Appropriation; Human Services, Department of.

H. B. No. 1909 *HR43/A651SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ A1/2
26/HR43/A651SG
PAGE 1

To: Appropriations C;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representatives Deweese, Read, Bennett,
Creekmore IV, Currie, McGee, Mickens, Scott,
Turner

HOUSE BILL NO. 1909
(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF THE 1
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2027. 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 3
SECTION 1. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 4
necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State General 5
Fund not otherwise appropriated, to the Department of Human 6
Services for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending 7
June 30, 2027.................................. $ 94,690,585.00. 8
SECTION 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 9
necessary, is appropriated out of any money in any special fund in 10
the State Treasury to the credit of the Department of Human 11
Services which is comprised of special source funds collected by 12
or otherwise available to the department for the support of the 13
various divisions of the department, for the purpose of defraying 14
the expenses of the department for the fiscal year beginning 15
July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027......... $ 1,588,817,339.00. 16
SECTION 3. None of the funds appropriated by this act shall 17
be expended for any purpose that is not actually required or 18
H. B. No. 1909 *HR43/A651SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/A651SG
PAGE 2

necessary for performing any of the powers or duties of the 19
Department of Human Services that are authorized by the 20
Mississippi Constitution of 1890, state or federal law, or rules 21
or regulations that implement state or federal law. 22
SECTION 4. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of 23
this act, not more than the following amount of funds, with the 24
exception of the provisions in this section, shall be expended 25
only for "Personal Services," which includes "Vacancy Funding," 26
for the following authorized number of employment headcount: 27
FUNDING: 28
General Funds: $ 58,776,823.00 29
Special Funds: $ 60,359,995.00 30
Total Funds: $ 119,136,818.00 31
PERSONAL SERVICES: 32
Employee Salaries, Wages and 33
Fringe Benefits: $ 114,622,634.00 34
Progressions: $ 0.00 35
Vacancy Funding: $ 4,514,184.00 36
Total Personal Services: $ 119,136,818.00 37
AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT: 38
Permanent: 1,307 39
Time-Limited: 348 40
As used in this section, the term "Personal Services" shall 41
mean funds provided under the major object of expenditure category 42
H. B. No. 1909 *HR43/A651SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/A651SG
PAGE 3

Personal Services for Salaries, Wages, and Fringe Benefits. Funds 43
in this category shall not be transferred to any other category. 44
It is the intention of the Legislature to ensure compliance 45
with the Variable Compensation Plan, as outlined in Section 46
25-9-147, Mississippi Code of 1972. Payment from these funds 47
shall be in accordance with the Variable Compensation Plan 48
promulgated by the Mississippi State Personnel Board. It is the 49
Legislature's intention that no employee's salary falls below the 50
minimum salary established by the Mississippi State Personnel 51
Board. 52
The State Personnel Board shall determine and publish the 53
projected annual cost of "Personal Services" based on monthly and 54
year-to-date payroll expenditures in compliance with the 55
provisions of this act. 56
With the funds herein appropriated, it shall be the agency's 57
responsibility to ensure that no single personnel action or 58
combination of personnel actions, when annualized, exceeds the 59
Fiscal Year 2027 appropriation for "Personal Services" with the 60
exception of escalated funds. Further, it shall be the agency's 61
responsibility to ensure that funds required to be appropriated 62
for "Personal Services" for Fiscal Year 2028 do not exceed Fiscal 63
Year 2027 funds appropriated for that purpose unless programs or 64
positions are added to the agency's Fiscal Year 2027 budget by the 65
Mississippi Legislature. 66
H. B. No. 1909 *HR43/A651SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/A651SG
PAGE 4

