Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official page posted by the Mississippi Legislature, fetched 2026-08-29. This is the enrolled version. The official bill page.
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE 2026 Regular Session To: Appropriations By: Senator(s) Hopson, DeBar, Hill, Boyd, Butler, DuPree, Frazier Senate Bill 3072 (As Sent to Governor) AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: SECTION 1. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the support and maintenance of the Department of Mental Health for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027........................................ ............................................ $ 265,056,513.00. SECTION 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized for expenditure out of any special source funds which are collected by or otherwise become available for the support and maintenance of the Department of Mental Health for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027 $ 480,867,311.00. SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 2 of this act, Twenty Million Nine Hundred Fifty-one Thousand Eight Hundred Eighty-six Dollars ($20,951,886.00) shall be derived from the Health Care Expendable Fund created in Section 43-13-407, Mississippi Code of 1972, for the support and maintenance of the Department of Mental Health. The funds provided for in this section shall be allocated as follows: $ 16,797,843.00 Expenses of the Department of Mental Health, payment of Medicaid state share, or prepayment of Medicaid state share $ 636,374.00 Crisis Centers $ 379,417.00 Alzheimer's disease services development $ 2,000,000.00 Mental health first aid training for county and municipal law enforcement; crisis intervention team officers pursuant to Section 17-25-39, Mississippi Code of 1972; community mental health centers court liaisons pursuant to Section 41-21-77.1, Mississippi Code of 1972, and the Mental Health Act established in House Bill No. 1222, 2023 Regular Session $ 1,138,252.00 Physician services at community mental health centers $ 20,951,886.00 TOTAL SECTION 4. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of this act, not more than the following amount of funds, with the exception of the provisions in this section, shall be expended only for "Personal Services," which includes "Vacancy Funding," for the following authorized number of employment headcount: FUNDING: General Funds: $ 103,321,954.00 Special Funds: $ 212,776,052.00 Total Funds: $ 316,098,006.00 PERSONAL SERVICES: Employee Salaries, Wages and Fringe Benefits: $ 300,293,106.00 Progressions: $ 0.00 Vacancy Funding: $ 15,804,900.00 Total Personal Services: $ 316,098,006.00 AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT: Permanent: 4,683 Time-Limited: 330 As used in this section, the term "Personal Services" shall mean funds provided under the major object of expenditure category Personal Services for Salaries, Wages, and Fringe Benefits. Funds in this category shall not be transferred to any other category. It is the intention of the Legislature to ensure compliance with the Variable Compensation Plan, as outlined in Section 25-9-147, Mississippi Code of 1972. Payment from these funds shall be in accordance with the Variable Compensation Plan promulgated by the Mississippi State Personnel Board. It is the Legislature's intention that no employee's salary falls below the minimum salary established by the Mississippi State Personnel Board. The State Personnel Board shall determine and publish the projected annual cost of "Personal Services" based on monthly and year-to-date payroll expenditures in compliance with the provisions of this act. With the funds herein appropriated, it shall be the agency's responsibility to ensure that no single personnel action or combination of personnel actions, when annualized, exceeds the Fiscal Year 2027 appropriation for "Personal Services" with the exception of escalated funds. Further, it shall be the agency's responsibility to ensure that funds required to be appropriated for "Personal Services" for Fiscal Year 2028 do not exceed Fiscal Year 2027 funds appropriated for that purpose unless programs or positions are added to the agency's Fiscal Year 2027 budget by the Mississippi Legislature. If, at the time the agency takes any action to change "Personal Services," the State Personnel Board determines that the agency has taken or will take an action that would cause the agency to exceed the funds appropriated in this act when annualized for Fiscal Year 2027 or increase the need for "Personal Services" for Fiscal Year 2028, when annualized, the State Personnel Board shall process no salary actions until such time as the requirements of the provisions of this section are met with the exception of new hires determined to be essential for the agency. When used in this section, "Vacancy Funding" shall mean funds included in the Total Personal Services amount listed above and designated for approved vacancies in Fiscal Year 2027. These funds are to be utilized to increase the number of filled headcounts that were authorized but unfilled as of the last day of Fiscal Year 2026. If the agency fills additional headcounts after March 1, 2026, until the end of Fiscal Year 2026, the amount of available Vacancy Funding may be proportionally adjusted to reflect the updated number of filled headcounts. The agency shall be responsible for ensuring that "Vacancy Funding" is used to increase headcounts and not for promotions, title changes, in-range salary adjustments, or any other mechanism for increasing salaries for current employees. 