House Bill 1338

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PLACE A MORATORIUM ON THE ISSUANCE OF SALARY INCREASES TO CERTAIN EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS; TO REQUIRE THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ON PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND EXPENDITURE REVIEW TO CONDUCT A STUDY OF THE IMPACT THE LIFTING OF THE MORATORIUM WOULD HAVE ON THE DEPARTMENT; TO PROVIDE FOR THE REPEAL OF THIS ACT ON JULY 1, 2017; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) Notwithstanding any laws of the State of Mississippi to the contrary, beginning on the date of passage of this act, the State Board of Education and the State Department of Education shall place a moratorium on the issuance of salary increases to employees of the department serving as a division or bureau director or higher for a period of three (3) years. Likewise, any such individual employed with the department in such capacity after the passage of this act shall be compensated at the salary agreed upon as to the acceptance of employment, and shall not be due any increase in compensation for the duration of the moratorium period on salary increases. The State Superintendent of Public Education serving on July 1, 2014, shall continue to receive the salary received on July 1, 2014, and shall not be provided a salary increase. Any individual hired by the State Board of Education as the State Superintendent of Public Education within the period of the moratorium shall be compensated at the salary level of the State Superintendent serving on July 1, 2014.

(2) The Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) shall conduct a study of the impact the lifting of the moratorium provided in subsection (1) would have on the department, and shall report the findings of its study no later than January 1, 2015.

(3) The provisions of this section shall stand repealed from and after July 1, 2017.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.