Appropriation; Insurance, Department of.

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

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

HOUSE BILL NO. 1911
(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFRAYING 1
THE EXPENSES OF THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE FOR THE 2
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 Mississippi Department of Insurance for the fiscal 8
year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027............. 9
............................................... $ 13,610,726.00. 10
SECTION 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 11
necessary, is appropriated out of any money in any special fund in 12
the State Treasury to the credit of the Mississippi Department of 13
Insurance which is comprised of special source funds collected by 14
or otherwise available to the department, for the support of the 15
various offices of the department for the fiscal year beginning 16
July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027......... $ 26,655,000.00. 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: $ 11,270,042.00 24
Special Funds: $ 0.00 25
Total Funds: $ 11,270,042.00 26
PERSONAL SERVICES: 27
Employee Salaries, Wages and 28
Fringe Benefits: $ 10,917,309.00 29
Progressions: $ 0.00 30
Vacancy Funding: $ 352,733.00 31
Total Personal Services: $ 11,270,042.00 32
AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT: 33
Permanent: 131 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. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 108
Mississippi Department of Insurance shall maintain complete 109
accounting and personnel records related to the expenditure of all 110
funds appropriated under this act and that such records shall be 111
in the same format and level of detail as maintained for Fiscal 112
Year 2026. It is further the intention of the Legislature that 113
the agency's budget request for Fiscal Year 2028 shall be 114
submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee in a format 115
and level of detail comparable to the format and level of detail 116
provided during the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request process. 117
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SECTION 5. In compliance with the "Mississippi Performance 118
Budget and Strategic Planning Act of 1994," it is the intent of 119
the Legislature that the funds provided herein shall be utilized 120
in the most efficient and effective manner possible to achieve the 121
intended mission of this agency. Based on the funding authorized, 122
this agency shall make every effort to attain the targeted 123
performance measures provided below: 124
FY2027 125
Performance Measures Target 126
Lic & Reg MS Ins Co's & Agents 127
Number of (Producer, Etc) Licenses Issued 154,000 128
Average Cost per License Issued 100.00 129
Number of Agent's C/A's Issued 571,000 130
Average Cost per Agent C/A Issued 25.00 131
Number of Requests for Assistance 16,000 132
Average Cost per Customer I/C Addressed 36.00 133
Number of Fire Marshal Fire Investigations 550 134
Cost per Fire Marshal Investigation 1,000.00 135
Number of Fire Marshal Inspections 6,200 136
Average Cost per Fire Marshal Inspection 290.00 137
Liquefied Compressed Gas 138
Number of Accidents/Injuries/Deaths Due 139
to Incidents Involving LCG 2 140
Number of Inspections 7,200 141
Average Cost per Inspection 60.00 142
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Number of Safety Training Schools/Seminars 225 143
Average Cost per Safety Training School 145.00 144
A reporting of the degree to which the performance targets 145
set above have been or are being achieved shall be provided in the 146
agency's budget request submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget 147
Committee for Fiscal Year 2028. 148
SECTION 6. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of 149
Section 1, Fifteen Thousand Seventy-nine Dollars ($15,079.00) is 150
provided for the Mississippi Fire Personnel Minimum Standards and 151
Certification Board. 152
SECTION 7. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of 153
Section 1, funds in the amount of Twenty Thousand Dollars 154
($20,000.00) is provided and shall be expended to pay the annual 155
dues for the National Conference of Insurance Legislators. 156
SECTION 8. It is the intention of the Legislature that none 157
of the funds appropriated above shall be expended unless members 158
of the Mississippi House of Representatives and Mississippi Senate 159
are notified at least five (5) days prior to a public ceremony 160
announcing the award of any grant in their district or any public 161
announcement or ceremony regarding any project for which the 162
Legislature has made funds available. Any signage regarding any 163
public event or project shall include the following language: 164
"Funds were made available for this project by the Mississippi 165
State Legislature." 166
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SECTION 9. It is the intention of the Legislature that 167
whenever two (2) or more bids are received by this agency for the 168
purchase of commodities or equipment, and whenever all things 169
stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, 170
quality and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind 171
shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to 172
the Mississippi Industries for the Blind whenever purchases are 173
made without competitive bids. 174
SECTION 10. Within the limits of the funds available to the 175
Mississippi Insurance Department for such purpose, the 176
Commissioner of Insurance for the Mississippi Insurance Department 177
may grant a paid internship to students pursuing junior or senior 178
undergraduate level year coursework toward a bachelor's degree in 179
risk management insurance or graduate level coursework towards a 180
master's degree in business administration. Those applicants 181
deemed qualified by the Mississippi Department of Insurance shall 182
receive funds that may be used to pay for tuition, books and 183
related fees to pursue their degree. It is the intent of the 184
Legislature that the paid internship program shall be used as 185
incentive for risk management insurance careers at the Mississippi 186
Insurance Department. 187
SECTION 11. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1, Two 188
Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) is provided for the 189
State Fire Marshal's Office for fire safety prevention and 190
services, including, but not limited to, fire protection supplies 191
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and materials, smoke alarms, and public service announcements 192
providing fire prevention information. 193
SECTION 12. Of the funds provided in Section 2, Three 194
Million Dollars ($3,000,000.00) is provided from the Mississippi 195
Volunteer Firefighter Length-of-Service Awards Program Fund. 196
These funds are provided for the Mississippi Length-of-Service 197
Award Program (LOSAP) established in Section 45-11-271, 198
Mississippi Code of 1972. 199
SECTION 13. Of the funds provided in Section 2 of this act, 200
Eleven Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($11,500,000.00) or 201
so much thereof as may be necessary, is provided for Municipal 202
Fire Protection annual payments to towns and cities. 203
SECTION 14. Of the funds provided in Section 2 of this act, 204
Eleven Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($11,500,000.00) or 205
so much thereof as may be necessary, is provided for County 206
Volunteer Fire Department annual payments to counties. 207
SECTION 15. Of the funds provided in Section 2 of this act, 208
Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) or so much thereof as 209
may be necessary, is provided for authorized payments from the 210
Mississippi First Responders Health and Safety Trust Fund. 211
SECTION 16. It is the intention of the Legislature, 212
contingent upon passage of Senate Bill 2406, 2026 Regular Session, 213
that the Department of Insurance shall have the authority to 214
escalate an amount not to exceed Fifteen Million Dollars 215
($15,000,000.00) that is collected, received, or otherwise made 216
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available to the Strengthen Mississippi Homes Program Fund. These 217
funds shall be used for defraying the operational expenditures of 218
the department for the Strengthen Mississippi Homes Program. Such 219
escalations shall be received and expended consistent with the 220
rules and regulations of the Department of Finance and 221
Administration. 222
Additionally, the Department of Insurance shall have the 223
authority to escalate the positions necessary to administer the 224
program. Such escalations shall be made in accordance with the 225
rules and regulations of the Department of Finance and 226
Administration and the State Personnel Board. 227
SECTION 17. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions 228
of Section 2, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be 229
necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury 230
to the credit of the Propane Education and Research Program Fund, 231
for the purpose of research and development of more cost effective 232
uses of propane and on educational programs, safety programs, and 233
market development of propane for the fiscal year beginning 234
July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027............ $ 130,000.00. 235
SECTION 18. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions 236
of Section 2, Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00), or so 237
much thereof as may be necessary, shall be derived out of any 238
money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Capital Expense 239
Fund, as created in Section 27-103-303, Mississippi Code of 1972, 240
and allocated in a manner as determined by the State Treasurer. 241
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ST: Appropriation; Insurance, Department of.
These funds are provided to the Mississippi Department of 242
Insurance for fleet vehicle repairs. 243
SECTION 19. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by 244
the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury to the 245
credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in this act, upon 246
warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal 247
Officer shall issue warrants upon requisitions signed by the 248
proper person, officer or officers, in the manner provided by law. 249
SECTION 20. This act shall take effect and be in force from 250
and after July 1, 2026. 251