If, at the time the agency takes any action to change 67
"Personal Services," the State Personnel Board determines that the 68
agency has taken or will take an action that would cause the 69
agency to exceed the funds appropriated in this act when 70
annualized for Fiscal Year 2027 or increase the need for "Personal 71
Services" for Fiscal Year 2028, when annualized, the State 72
Personnel Board shall process no salary actions until such time as 73
the requirements of the provisions of this section are met with 74
the exception of new hires determined to be essential for the 75
agency. 76
When used in this section, "Vacancy Funding" shall mean funds 77
included in the Total Personal Services amount listed above and 78
designated for approved vacancies in Fiscal Year 2027. These 79
funds are to be utilized to increase the number of filled 80
headcounts that were authorized but unfilled as of the last day of 81
Fiscal Year 2026. If the agency fills additional headcounts after 82
March 1, 2026, until the end of Fiscal Year 2026, the amount of 83
available Vacancy Funding may be proportionally adjusted to 84
reflect the updated number of filled headcounts. The agency shall 85
be responsible for ensuring that "Vacancy Funding" is used to 86
increase headcounts and not for promotions, title changes, 87
in-range salary adjustments, or any other mechanism for increasing 88
salaries for current employees. 89
Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with 90
the terms, conditions, and procedures established by law or 91
H. B. No. 1909 *HR43/A651SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/A651SG
PAGE 5

allowable under the terms set forth within this act. The State 92
Personnel Board shall not escalate positions or increase the 93
Personal Services total without written approval from the 94
Department of Finance and Administration. The Department of 95
Finance and Administration shall not provide written approval to 96
escalate any funds for salaries and/or headcounts without proof of 97
availability of new or additional funds above the appropriated 98
level. Unless specifically noted, all Fiscal Year 2026 escalated 99
headcounts have been accounted for and shall be converted to 100
authorized time-limited headcounts. 101
No general funds authorized to be expended herein shall be 102
used to replace federal funds and/or other special funds used for 103
salaries authorized under the provisions of this act and which are 104
withdrawn and no longer available. 105
None of the funds herein appropriated shall be used in 106
violation of the Internal Revenue Service's Publication 15-A 107
relating to the reporting of income paid to contract employees, as 108
interpreted by the Office of the State Auditor. 109
If the agency's total authorized headcount decreases from 110
Fiscal Year 2026 to Fiscal Year 2027, it will be the agency's 111
discretion as to what headcounts are removed. 112
SECTION 5. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 113
Department of Human Services shall maintain complete accounting 114
and personnel records related to the expenditure of all funds 115
appropriated under this act and that such records shall be in the 116
H. B. No. 1909 *HR43/A651SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/A651SG
PAGE 6

same format and level of detail as maintained for Fiscal Year 117
2026. It is further the intention of the Legislature that the 118
agency's budget request for Fiscal Year 2028 shall be submitted to 119
the Joint Legislative Budget Committee in a format and level of 120
detail comparable to the format and level of detail provided 121
during the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request process. 122
SECTION 6. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2 herein to 123
the Department of Human Services, One Million Dollars 124
($1,000,000.00) shall be transferred to the Department of Health, 125
Child Care Licensure Program from the Child Care Development Fund 126
or other appropriate special fund. These funds are to be 127
transferred to the Board of Health no later than July 31, 2026. 128
The Department of Health shall make a complete accounting to the 129
Department of Human Services detailing the uses of these funds in 130
accordance with federal and state regulations. 131
SECTION 7. It is the intention of the Legislature that 132
whenever two (2) or more bids are received by this agency for the 133
purchase of commodities or equipment, and whenever all things 134
stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, 135
quality and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind 136
shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to 137
the Mississippi Industries for the Blind whenever purchases are 138
made without competitive bids. 139
SECTION 8. The Department of Human Services is authorized to 140
expend available funds on technology or equipment upgrades or 141
H. B. No. 1909 *HR43/A651SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/A651SG
PAGE 7

