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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. 1901
(As Sent to Governor)
AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FROM GENERAL FUNDS IN THE 1
STATE TREASURY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFRAYING THE EXPENSES OF THE 2
PUBLIC UTILITIES STAFF FOR FISCAL YEAR 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 Public Utilities Staff for the fiscal year 8
beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027................. 9
..............................................$ 2,476,315.00. 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 Public Utilities Staff 13
which is comprised of special source funds for the purpose of 14
defraying the expenses of the agency for the Atlas Project for the 15
fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027...... 16
............................................... $ 80,000.00. 17
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SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of 18
this act, not more than the following amount of funds, with the 19
exception of the provisions in this section, shall be expended 20
only for “Personal Services,” which includes “Vacancy Funding,” 21
for the following authorized number of employment headcount: 22
FUNDING: 23
General Funds: $ 2,249,836.00 24
Special Funds: $ 80,000.00 25
Total Funds: $ 2,329,836.00 26
PERSONAL SERVICES: 27
Employee Salaries, Wages and 28
Fringe Benefits: $ 2,112,264.00 29
Progressions: $ 0.00 30
Vacancy Funding: $ 217,572.00 31
Total Personal Services: $ 2,329,836.00 32
AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT: 33
Permanent: 23 34
Time-Limited: 0 35
As used in this section, the term “Personal Services” shall 36
mean funds provided under the major object of expenditure category 37
Personal Services for Salaries, Wages, and Fringe Benefits. Funds 38
in this category shall not be transferred to any other category. 39
It is the intention of the Legislature to ensure compliance 40
with the Variable Compensation Plan, as outlined in Section 41
25-9-147, Mississippi Code of 1972. Payment from these funds 42
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shall be in accordance with the Variable Compensation Plan 43
promulgated by the Mississippi State Personnel Board. It is the 44
Legislature’s intention that no employee’s salary falls below the 45
minimum salary established by the Mississippi State Personnel 46
Board. 47
The State Personnel Board shall determine and publish the 48
projected annual cost of “Personal Services” based on monthly and 49
year-to-date payroll expenditures in compliance with the 50
provisions of this act. 51
With the funds herein appropriated, it shall be the agency’s 52
responsibility to ensure that no single personnel action or 53
combination of personnel actions, when annualized, exceeds the 54
Fiscal Year 2027 appropriation for “Personal Services” with the 55
exception of escalated funds. Further, it shall be the agency’s 56
responsibility to ensure that funds required to be appropriated 57
for “Personal Services” for Fiscal Year 2028 do not exceed Fiscal 58
Year 2027 funds appropriated for that purpose unless programs or 59
positions are added to the agency’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget by the 60
Mississippi Legislature. 61
If, at the time the agency takes any action to change 62
“Personal Services,” the State Personnel Board determines that the 63
agency has taken or will take an action that would cause the 64
agency to exceed the funds appropriated in this act when 65
annualized for Fiscal Year 2027 or increase the need for “Personal 66
Services” for Fiscal Year 2028, when annualized, the State 67
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Personnel Board shall process no salary actions until such time as 68
the requirements of the provisions of this section are met with 69
the exception of new hires determined to be essential for the 70
agency. 71
When used in this section, “Vacancy Funding” shall mean funds 72
included in the Total Personal Services amount listed above and 73
designated for approved vacancies in Fiscal Year 2027. These 74
funds are to be utilized to increase the number of filled 75
headcounts that were authorized but unfilled as of the last day of 76
Fiscal Year 2026. If the agency fills additional headcounts after 77
March 1, 2026, until the end of Fiscal Year 2026, the amount of 78
available Vacancy Funding may be proportionally adjusted to 79
reflect the updated number of filled headcounts. The agency shall 80
be responsible for ensuring that “Vacancy Funding” is used to 81
increase headcounts and not for promotions, title changes, 82
in-range salary adjustments, or any other mechanism for increasing 83
salaries for current employees. 84
Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with 85
the terms, conditions, and procedures established by law or 86
allowable under the terms set forth within this act. The State 87
Personnel Board shall not escalate positions or increase the 88
Personal Services total without written approval from the 89
Department of Finance and Administration. The Department of 90
Finance and Administration shall not provide written approval to 91
escalate any funds for salaries and/or headcounts without proof of 92
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availability of new or additional funds above the appropriated 93
level. Unless specifically noted, all Fiscal Year 2026 escalated 94
headcounts have been accounted for and shall be converted to 95
authorized time-limited headcounts. 96
No general funds authorized to be expended herein shall be 97
used to replace federal funds and/or other special funds used for 98
salaries authorized under the provisions of this act and which are 99
withdrawn and no longer available. 100
None of the funds herein appropriated shall be used in 101
violation of the Internal Revenue Service’s Publication 15-A 102
relating to the reporting of income paid to contract employees, as 103
interpreted by the Office of the State Auditor. 104
If the agency’s total authorized headcount decreases from 105
Fiscal Year 2026 to Fiscal Year 2027, it will be the agency’s 106
discretion as to what headcounts are removed. 107
SECTION 4. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2, Eighty 108
Thousand Dollars ($80,000.00), or so much thereof as may be 109
necessary, shall be derived out of any money in the State Treasury 110
to the credit of the Project Atlas Fund, as created in Section 111
57-1-641, Mississippi Code of 1972, and allocated in a manner as 112
determined by the Treasurer's Office. These funds are provided 113
for expediting services needed for Project Atlas. 114
SECTION 5. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 115
Public Utilities Staff shall maintain complete accounting and 116
personnel records related to the expenditure of all funds 117
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appropriated under this act and that such records shall be in the 118
same format and level of detail as maintained for Fiscal Year 119
2026. It is further the intention of the Legislature that the 120
agency's budget request for Fiscal Year 2028 shall be submitted to 121
the Joint Legislative Budget Committee in a format and level of 122
detail comparable to the format and level of detail provided 123
during the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request process. 124
SECTION 6. It is the intention of the Legislature that 125
whenever two (2) or more bids are received by this agency for the 126
purchase of commodities or equipment, and whenever all things 127
stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, 128
quality and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind 129
shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to 130
the Mississippi Industries for the Blind whenever purchases are 131
made without competitive bids. 132
SECTION 7. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 133
funds herein appropriated shall be expended in compliance with 134
Section 27-104-25, Mississippi Code of 1972, that no state agency 135
shall incur obligations or indebtedness in excess of their 136
appropriation and that the responsible officers, either personally 137
or upon their official bonds, shall be held responsible for 138
actions contrary to this provision. 139
SECTION 8. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by 140
the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury to the 141
credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in this act, upon 142
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ST: Appropriation; Public Utilities Staff.
warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal 143
Officer shall issue his warrants upon requisitions signed by the 144
proper person, officer or officers in the manner provided by law. 145
SECTION 9. This act shall take effect and be in force from 146
and after July 1, 2026. 147