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 or increase the Personal Services total without written approval from the Department of Finance and Administration. The Department of Finance and Administration shall not provide written approval to escalate any funds for salaries and/or headcounts without proof of availability of new or additional funds above the appropriated level. Unless specifically noted, all Fiscal Year 2026 escalated headcounts have been accounted for and shall be converted to authorized time-limited headcounts. No general funds authorized to be expended herein shall be used to replace federal funds and/or other special funds 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. If the agency's total authorized headcount decreases from Fiscal Year 2026 to Fiscal Year 2027, it will be the agency's discretion as to what headcounts are removed. SECTION 5. In compliance with the "Mississippi Performance Budget and Strategic Planning Act of 1994," it is the intent of the Legislature that the funds provided herein shall be utilized in the most efficient and effective manner possible to achieve the intended mission of this agency. Based on the funding authorized, this agency shall make every effort to attain the targeted performance measures provided below: FY2027 Performance Measures Target Services Management Number of On-Site Reviews Conducted by the Division of Audit 40 Number of On-Site Reviews Conducted for DMH Certified Provider Agencies 150 Mental Health Services Percent of Population Lacking Access to Community-Based Mental Health Care 30.00 Percent of DMH Clients Served in the Community vs. in an Institutional Setting 98.00 Increase by at Least 25% the Utilization of Alternative Placement/Treatment Options for Individuals who have had Multiple Hospitalizations & Do Not Respond to Traditional Treatment 3.00 Number Served by PACT Teams and Intensive Case Management Teams 2,150 Number of Individuals Employed Through Supported Employment 200 Increase Access to Crisis Services by Tracking the Number of Calls to Mobile Crisis Response Teams 8,500 Number Referred from Mobile Crisis Response Teams to a Community Mental Health Center and Scheduled an Appointment 3,379 Number Diverted from a More Restrictive Environment Due to Mobile Crisis Response Teams 8,200 Increase the Number of Certified Peer Supt Specialists in the State 280 IDD Services Number of Individuals on Planning List for Home and Community-Based Services 2,700 Percent of DMH Institutionalized Clients who Could be Served in the Community 100.00 Percent of DMH Clients Served in the Community vs. in an Institutional Setting 87.00 Number of People Added from Planning List to ID/DD Waiver Services 250 Children & Youth Services Percent of Children with Serious Mental Illness Served by Local Multidisciplinary Assessment & Planning (MAP) Teams 2.50 Number Served by MAP Teams 1,028 Number of Children & Youth that are Served by Wraparound Facilitation 1,648 3% Alcohol Tax-alcohol/drug Prg Number of Residential Beds Made Available Statewide due to the Three Percent Tax Supplements 228 Number Receiving Residential Substance Use Disorder Treatment 1,319 Crisis Stabilization Units Average Length of Time from Mental Health Crisis to Receipt of Community Mental Health Crisis Service (Minutes) 1.50 Percent of People Receiving Mental Health Crisis Services who were Treated at Community Mental Health Centers vs. Institutions 98.00 Diversion Rate of Admissions to State Hospitals (% of People) 90.00 Number of Involuntary Admissions 1,738 Number of Voluntary Admissions 2,243 MI - Institutional Care Number Served Adult Acute Psychiatric 2,100 Maintain Readmission Rates within National Trends 4.00 MI - Support Services Support as an Overall Percent of Total Budget 6.03 IDD - Institutional Care Number of People Served in Residential IID Programs 754 Number of People Transitioned from Facility to ICF/IID Community Home 17 IDD - Group Homes Number of People Served in the 10-bed ICF/IID Community Homes 565 Percent of People Served in the Community vs. in an Institutional Setting 87.00 IDD - Community Programs Number of People Added from Planning List to ID/DD Waiver Services 250 Number of People Enrolled in the 1915i 1,100 IDD - Support Services Support as a Percent of Total Budget 4.70 A reporting of the degree to which the performance targets set above have been or are being achieved shall be provided in the agency's budget request submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee for Fiscal Year 2028. SECTION 6. The Department