AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF SPECIAL FUNDS TO THE MISSISSIPPI STATE BOARD OF DENTAL EXAMINERS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027.
Summary
SB 3074 is the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners’ fiscal year 2027 appropriation bill. It appropriates $1,298,591 in special funds for the board’s operations for the year beginning July 1, 2026, including $720,776 designated for personal services for eight permanent positions. The bill is primarily a spending authorization measure rather than a policy overhaul, and it sets out detailed limits and conditions on how the board may use the funds.
The act includes standard appropriations language governing payroll, vacancy funding, salary compliance, headcount management, transfers, escalations, and recordkeeping. It also directs that no funds be used to replace lost federal or other special funds for salaries, and it requires compliance with state personnel rules and IRS reporting rules for contract employees. The bill further provides up to $27,000 to the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy for the Prescription Monitoring Program and authorizes funds for ITS charges tied to cloud migration or system upgrades under the Cloud Center of Excellence Act.
Impact
SB 3074 maintains funding for the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners and continues the statutory framework that governs how the board may spend appropriated special funds. It does not create new regulatory authority over dentists or dental practice; instead, it affects state budget law by setting the board’s operating appropriation, staffing authorization, and spending restrictions for fiscal year 2027. The bill also indirectly supports related state functions by funding a contribution to the Prescription Monitoring Program and allowing for technology-related charges under existing law.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been noncontroversial and broadly supported. It passed the Senate unanimously, passed the House unanimously as amended, and then the Senate concurred in the House amendment without recorded opposition. The absence of committee transcript discussion and the unanimous votes suggest routine approval of an annual appropriations measure rather than a disputed policy issue.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive contention around the bill. The only notable procedural point is that the House amended the measure before final concurrence, but the Senate accepted that amendment unanimously. The bill’s detailed restrictions on personal services, vacancy funding, and escalation authority are standard appropriations controls and do not appear to have generated disagreement in the available record.