AN ACT APPROVING THE EXPENDITURE OF SPECIAL FUNDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFRAYING THE EXPENSES OF THE STATE OIL AND GAS BOARD FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2027.
Summary
HB1897 is the annual appropriation bill for the Mississippi State Oil and Gas Board for fiscal year 2027. It provides $2.2 million in general funds and $5.232 million in special funds to support the agency’s operations, including salaries, benefits, vacancy funding, and other administrative expenses. The bill authorizes 35 permanent positions and places detailed limits on how personal services money may be used, including restrictions on transfers, salary actions, and vacancy funding.
The bill also reauthorizes $1.012 million in capital expense funds previously approved for orphan well plugging, and separately directs $2 million from the Capital Expense Fund for emergency orphan well plugging. In addition, it allows the board to receive and spend up to $200,000 for its Comprehensive Data Management Program, and includes standard appropriations language on accounting, procurement preferences for the Mississippi Industries for the Blind, and compliance with state spending and personnel rules.
Impact
HB1897 continues and specifies state funding for the Oil and Gas Board without changing the board’s underlying regulatory authority. It affects state budget law by appropriating general and special funds, setting headcount and salary controls, and reauthorizing prior capital funds for orphan well plugging. It also directs how certain special and capital expense funds may be used, including emergency plugging work and data management activities, while reinforcing existing requirements under Mississippi appropriations and personnel statutes.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the House 121-0, the Senate 51-0, and the House later concurred in the Senate amendment by a vote of 118-0. The unanimous votes suggest general agreement on funding the Oil and Gas Board’s operations and orphan well plugging activities.
Contention
No major substantive opposition is evident in the available record. The only likely points of interest are the size and allocation of appropriations, especially the split between general funds, special funds, and capital expense funds, as well as the restrictions on personal services and vacancy funding. Those provisions are typical in appropriations bills and appear to have been accepted without recorded dispute.