Appropriation; Counselors, Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional.
Summary
SB3024 is the Mississippi fiscal year 2026 appropriation bill for the Mississippi State Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors. It provides $378,711 in special funds to cover the board’s operating expenses for the year beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026. The bill authorizes two permanent positions and no time-limited positions, and it includes standard appropriations language limiting how the funds may be used.
A specific $100,000 allocation is set aside for expenses related to updating the board’s Licensing Management System. The bill also requires the board to maintain detailed accounting and personnel records, submit its FY 2027 budget request in a comparable format, and comply with state procurement and expenditure rules. It includes a preference for Mississippi Industries for the Blind in certain purchasing situations and reiterates that the agency may not incur obligations beyond its appropriation.
Impact
The bill affects state law only as an annual appropriations measure for a specific licensing board, rather than by creating or amending substantive regulatory law. It authorizes spending from special funds, sets staffing levels, directs a portion of the appropriation to an information-system upgrade, and imposes standard fiscal controls, recordkeeping expectations, and procurement preferences that govern how the board may use the money. Its practical effect is to fund the board’s operations and support administration of professional counselor licensure in Mississippi.
Sentiment
The available voting history indicates broad bipartisan support and no recorded opposition: the Senate passed the bill 50-0, and the House passed it 120-0 as amended. With no committee transcript provided, there is no evidence of controversy in the available materials. The overall sentiment appears routine and favorable, consistent with a standard agency appropriation bill.
Contention
No notable substantive contention appears in the provided record. The only potentially sensitive elements are the allocation of $100,000 for the Licensing Management System and the usual appropriations restrictions on staffing, contracting, and spending authority, but the unanimous votes suggest these provisions were not disputed in the available proceedings. Because no committee discussion transcripts are included, there is no indication of organized opposition or debate over the funding level, headcount, or system upgrade.