replacements when it will generate savings through efficiency or 142
when the savings generated from such upgrades or replacements 143
exceed expenditures thereof. 144
SECTION 9. It is the intention of the Legislature that none 145
of the funds provided herein shall be used to pay certain 146
utilities for state furnished housing for any employees. Such 147
utilities shall include electricity, natural gas, butane, propane, 148
cable and phone services. Where actual cost cannot be determined, 149
the agency shall be required to provide meters to be in compliance 150
with legislative intent. Such state furnished housing shall 151
include single-family and multi-family residences but shall not 152
include any dormitory residences. Allowances for such utilities 153
shall be prohibited. 154
SECTION 10. In compliance with the "Mississippi Performance 155
Budget and Strategic Planning Act of 1994," it is the intent of 156
the Legislature that the funds provided herein shall be utilized 157
in the most efficient and effective manner possible to achieve the 158
intended mission of this agency. Based on the funding authorized, 159
this agency shall make every effort to attain the targeted 160
performance measures provided below: 161
FY2027 162
Performance Measures Target 163
Support Services 164
Percent of Referred/Directed 165
Investigative Audits Conducted 100.00 166
H. B. No. 1909 *HR43/A651SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/A651SG
PAGE 8

Percent of Special Investigations Conducted 95.00 167
Percent of Referred/Obtained Fraud 168
Investigations Conducted Timely 100.00 169
Percent of Referred Administrative 170
Disqualification Hearings & Fair 171
Hearings Conducted Timely 99.00 172
Percent of Monitoring Reviews Conducted 173
within Acceptable Timeframes 98.00 174
Total Amount of Funds Recovered 3,500,000.00 175
Aging & Adult Services 176
In-Home Services - Age 60 + (Persons Served) 27,500 177
Community Services - Age 60 + (Persons 178
Served) 193,617 179
Number of Congregate Meals 468,272 180
Number of Home Delivered Meals 2,700,000 181
Substantiated Incidences of Abuse of 182
Vulnerable Adults per 1,000 Population 0.17 183
Home Delivered Meals, Percent Reduction 184
of Persons on Waiting list 1.00 185
Child Support Enforcement 186
Number of Paternities Established 15,500 187
Percent Change in Paternities Established 3.30 188
Number of Obligations Established 16,000 189
Percent Change in Obligations Established 12.50 190
Total Collections ($) 378,000,000.00 191
H. B. No. 1909 *HR43/A651SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/A651SG
PAGE 9

Percent Change in Total Collections -2.50 192
Number of Absent Parents Located 68,000 193
Percent of Child Support Cases Current 194
on Payments -2.53 195
Community Services 196
Number of Elderly Served by CSBG & LIHEAP 20,352 197
Number of Disabled Served CSBG/LIHEAP 26,762 198
Number of Households Weatherized 516 199
Early Childhood Care & Dev 200
Number of Children Served 33,000 201
Assistance Payments 202
Dollar Amount of Assistance 6,240,877.00 203
Food Assistance 204
Number of Average Monthly Households 225,000 205
Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program 206
- SNAP ($) 716,413,100.00 207
Percent of Mississippi Households 208
Receiving SNAP Benefits 22.51 209
TANF Work Program 210
Number of Average Monthly TANF Households 8,864 211
Number of Average Monthly Persons Served 212
in TANF Work Program 1,107 213
TANF Work Program Participation Rate (%) 60.00 214
Number of Persons Employed Through the 215
TANF Work Program for the Year 832 216
H. B. No. 1909 *HR43/A651SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/A651SG
PAGE 10

Number of Households Receiving TANF 217
Benefits During the Year 9,969 218
Percent of Households Receiving TANF 219
During the Year 49.00 220
Percent of TANF Participants in Job Trng 221
Who Enter Employment 30.00 222
Percent of TANF Participants in Job 223
Training Who Enter Employment at A 224
Salary Sufficient to Be Ineligible for 225
TANF 19.00 226
Percent of TANF Participants in Job 227
Training Who Remain Employed For: One 228
Year After Leaving the Program 75.00 229
Percent of TANF Participants in Job 230
Training Who Remain Employed For: Five 231
Years After Leaving the Program 65.00 232
Social Services Block Grant 233
Number of Clients Served, Division of 234
Family & Children's Services 75,611 235
Number of Clients Served, Aging & Adult 236
Services 21,178 237
Number of Clients Served, Youth Services 12,880 238
Youth Services 239
Community Services (Children Served) 6,500 240
Institutional Component (Children Served) 130 241
H. B. No. 1909 *HR43/A651SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/A651SG
PAGE 11

