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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. 1918
(As Sent to Governor)
AN ACT APPROVING THE EXPENDITURE OF SPECIAL FUNDS FOR THE 1
PURPOSE OF DEFRAYING THE EXPENSES OF THE MISSISSIPPI STATE BOARD 2
OF PSYCHOLOGY FOR THE 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 hereby appropriated out of any money in the State 6
Treasury to the credit of the Mississippi State Board of 7
Psychology, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the board 8
for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 9
2027........................................... $ 170,687.00. 10
SECTION 2. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of 11
Section 1, the following positions are authorized: 12
AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT: 13
Permanent: 1 14
Time-Limited: 0 15
SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of 16
this act, not more than the following amount of funds, with the 17
exception of the provisions in this section, shall be expended 18
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only for "Personal Services," which includes "Vacancy Funding," 19
for the following authorized number of employment headcount: 20
FUNDING: 21
General Funds: $ 0.00 22
Special Funds: $ 93,714.00 23
Total Funds: $ 93,714.00 24
PERSONAL SERVICES: 25
Employee Salaries, Wages and 26
Fringe Benefits: $ 93,714.00 27
Progressions: $ 0.00 28
Vacancy Funding: $ 0.00 29
Total Personal Services: $ 93,714.00 30
AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT: 31
Permanent: 1 32
Time-Limited: 0 33
As used in this section, the term "Personal Services" shall 34
mean funds provided under the major object of expenditure category 35
Personal Services for Salaries, Wages, and Fringe Benefits. Funds 36
in this category shall not be transferred to any other category. 37
It is the intention of the Legislature to ensure compliance 38
with the Variable Compensation Plan, as outlined in Section 39
25-9-147, Mississippi Code of 1972. Payment from these funds 40
shall be in accordance with the Variable Compensation Plan 41
promulgated by the Mississippi State Personnel Board. It is the 42
Legislature's intention that no employee's salary falls below the 43
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minimum salary established by the Mississippi State Personnel 44
Board. 45
The State Personnel Board shall determine and publish the 46
projected annual cost of "Personal Services" based on monthly and 47
year-to-date payroll expenditures in compliance with the 48
provisions of this act. 49
With the funds herein appropriated, it shall be the agency's 50
responsibility to ensure that no single personnel action or 51
combination of personnel actions, when annualized, exceeds the 52
Fiscal Year 2027 appropriation for "Personal Services" with the 53
exception of escalated funds. Further, it shall be the agency's 54
responsibility to ensure that funds required to be appropriated 55
for "Personal Services" for Fiscal Year 2028 do not exceed Fiscal 56
Year 2027 funds appropriated for that purpose unless programs or 57
positions are added to the agency's Fiscal Year 2027 budget by the 58
Mississippi Legislature. 59
If, at the time the agency takes any action to change 60
"Personal Services," the State Personnel Board determines that the 61
agency has taken or will take an action that would cause the 62
agency to exceed the funds appropriated in this act when 63
annualized for Fiscal Year 2027 or increase the need for "Personal 64
Services" for Fiscal Year 2028, when annualized, the State 65
Personnel Board shall process no salary actions until such time as 66
the requirements of the provisions of this section are met with 67
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the exception of new hires determined to be essential for the 68
agency. 69
When used in this section, "Vacancy Funding" shall mean funds 70
included in the Total Personal Services amount listed above and 71
designated for approved vacancies in Fiscal Year 2027. These 72
funds are to be utilized to increase the number of filled 73
headcounts that were authorized but unfilled as of the last day of 74
Fiscal Year 2026. If the agency fills additional headcounts after 75
February 1, 2026, until the end of Fiscal Year 2026, the amount of 76
available Vacancy Funding may be proportionally adjusted to 77
reflect the updated number of filled headcounts. The agency shall 78
be responsible for ensuring that "Vacancy Funding" is used to 79
increase headcounts and not for promotions, title changes, 80
in-range salary adjustments, or any other mechanism for increasing 81
salaries for current employees. 82
Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with 83
the terms, conditions, and procedures established by law or 84
allowable under the terms set forth within this act. The State 85
Personnel Board shall not escalate positions or increase the 86
Personal Services total without written approval from the 87
Department of Finance and Administration. The Department of 88
Finance and Administration shall not provide written approval to 89
escalate any funds for salaries and/or headcounts without proof of 90
availability of new or additional funds above the appropriated 91
level. Unless specifically noted, all Fiscal Year 2026 escalated 92
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headcounts have been accounted for and shall be converted to 93
authorized time-limited headcounts. 94
No general funds authorized to be expended herein shall be 95
used to replace federal funds and/or other special funds used for 96
salaries authorized under the provisions of this act and which are 97
withdrawn and no longer available. 98
None of the funds herein appropriated shall be used in 99
violation of the Internal Revenue Service's Publication 15-A 100
relating to the reporting of income paid to contract employees, as 101
interpreted by the Office of the State Auditor. 102
If the agency's total authorized headcount decreases from 103
Fiscal Year 2026 to Fiscal Year 2027, it will be the agency's 104
discretion as to what headcounts are removed. 105
SECTION 4. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 106
Mississippi State Board of Psychology shall maintain complete 107
accounting and personnel records related to the expenditure of all 108
funds appropriated under this act and that such records shall be 109
in the same format and level of detail as maintained for Fiscal 110
Year 2026. It is further the intention of the Legislature that 111
the agency's budget request for Fiscal Year 2028 shall be 112
submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee in a format 113
and level of detail comparable to the format and level of detail 114
provided during the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request process. 115
SECTION 5. It is the intention of the Legislature that 116
whenever two (2) or more bids are received by this agency for the 117
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purchase of commodities or equipment, and whenever all things 118
stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, 119
quality and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind 120
shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to 121
the Mississippi Industries for the Blind whenever purchases are 122
made without competitive bids. 123
SECTION 6. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 124
funds herein appropriated shall be expended in compliance with 125
Section 27-104-25, Mississippi Code of 1972, that no state agency 126
shall incur obligations or indebtedness in excess of their 127
appropriation and that the responsible officers, either personally 128
or upon their official bonds, shall be held responsible for 129
actions contrary to this provision. 130
SECTION 7. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this 131
act, Twenty-six Thousand Dollars ($26,000.00) is provided for the 132
administrative support of the Mississippi Autism Board as 133
prescribed by Section 73-75-11, Mississippi Code of 1972. 134
SECTION 8. Of the funds appropriated under this act, funds 135
are provided for any ITS charges that may be required for system 136
upgrades or migration related to the Cloud Center of Excellence 137
Act, as described in Section 25-53-251. 138
SECTION 9. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by 139
the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury to the 140
credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in this act, upon 141
warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal 142
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ST: Appropriation; Psychology, Board of.
Officer shall issue his warrants upon requisitions signed by the 143
proper person, officer or officers, in the manner provided by law. 144
SECTION 10. This act shall take effect and be in force from 145
and after July 1, 2026. 146