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HB 1734

Appropriation; Public Utilities Staff.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Brent Anderson and 7 co-sponsors

Funds are appropriated to the Public Utilities Staff for FY2026 to cover agency operating expenses, with specific Atlas Project, personnel controls, and procurement preferences.

Died In Conference
#appropriations #appropriationsa #appropriationsb
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Bill Summary · HB 1734

Summary — HB 1734 (Appropriation; Public Utilities Staff)

Note up front: the provided document conflates several different bills and amendments from multiple jurisdictions (texts labeled HB 1734 from Illinois, Arkansas, and Mississippi). This summary focuses on the appropriation measure for the Public Utilities Staff (the appropriations text and amendment reports that reference Mississippi fiscal provisions). You should verify the final status and authoritative text with the official Mississippi legislative record because the document also contains conflicting procedural entries (including “Died In Conference” and later items showing passage and enrollment).

Purpose

To appropriate state and special‑source funds to defray operating expenses of the Public Utilities Staff for Fiscal Year 2026 (period stated as July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026), and to authorize related personnel and administrative conditions.

Key provisions

  • Appropriations
    • A special‑source appropriation of $2,565,843.00 is shown (Section 2) to the Public Utilities Staff for agency expenses tied to the Atlas Project for FY2026.
    • Of the Section 2 funds, $80,000.00 is specifically identified to be derived from the Project Atlas Fund (Section 4) for expediting Project Atlas services.
    • The general‑fund appropriation amount in Section 1 is not clearly printed in the excerpt; the bill overall provides funding for the agency for FY2026.
  • Personnel / headcount
    • Authorized headcount and classification language included; time‑limited headcount indicated as 0. The bill places responsibilities on the agency to ensure FY2027 personal‑services needs do not exceed FY2026 appropriations unless the Legislature adds programs/positions.
    • Numerous constraints and administrative controls: State Personnel Board projections, requirement that salary actions be limited if projected agency FY2026 costs exceed annualized costs, and Department of Finance & Administration written approvals for escalations.
  • Restrictions / compliance
    • Prohibits using state general funds to replace previously available federal or special funds for salaries when those funds are withdrawn.
    • Requires compliance with IRS Publication 15‑A reporting for contract employees as interpreted by the State Auditor.
  • Reporting / oversight
    • The Public Utilities Staff must maintain accounting and personnel records at the same level of detail used in FY2025 and submit a FY2027 budget request in comparable format to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.
  • Procurement preference
    • When bids are equal, preference is to be given to Mississippi Industries for the Blind (including purchases made without competitive bids).

Who is affected

  • Public Utilities Staff (primary recipient/implementer)
  • State Treasury / State Fiscal Officer / Department of Finance & Administration
  • State Personnel Board and Joint Legislative Budget Committee (oversight)
  • Mississippi Industries for the Blind (procurement preference)
  • Any contractors or positions funded through these appropriations

Timeline and procedural notes

  • Fiscal year covered: July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026 (per text).
  • Effective date language in the excerpt: “This act shall take effect from and after July 1, 2025” (one section misstates a repeal date — likely a drafting error).
  • The document includes contradictory procedural entries (e.g., “Died In Conference” on 2025‑03‑29 vs. later entries showing passage, enrollment, and a governor’s signature). Because the file aggregates multiple HB1734 variants, confirm the bill’s final status, enacted text, and effective date with the official Mississippi legislative website or Secretary of State records.

If you want, I can (1) extract a clean, itemized appropriation table from the official enrolled bill text (if you provide or authorize a source), or (2) check and reconcile the bill’s final status/details with the Mississippi legislature’s online bill tracking.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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