of Mental Health and its facilities shall have the authority, within funding and spending authority appropriated under the provisions of this act to transfer funds to the Division of Medicaid in payment of Medicaid match and designate that the funds thus transferred shall be applied to Medicaid match obligations arising in the subsequent fiscal year. SECTION 7. Any person within the Department of Mental Health who must work on a statutory holiday or any holiday proclaimed by the Governor may, at the discretion of the Director of the Institution and the Executive Director of the Department of Mental Health and within available personnel funds, be paid "call-back pay" in lieu of "compensatory time credit." SECTION 8. Of the funds appropriated to the "Service Budget," funds are included for the support of community mental health services for Fiscal Year 2027. Provided, however, that none of the funds appropriated for the support of community mental health services shall be made available to any Regional Mental Health/Intellectual Disability Center which does not receive from each of its participating counties a dollar amount equivalent to what the proceeds of a three-fourths (3/4) mill tax on all taxable property in the county in Fiscal Year 1982 would have been or the amount of funds contributed to the center by the county in Fiscal Year 1984, whichever shall be greater. By means of performance contracts, the Department of Mental Health shall disburse the funds appropriated in this section for services for the mentally ill, intellectually disabled and alcohol/drug abusers. The State Board of Mental Health and the Department of Mental Health shall be responsible for selecting the types of services which shall be provided with the funds appropriated in this section, for developing and monitoring performance contracts and for holding contractors accountable for utilization of funds. SECTION 9. Ellisville State School is authorized to draw up to Four Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($450,000.00) from interest earned on funds invested in Ellisville State School Client's Trust Fund for the purpose of supplementing the cost related to supplies, property, and equipment in direct care. SECTION 10. The Department of Mental Health and its facilities shall have the express legal authority, within funding and spending authority appropriated under the provisions of this act to purchase land for use by residential facilities operated by the department, either directly or by means of transferring funds to the Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real Property Management, and to transfer such funds to the Bureau of Building, Grounds, and Real Property Management for the purposes of constructing and equipping group homes for persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, and/or substance abuse; constructing and equipping such other buildings as may be required for treatment of persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, and/or substance abuse; repair and renovate existing buildings; and to construct, repair and/or renovate employee housing. Any intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID) constructed with funds authorized in this section shall be authorized to participate in Medicaid funding available for such services. SECTION 11. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Department of Mental Health shall maintain complete accounting 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 2026. It is further the intention of the Legislature that the agency's budget request for Fiscal Year 2028 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 2027 budget request process. SECTION 12. It is the intention of the Legislature that none of the funds provided herein shall be used to pay certain utilities for state-furnished housing for any employees. Such utilities shall include electricity, natural gas, butane, propane, cable and phone services. Where actual cost cannot be determined, the agency shall be required to provide meters to be in compliance with legislative intent. Such state-furnished housing shall include single-family and multifamily residences but shall not include any dormitory residences. Allowances for such utilities shall be prohibited. SECTION 13. It is the intention of the Legislature that the Executive Director of the Department of Mental Health shall have authority to transfer cash from one special fund treasury fund to another special fund treasury fund under the control of the Department of Mental Health. The purpose of this authority is to more efficiently use available cash reserves. It is further the intention of the Legislature that the Executive Director of the Department of Mental Health shall submit written justification for the transfer to the Legislative Budget Office and the Department of Finance and Administration. None of the funds transferred with this section may be transferred to the Central Office for Personal Services. SECTION 14. