Appropriation; Physical Therapy Board.

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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. 1917
(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FROM SPECIAL FUNDS IN THE 1
STATE TREASURY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFRAYING THE EXPENSES OF THE 2
MISSISSIPPI STATE BOARD OF PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 3
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 appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury 7
to the credit of the Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy, 8
for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Mississippi State 9
Board of Physical Therapy for the fiscal year beginning 10
July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027.... $ 408,597.00. 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: $ 231,487.00 19
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Total Funds: $ 231,487.00 20
PERSONAL SERVICES: 21
Employee Salaries, Wages and 22
Fringe Benefits: $ 178,338.00 23
Progressions: $ 0.00 24
Vacancy Funding: $ 53,149.00 25
Total Personal Services: $ 231,487.00 26
AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT: 27
Permanent: 3 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
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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 68
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funds are to be utilized to increase the number of filled 69
headcounts that were authorized but unfilled as of the last day of 70
Fiscal 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
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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
Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy shall maintain 103
complete accounting and personnel records related to the 104
expenditure of all funds appropriated under this act and that such 105
records shall be in the same format and level of detail as 106
maintained for Fiscal Year 2026. It is further the intention of 107
the Legislature that the agency's budget request for Fiscal Year 108
2028 shall be submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee 109
in a format and level of detail comparable to the format and level 110
of detail provided during the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request 111
process. 112
SECTION 4. It is the intention of the Legislature that 113
whenever two (2) or more bids are received by this agency for the 114
purchase of commodities or equipment, and whenever all things 115
stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, 116
quality and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind 117
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shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to 118
the Mississippi Industries for the Blind whenever purchases are 119
made without competitive bids. 120
SECTION 5. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 121
funds herein appropriated shall be expended in compliance with 122
Section 27-104-25, Mississippi Code of 1972, that no state agency 123
shall incur obligations or indebtedness in excess of their 124
appropriation and that the responsible officers, either personally 125
or upon their official bonds, shall be held responsible for 126
actions contrary to this provision. 127
SECTION 6. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1, 128
Thirty-eight Thousand Six Hundred Ten Dollars ($38,610.00) is 129
allocated for expenses related to updating and maintaining the 130
Licensing Management System and technology initiatives. 131
SECTION 7. Of the funds appropriated under this act, funds 132
are provided for any ITS charges that may be required for system 133
upgrades or migration related to the Cloud Center of Excellence 134
Act, as described in Section 25-53-251. 135
SECTION 8. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by 136
the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury to the 137
credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in this act, upon 138
warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal 139
Officer shall issue his warrants upon requisitions signed by the 140
proper person, officer or officers, in the manner provided by law. 141
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ST: Appropriation; Physical Therapy Board.
SECTION 9. This act shall take effect and be in force from 142
and after July 1, 2026. 143