MS HB1627

Appropriates $3,448,278.00 from the State General Fund to the Office of State Public Defender for fiscal year 2023 (July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023)

Authorizes 25 permanent positions for the office and requires compliance with the Mississippi Performance Budget and Strategic Planning Act of 1994

Allocates $278,500.00 specifically for Indigent Parental Representation to contract with attorneys for cases involving abuse, neglect, or termination of parental rights

Appropriates an additional $744,532.00 from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund for salaries and expenses related to special temporary courts in response to COVID-19 pandemic effects

Requires the agency to maintain detailed accounting records, submit performance reports on trial cases and reversals due to ineffective assistance of counsel, and comply with federal oversight requirements for the pandemic relief funds