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of this act, Fifty-one Million Five Hundred Sixty-one Thousand One Hundred Sixty-nine Dollars ($51,561,169.00) is provided to the Department of Mental Health to expand community-based services. Further, it is the intention of the Legislature that the Department of Mental Health shall have the authority to transfer such sums from this source as are necessary to implement or improve those community services that are more appropriately addressed by the Mississippi Department of Education and/or the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services to those agencies for that purpose. Further, it is the intention of the Legislature that any sums received from this source that are not expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, by the Mississippi Department of Mental Health shall be reappropriated for the same purpose during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027. Further, it is the intention of the Legislature that the Department of Mental Health shall account for the expenditure of these funds in sufficient detail to clearly show the purposes for which such funds were expended. The Executive Director of the Department of Mental Health shall report any such reappropriation to the Legislative Budget Office no later than fifteen (15) days after the effective date of the reappropriation. SECTION 15. Of the funds appropriated in this act, the Department of Mental Health, with approval by the board, may contract with Community Mental Health Centers, or suitable entities, for the purpose of operating the Crisis Stabilization Units at Grenada, Batesville, Brookhaven, Cleveland, Corinth, Laurel Newton, Brandon, Gulfport, Jackson, Tupelo, West Point, Whitfield, and Natchez. The department shall provide quarterly progress reports on the operation of the Crisis Stabilization Units to the Chairmen of the Senate and House Public Health and Appropriations Committees. SECTION 16. It is the intention of the Legislature that whenever two (2) or more bids are received by this agency for the purchase of commodities or equipment, and whenever all things stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, quality and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to the Mississippi Industries for the Blind whenever purchases are made without competitive bids. SECTION 17. The Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) shall transfer funds back to the Department of Mental Health, upon the request of the Department of Mental Health, where the funds received by DFA from the Department of Mental Health were special funds (neither general funds or bond funds) and where those funds are not required for the payment of costs already incurred on a building or repair project. For the purposes of this section, the term "special funds" includes any state source special funds, including, but not limited to, funds from the Health Care Expendable Fund. The duty of DFA to transfer funds back to the Department of Mental Health under this section applies to any funds described in this section that were transferred to DFA, regardless of the year that the transfer was made by the Department of Mental Health. SECTION 18. None of the funds provided in Section 1, 2, or 3 of this act shall be used to pay Medicaid match for the twelve (12) Community Mental Health Centers. SECTION 19. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, it is the intention of the Legislature that Three Million Nine Hundred Ten Thousand Seven Hundred Two Dollars ($3,910,702.00) shall be allocated to the Crisis Intervention Mental Health Fund supported by General Fund court assessments. SECTION 20. Of the funds appropriated in this act, the Department of Mental Health shall fund ten (10) Programs of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) Teams and provide supportive employment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. SECTION 21. Notwithstanding any other provision, the Department of Mental Health shall have the authority to escalate its headcount for any additional operational needs related to Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds upon approval of the Department of Finance and Administration and the State Personnel Board. SECTION 22. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 and Section 2 of this act, it is the intention of the Legislature that continued funding at or above the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriated amount shall be provided for Three Thousand (3,000) slots in the ID/DD Home and Community-Based Waiver program. In addition, Two Million Three Hundred Seventy-seven Thousand Thirty-one Dollars ($2,377,031.00) from the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act is provided for an increase of One Hundred Twenty-five (125) waiver slots, for a total of Three Thousand One Hundred Twenty-five (3,125) slots in the ID/DD Home and Community-Based Waiver program. SECTION 23. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, Two Million Four Hundred Seventy-two Thousand Dollars ($2,472,000.00) is provided for the Department of Mental Health. These funds are provided for the following purposes: Statewide Court Liaisons..................... $ 675,000.00 ID/DD Crisis Training........................ $ 147,000.00 988 Call Centers ............................ $ 1,650,000.00 SECTION 24. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is reappropriated out of any money in the Capital Expense Fund not otherwise appropriated for the Department of Mental Health for the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of Capital Expense Fund, as appropriated in SB 2016, 2025 First Extraordinary Session, to the Department of Mental Health for the purpose of entering into a subgrant with Canopy Children's Solutions for the construction and renovation of the CARES Center, including the children and youth Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility for Trauma Recovery, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027 $ 12,000,000.00. 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, 2026, from the amount authorized for the previous fiscal year. In addition, this reappropriation shall not change the purpose for which the funds were originally authorized. SECTION 25. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, One Hundred Sixty-four Thousand Eight Hundred Fifty-nine Dollars ($164,859.00) is provided for the Division of Autism Services created in Section 41-4-29, Mississippi Code of 1972. SECTION 26. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) is provided for the Special Olympics of Mississippi. SECTION 27. With the funds appropriated herein, the Mississippi Department of Mental Health is authorized to make payments for expenses incurred during prior fiscal years for an amount not to exceed Four Hundred Thirteen Thousand Six Hundred and Ten Dollars ($413,610.00). These payments are for previous year invoices for RTM Designs, Precision Healthcare, and Change Healthcare Technologies, LLC. SECTION 28. As a condition of receiving and expending the funds appropriated to the Department of Mental Health under Sections 29 and 30 of this act, a recipient designated under this section shall certify in writing and under oath to the Department that no contract of compensation dependent on the success or failure of legislation or executive action prohibited under Section 5-8-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, has been entered into by the recipient, with any individual or entity, in pursuance of such funding. None of the funds appropriated by this act shall be disbursed to a recipient or used by a recipient who fails to make such certification or is found to be in violation of such certification. SECTION 29. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 2 of this act, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) shall be derived from the Opioid Settlement Fund as created in Section 27-103-305, for the support and maintenance of the Department of Mental Health. These nonabatement funds provided in this section shall be allocated as follows: Funding for the Mississippi Dementia Care Program, as created in the Jimmy Kaigler Alzheimer's Support Act............. $ 500,000.00. SECTION 30. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 2 of this act, Eleven Million Nine Hundred Ninety-five Thousand Dollars ($11,995,000.00) shall be derived from the Opioid Settlement Fund as created in Section 27-103-305, Mississippi Code of 1972, for the support and maintenance of the Department of Mental Health. These abatement funds provided in this section shall be allocated as follows: Funding to increase capacity for substance use disorder (SUD)treatment, fifteen (15) additional beds at East Mississippi State Hospital in Meridian........................ $ 895,000.00. Funding a partnership with Open Doors Homeless Coalition establishing voucher program for adults leaving residential substance use disorder treatment for safe, stable housing.............................. $ 1,500,000.00. Funding a partnership with Mississippi State University on a statewide Comprehensive Needs Assessment............................ $ 100,000.00. Funding Oceans Healthcare to improve maternal mental health and reduce opioid-related morbidity and mortality among pregnant and postpartum women................ $ 4,000,000.00. Funding for the Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC) to directly expand access to lifesaving care. Funding to be distributed to each CMHC based on formula administered by the department........................... $ 4,500,000.00. Funding for South Central Regional Medical Center to create modern, trauma-informed, and accessible facilities in order to admit more patients and provide a safe environment for individuals and their families.......................... $ 1,000,000.00. SECTION 31. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in this act, upon warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal Officer shall issue his warrants upon requisitions signed by the proper person, officer or officers in the manner provided by law. SECTION 32. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026.
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