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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. 1919
(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 REAL ESTATE APPRAISER LICENSING AND CERTIFICATION 3
BOARD FOR FISCAL YEAR 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 Real Estate Appraisal License Fund, for the 8
purpose of defraying the expenses of the Mississippi Real Estate 9
Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board for the fiscal year 10
beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027.................. 11
.......................................... $ 749,462.00. 12
SECTION 2. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of 13
this act, not more than the following amount of funds, with the 14
exception of the provisions in this section, shall be expended 15
only for "Personal Services," which includes "Vacancy Funding," 16
for the following authorized number of employment headcount: 17
FUNDING: 18
General Funds: $ 0.00 19
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Special Funds: $ 506,490.00 20
Total Funds: $ 506,490.00 21
PERSONAL SERVICES: 22
Employee Salaries, Wages and 23
Fringe Benefits: $ 506,490.00 24
Progressions: $ 0.00 25
Vacancy Funding: $ 0.00 26
Total Personal Services: $ 506,490.00 27
AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT: 28
Permanent: 5 29
Time-Limited: 0 30
As used in this section, the term "Personal Services" shall 31
mean funds provided under the major object of expenditure category 32
Personal Services for Salaries, Wages, and Fringe Benefits. Funds 33
in this category shall not be transferred to any other category. 34
It is the intention of the Legislature to ensure compliance 35
with the Variable Compensation Plan, as outlined in Section 36
25-9-147, Mississippi Code of 1972. Payment from these funds 37
shall be in accordance with the Variable Compensation Plan 38
promulgated by the Mississippi State Personnel Board. It is the 39
Legislature's intention that no employee's salary falls below the 40
minimum salary established by the Mississippi State Personnel 41
Board. 42
The State Personnel Board shall determine and publish the 43
projected annual cost of "Personal Services" based on monthly and 44
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year-to-date payroll expenditures in compliance with the 45
provisions of this act. 46
With the funds herein appropriated, it shall be the agency's 47
responsibility to ensure that no single personnel action or 48
combination of personnel actions, when annualized, exceeds the 49
Fiscal Year 2027 appropriation for "Personal Services" with the 50
exception of escalated funds. Further, it shall be the agency's 51
responsibility to ensure that funds required to be appropriated 52
for "Personal Services" for Fiscal Year 2028 do not exceed Fiscal 53
Year 2027 funds appropriated for that purpose unless programs or 54
positions are added to the agency's Fiscal Year 2027 budget by the 55
Mississippi Legislature. 56
If, at the time the agency takes any action to change 57
"Personal Services," the State Personnel Board determines that the 58
agency has taken or will take an action that would cause the 59
agency to exceed the funds appropriated in this act when 60
annualized for Fiscal Year 2027 or increase the need for "Personal 61
Services" for Fiscal Year 2028, when annualized, the State 62
Personnel Board shall process no salary actions until such time as 63
the requirements of the provisions of this section are met with 64
the exception of new hires determined to be essential for the 65
agency. 66
When used in this section, "Vacancy Funding" shall mean funds 67
included in the Total Personal Services amount listed above and 68
designated for approved vacancies in Fiscal Year 2027. These 69
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funds are to be utilized to increase the number of filled 70
headcounts that were authorized but unfilled as of the last day of 71
Fiscal Year 2026. If the agency fills additional headcounts after 72
February 1, 2026, until the end of Fiscal Year 2026, the amount of 73
available Vacancy Funding may be proportionally adjusted to 74
reflect the updated number of filled headcounts. The agency shall 75
be responsible for ensuring that "Vacancy Funding" is used to 76
increase headcounts and not for promotions, title changes, 77
in-range salary adjustments, or any other mechanism for increasing 78
salaries for current employees. 79
Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with 80
the terms, conditions, and procedures established by law or 81
allowable under the terms set forth within this act. The State 82
Personnel Board shall not escalate positions or increase the 83
Personal Services total without written approval from the 84
Department of Finance and Administration. The Department of 85
Finance and Administration shall not provide written approval to 86
escalate any funds for salaries and/or headcounts without proof of 87
availability of new or additional funds above the appropriated 88
level. Unless specifically noted, all Fiscal Year 2026 escalated 89
headcounts have been accounted for and shall be converted to 90
authorized time-limited headcounts. 91
No general funds authorized to be expended herein shall be 92
used to replace federal funds and/or other special funds used for 93
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salaries authorized under the provisions of this act and which are 94
withdrawn and no longer available. 95
None of the funds herein appropriated shall be used in 96
violation of the Internal Revenue Service's Publication 15-A 97
relating to the reporting of income paid to contract employees, as 98
interpreted by the Office of the State Auditor. 99
If the agency's total authorized headcount decreases from 100
Fiscal Year 2026 to Fiscal Year 2027, it will be the agency's 101
discretion as to what headcounts are removed. 102
SECTION 3. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 103
Mississippi Real Estate Appraiser Licensing and Certification 104
Board shall maintain complete accounting and personnel records 105
related to the expenditure of all funds appropriated under this 106
act and that such records shall be in the same format and level of 107
detail as maintained for Fiscal Year 2026. It is further the 108
intention of the Legislature that the agency's budget request for 109
Fiscal Year 2028 shall be submitted to the Joint Legislative 110
Budget Committee in a format and level of detail comparable to the 111
format and level of detail provided during the Fiscal Year 2027 112
budget request process. 113
SECTION 4. It is the intention of the Legislature that 114
whenever two (2) or more bids are received by this agency for the 115
purchase of commodities or equipment, and whenever all things 116
stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, 117
quality and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind 118
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ST: Appropriation; Real Estate Appraiser
Licensing Certification Board.
shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to 119
the Mississippi Industries for the Blind whenever purchases are 120
made without competitive bids. 121
SECTION 5. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 122
funds herein appropriated shall be expended in compliance with 123
Section 27-104-25, Mississippi Code of 1972, that no state agency 124
shall incur obligations or indebtedness in excess of their 125
appropriation and that the responsible officers, either personally 126
or upon their official bonds, shall be held responsible for 127
actions contrary to this provision. 128
SECTION 6. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by 129
the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury to the 130
credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in this act, upon 131
warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal 132
Officer shall issue his warrants upon requisitions signed by the 133
proper person, officer or officers, in the manner provided by law. 134
SECTION 7. This act shall take effect and be in force from 135
and after July 1, 2026. 136