HB 1728 Summary

• Appropriates $40,000,000 from the Budget Contingency Fund to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency for COVID-19 expenses through December 30, 2020, with funds to match federal dollars under the CARES Act.

• Appropriates $20,000,000 from the Budget Contingency Fund to the Mississippi Department of Corrections ($4,275,000 for regional facilities, $1,500,000 for private facilities, $14,225,000 for state facilities) for personal protective equipment, test kits, virtual visitation systems, and other COVID-19 related expenses.

• Appropriates $2,500,000 from the Budget Contingency Fund to the Administrative Office of Courts to eliminate a backlog of 30,000 cases, improve telework capabilities, and cover COVID-19 related expenses through December 30, 2020.

• Requires all recipient agencies to certify compliance with U.S. Department of the Treasury guidelines for CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund spending and prohibits duplicate reimbursement from other funding sources.

• Makes agency recipients liable to repay the state any funds determined by federal inspectors general to have been improperly spent in violation of CARES Act guidelines.