Number of Volunteers - Community 242
Services/Institution 0 243
Number of Children Placed in Alternative 244
Placement 95 245
Percent of Children Diverted from 246
Institutional Care 95.00 247
Recidivism Rate (%) 4.00 248
A reporting of the degree to which the performance targets 249
set above have been or are being achieved shall be provided in the 250
agency's budget request submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget 251
Committee for Fiscal Year 2028. 252
SECTION 11. It is the intent of the Legislature that the 253
Department of Human Services, Division of Child Support 254
Enforcement, make a concentrated effort to increase collections of 255
past due child support payments. On or before January 1, 2027, 256
the Executive Director of the Department of Human Services shall 257
submit a report to the Legislative Budget Office detailing 258
year-to-date performance measures in the Child Support Enforcement 259
Program compared with the prior year. 260
SECTION 12. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 261
Department of Human Services shall have the authority to spend 262
such additional funds as it shall receive from the federal 263
government in incentives or the federal match on those incentives 264
for the purpose of child support enforcement. 265
H. B. No. 1909 *HR43/A651SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/A651SG
PAGE 12

SECTION 13. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1, Two 266
Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) shall be transferred 267
to the Juvenile Facility Monitoring Unit at the Department of 268
Public Safety no later than July 31, 2026. 269
SECTION 14. Of the funds appropriated herein, to the 270
Department of Human Services One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00), 271
is provided for the support of the Home Delivered Meals Program 272
and any additional funds that may be appropriated to this program. 273
SECTION 15. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 274
Governor's Office, Division of Medicaid and the Department of 275
Human Services shall continue to work together to implement 276
Section 43-12-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, known as the "Medicaid 277
and Human Services Transparency and Fraud Prevention Act". 278
SECTION 16. As a condition of receiving and expending any 279
funds appropriated under this act, the Department of Human 280
Services: 281
(a) Shall use a competitive procurement process for entering 282
into all TANF subgrant agreements with non-state entities when the 283
federal government does not direct to whom the funds must be 284
subgranted; 285
(b) Upon awarding of a grant to any subgrantee of the 286
department, shall require the subgrantee to submit a monthly 287
report to the department that contains, but is not limited to, all 288
of the following: 289
H. B. No. 1909 *HR43/A651SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/A651SG
PAGE 13

(i) A listing of all costs incurred by the subgrantee 290
during the previous month; 291
(ii) A listing of all clients served by the subgrantee, 292
with an explanation of which services were provided to the 293
clients; 294
(iii) A listing of all lower-tier subgrantees, who must 295
be approved by the department before the execution of any such 296
agreement by the prime subgrantee; and 297
(iv) Any other data required by the department to 298
provide sufficient evidence of budgetary compliance; 299
(c) Shall not advance funds to a subgrantee for more than 300
sixty (60) days; and 301
(d) Shall reimburse a subgrantee for expenses only after the 302
required documentation is provided and is approved by the 303
department. 304
SECTION 17. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1, Fifteen 305
Million Dollars ($15,000,000.00) is provided for the additional 306
cost of administering the SNAP Program. 307
SECTION 18. It is the intent of the Legislature, that within 308
the funds available, the Department of Human Services may provide 309
any qualifying grants of CARES Act or American Rescue Act funding 310
in an amount not to exceed One Million Five Hundred Thousand 311
Dollars ($1,500,000.00) to the three (3) regional food banks that 312
serve Mississippi, including Feed the Gulf Coast, Mid-South Food 313
Bank, and Mississippi Food Network. 314
H. B. No. 1909 *HR43/A651SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/A651SG
PAGE 14

