HB27 is an appropriations bill that provides funding for the Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy for fiscal year 2026. It appropriates $354,726 from special funds in the state treasury to cover the board’s operating expenses for the year beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026. Of that amount, $221,771 is designated for personal services, including salaries, wages, fringe benefits, and vacancy funding, with an authorized headcount of three permanent positions and no time-limited positions.
The bill also sets detailed spending and personnel controls. It requires compliance with the state’s Variable Compensation Plan, limits transfers out of the personal services category, restricts vacancy funding to filling approved vacancies rather than increasing pay for existing employees, and bars salary actions that would cause the agency to exceed its appropriation. It further requires the board to maintain detailed accounting and personnel records, follow state procurement preferences for the Mississippi Industries for the Blind when bids are equal or purchases are made without competitive bidding, and comply with state law governing obligations beyond appropriations. The act takes effect July 1, 2025.
Impact
HB27 does not change the licensing or regulatory authority of the Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy; instead, it authorizes the board’s operating budget and imposes fiscal and administrative conditions on how those funds may be spent. It affects the board, the Department of Finance and Administration, the State Personnel Board, and state procurement and accounting practices by tying expenditures to appropriation limits, personnel rules, and reporting requirements. The bill becomes effective for fiscal year 2026 and functions as the legal spending authority for the agency during that period.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests broad support for the bill. It passed the House 92-5 and the Senate 38-5, indicating strong bipartisan approval with only a small number of مخالف votes in each chamber. No committee transcripts were provided, and there is no indication of significant public controversy in the materials supplied.
Contention
The main points of contention, to the extent they can be inferred from the bill text, are the usual appropriations issues: how much funding the board should receive, how much should go to personal services, and how tightly the legislature should control staffing and vacancy funding. The bill’s restrictions on salary actions, headcount changes, and use of vacancy funds reflect legislative concern about budget discipline and preventing agencies from using appropriated funds in ways not specifically authorized. However, the recorded votes show that any disagreement was limited and did not prevent passage.