HB 1625 — Appropriation: Child Protection Services, Department of.

1625 (As Sent to Governor) AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2024.

The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, to the Department of Child Protection Services for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024.......................$ 128,935,231.00.131,237,561.00.

The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in any special fund in the State Treasury to the credit of the Department of Child Protection Services which is comprised of special source funds collected by or otherwise available to the department for the support of the various divisions of the department, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the department for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024.............2024..................................$ 152,079,359.00.

...............................................$ 123,604,416.00.

1625 *HR13/A65109**HR26/A65109SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ A1/2 23/HR13/A6510923/HR26/A65109SG PAGE 1 SECTION 3.

The Legislature shall determine the agency’s personal services appropriation, which shall be published by the State Personnel Board.Board shall publish.

The agency’s personal services appropriation may consist of restricted funds for approved vacancies for Fiscal Year 2024 that may not be utilized for active Fiscal Year 2023 Headcount.

It shall be the agency's responsibility to ensure that the funds provided for vacancies are used to increase headcount and not for promotions, title changes, in-range salary adjustments or any other mechanism for increasing salaries for current employees.

It is the Legislature’s intention that no employee salary falls below the minimum salary established by the Mississippi State Personnel Board.

It shall be the responsibility of the agency head to ensureH. that actual personnel expenditures for Fiscal Year 2024 do not exceed the data provided by the Legislative Budget Office.

If the agency’s Fiscal Year 2024 projected cost exceeds the annualized costs, no salary actions shall be processed by the State Personnel Board with the exception of new hires that are determined to be essential for the agency.

Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with the terms, conditions and procedures established by law or allowable under the terms set forth within this act.

The State Personnel Board shall not escalate positions without written H.

1625 *HR13/A65109**HR26/A65109SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/HR13/A6510923/HR26/A65109SG PAGE 2 approvalensure fromthat actual personnel expenditures for Fiscal Year 2024 do not exceed the Departmentdata ofprovided Financeby andthe Administration.Legislative Budget Office.

If the agency’s Fiscal Year 2024 projected cost exceeds the annualized costs, no salary actions shall be processed by the State Personnel Board except for new hires determined to be essential for the agency.

Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with the terms, conditions, and procedures established by law or allowable under the terms set forth within this act.

The State Personnel Board shall not escalate positions without written approval from the Department of Finance and Administration.

No general funds authorized to be expended herein shall be used to replace federal funds and/or other special funds which are being used for salaries authorized under the provisions of this act and which are withdrawn and no longer available.

None of the funds herein appropriated shall be used in violation of the Internal Revenue Service’s Publication 15-A relating to the reporting of income paid to contract employees, as interpreted by the Office of the State Auditor.

Funds have been appropriated herein for the purpose of funding Project SEC2 minimum salaries for all employees covered under the Colonel Guy Groff/Neville Kenning Variable Compensation Plan.

It shall be the agency’s responsibility to ensure that the funds are used to increase all employees’ salaries up to the minimum level as determined by the State Personnel Board.

It is the intention of the Legislature that the Department of Child Protection Services shall maintain complete accountingH. and personnel records related to the expenditure of all funds appropriated under this act and that such records shall be in the same format and level of detail as maintained for Fiscal Year 2023.

It is further the intention of the Legislature that H.

1625 *HR13/A65109**HR26/A65109SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/HR13/A6510923/HR26/A65109SG PAGE 3 theaccounting agency'sand budgetpersonnel requestrecords forrelated Fiscal Year 2025 shall be submitted to the Jointexpenditure Legislativeof Budgetall Committeefunds inappropriated aunder formatthis act and levelthat ofsuch detailrecords comparableshall tobe in the same format and level of detail providedas duringmaintained thefor Fiscal Year 20242023. budget request process.

It is further the intention of the Legislature that the agency's budget request for Fiscal Year 2025 shall be submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee in a format and level of detail comparable to the format and level of detail provided during the Fiscal Year 2024 budget request process.

Of the funds appropriated in Section 1, herein to the Department of Child Protection Services, it is the intention of the Legislature that Ninety-three Thousand Six Hundred One Dollars ($93,601.00) shall be allocated to the Mississippi Children'sH. Trust Fund supported from General Fund court assessments.

SECTION 8.

Of the funds appropriated by this act, pursuant to Section 97-3-54.9, Mississippi Code of 1972, Two Hundred Fifty H.

1625 *HR13/A65109**HR26/A65109SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/HR13/A6510923/HR26/A65109SG PAGE 4 ThousandChildren's DollarsTrust ($250,000.00)Fund issupported providedfrom forGeneral maintainingFund acourt 24-hourassessments. hotline that is to be manned at all times, and for a coordinator to work with the Department of Public Safety, and to contract with outside agencies or service providers to organize for the provision of specialized services, including counseling services and other appropriate care to children who have been victims of commercial and sexual exploitation or human trafficking.

SECTION 8.

Of the funds appropriated by this act, pursuant to Section 97-3-54.9, Mississippi Code of 1972, Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) is provided for maintaining a 24-hour hotline that is to be manned at all times, and for a coordinator to work with the Department of Public Safety, and to contract with outside agencies or service providers to organize for the provision of specialized services, including counseling services and other appropriate care to children who have been victims of commercial and sexual exploitation or human trafficking.

Notwithstanding the amount reappropriated under this section, the amount that may be expended under the authority of this section as of June 30, 2023, shall not exceed the unexpended balance of the funds remaining from the amount authorized for the H.

1625 *HR13/A65109**HR26/A65109SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/HR13/A6510923/HR26/A65109SG PAGE 5 Notwithstanding the amount reappropriated under this section, the amount that may be expended under the authority of this section, shall not exceed the unexpended balance of the funds remaining as of June 30, 2023, from the amount authorized for the previous fiscal year.

Of the funds appropriated in Section 1, Eleven Million Eighty-six Thousand Two Hundred Thirty-nine Dollars ($11,086,239.00) are appropriated to fund the Adoption Assistance and Congregate Care Homes Maintenance Payments and One Million Two Hundred Fifty-fourFifty-Four Thousand Nine Hundred Ninety-nine Dollars ($1,254,999.00) are provided for the Foster Home Maintenance Payments.

Of the funds appropriated herein, the Department of Child Protection Services is authorized to make payments for expenses incurred during Fiscal Years 2020, 2021, and 2022 for an amount not to exceed Sixty-five Thousand Four Hundred Seventy-three Dollars and Seventy-nine Cents ($65,473.79).

H.

B.

No.

1625 *HR26/A65109SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/HR26/A65109SG PAGE 6 SECTION 14.

SECTION 14.15.