SECTION 19. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 315
necessary, is reappropriated out of any money in the Capital 316
Expense Fund not otherwise appropriated for the Department of 317
Human Services for the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of 318
Capital Expense Funds, as authorized in House Bill 20, 2025 First 319
Extraordinary Session, to defray expenses of the Department of 320
Human Services for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and 321
ending June 30, 2027............................ $ 55,431,146.00. 322
This reappropriation is made for the following purposes: 323
(a) To defray the Department's computer expenses............. 324
................................................ $ 1,431,146.00 325
(b) To secure federal funding for a new computer system...... 326
................................................ $ 54,000,000.00 327
Notwithstanding the amount reappropriated under this section, 328
the amount that may be expended under the authority of this 329
section, shall not exceed the unexpended balance of the funds 330
remaining as of June 30, 2026, from the amount authorized for the 331
previous fiscal year. In addition, this reappropriation shall not 332
change the purpose for which the funds were originally authorized. 333
SECTION 20. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of 334
Section 2, Five Million One Hundred Thousand Dollars 335
($5,100,000.00), or so much thereof, shall be derived out of any 336
money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Capital Expense 337
Fund, as created in Section 27-103-303, Mississippi Code of 1972, 338
and allocated in a manner as determined by the State Treasurer. 339
H. B. No. 1909 *HR43/A651SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/A651SG
PAGE 15

These funds are provided to the Mississippi Department of Human 340
Services to secure federal funding for a new computer system. 341
SECTION 21. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of 342
Section 2, Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00), or so much 343
thereof, shall be derived out of any money in the State Treasury 344
to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, as created in Section 345
27-103-303, Mississippi Code of 1972, and allocated in a manner as 346
determined by the State Treasurer. These funds are provided to the 347
Mississippi Department of Human Services to demolish deteriorated 348
structures at Oakley Youth Development Center. 349
SECTION 22. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions 350
of Section 2, One Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars 351
($1,500,000.00), or so much thereof, shall be derived out of any 352
money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Capital Expense 353
Fund, as created in Section 27-103-303, Mississippi Code of 1972, 354
and allocated in a manner as determined by the State Treasurer. 355
These funds are provided to the Mississippi Department of Human 356
Services to establish and implement a pilot Adolescent Opportunity 357
Program to serve youth as a community-based diversion and 358
intervention program with the goal of reducing recidivism among 359
adolescents. Before expending or disbursing any funds under this 360
section, the department shall develop a written pilot plan and 361
enter into a grant or subgrant agreement for the administration of 362
the program. Any award made under this section shall be based on 363
demonstrated need, service gaps, court referrals, and the capacity 364
H. B. No. 1909 *HR43/A651SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/A651SG
PAGE 16
ST: Appropriation; Human Services, Department
of.
to deliver structured community-based services. The department 365
shall require, at a minimum, quarterly performance and expenditure 366
reports from recipients and may require matching support, in-kind 367
participation, or local partnership commitments as a condition of 368
award. 369
SECTION 23. With the funds appropriated herein, the 370
Mississippi Department of Human Services is authorized to make 371
payments for expenses incurred during prior fiscal years for an 372
amount not to exceed Fifty-five Thousand Two Hundred Sixty-six 373
Dollars and Nineteen Cents ($55,266.19). These payments are for 374
previous year invoices for Eastern Business Forms, LLC; Court 375
Costs for Jefferson, Smith, and Amite counties; NSPARC; 376
LexisNexis; Pitney Bowes; Environment MASTERS; Moses Electric, 377
Inc.; Prime Care Nursing; RJYoung; Siemens; Uniform Store, LLC; 378
and Waste Management. 379
SECTION 24. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by 380
the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury to the 381
credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in this act, upon 382
warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal 383
Officer shall issue his warrants upon requisitions signed by the 384
proper person, officer or officers, in the manner provided by law. 385
SECTION 25. This act shall take effect and be in force from 386
and after July 1, 2026. 387