Labor & Employment

HB 21 appropriates $7,384,650 (including $7,084,650 from general funds and $300,000 from special funds) to cover the State Fire Academy's expenses for fiscal year 2026. The bill specifically restricts $5.3 million to "Personal Services" (employee salaries, wages, and benefits) for 62 authorized positions, requiring compliance with Mississippi's salary rules and preventing funds from being used for promotions or salary increases beyond the appropriation. It mandates training 8,100 students at an average cost of $1,151.60 per student and requires detailed financial reporting to the legislature. The funding directly affects the State Fire Academy's operations and staff compensation.

This bill appropriates $23.88 million from state funds for Mississippi's Public Employees' Retirement System during fiscal year 2026 (July 2025-June 2026). It specifically allocates $12.99 million for employee salaries, benefits, and filling 168 authorized positions (including one new "Retirement Benefits" role), with $731,871 reserved exclusively for filling unfilled vacancies - not for promotions or salary increases. The bill strictly prohibits exceeding these funds for personnel costs, requires maintaining detailed financial records matching prior years, and establishes a separate fund for building maintenance using rental income from the system's Jackson office. It directly affects Retirement System staff and their operational budgeting.

SB 2050 renames the "Secretary of State Land Improvement Fund" as the "Land Improvement Fund" and transfers its administration from the Secretary of State to the Department of Finance and Administration. It directs $13 million from the Capital Expense Fund to this fund for improving LeFleur's Bluff State Park, and creates a new "LIFT at the Mississippi Children's Museum Fund" to receive $5 million for museum construction, upgrades, and statewide workforce development training. The bill ensures unspent funds in either account carry over annually without lapsing into the General Fund. These changes affect state park management and the Mississippi Children's Museum in Jackson.