
SECTION 7. It is the intention of the Legislature that 172
whenever two (2) or more bids are received by this agency for the 173
purchase of commodities or equipment, and whenever all things 174
stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, 175
quality and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind 176
shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to 177
the Mississippi Industries for the Blind whenever purchases are 178
made without competitive bids. 179
SECTION 8. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of 180
Section 1 and Section 2, none shall be used to form a consumer 181
advocacy division within the Public Service Commission, and none 182
shall be used for the creation of new positions or the hiring of 183
additional staff for a consumer advocacy division. 184
SECTION 9. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 185
Public Service Commission shall compile the amount of time that is 186
expended on each regulated entity during Fiscal Year 2026. On or 187
before August 1, 2026, the Public Service Commission shall report 188
these findings to the House of Representatives' Public Utilities 189
Committee, the Senate's Energy Committee, and the Legislative 190
Budget Office. 191
SECTION 10. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by 192
the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury to the 193
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ST: Appropriation; Public Service Commission.
credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in this act, upon 194
warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal 195
Officer shall issue his warrants upon requisitions signed by the 196
proper person, officer or officers, in the manner provided by law. 197
SECTION 11. This act shall take effect and be in force from 198
and after July 1, 2026. 199