Bill Text: MS HB1942 | 2024 | Regular Session | Engrossed

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Bill Title: Income tax and insurance premium tax; authorize a credit for certain investments in qualified community development entities.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2024-05-14 - Died In Conference [HB1942 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2024-HB1942-Engrossed.html

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MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2024 Regular Session

To: Ways and Means

By: Representative Lamar

House Bill 1942

(As Passed the House)

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR AN INCOME TAX AND INSURANCE PREMIUM TAX CREDIT FOR TAXPAYERS THAT PAY A QUALIFIED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ENTITY FOR QUALIFIED EQUITY INVESTMENTS; TO DEFINE CERTAIN TERMS FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE TAX CREDIT; TO PROVIDE THAT THE AMOUNT OF THE CREDIT SHALL BE EQUAL TO A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THE ADJUSTED PURCHASE PRICE PAID TO THE QUALIFIED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ENTITY FOR THE QUALIFIED EQUITY INVESTMENT; TO PROVIDE THAT THE MAXIMUM AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF THE CREDITS THAT MAY BE ALLOCATED TO ALL TAXPAYERS IN ANY ONE STATE FISCAL YEAR SHALL NOT EXCEED $20,000,000.00 AND THAT THE CREDITS SHALL BE ALLOCATED BY THE MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY; TO PROVIDE FOR THE RECAPTURE OF ALL OR A PORTION OF THE CREDIT UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; TO DEFINE THE TERMS "NEW MARKETS TAX CREDIT TRANSACTION," "PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION," "PUBLIC ENTITY OR PUBLIC ENTITIES" AND "PUBLIC PROPERTY OR FACILITIES"; TO AUTHORIZE PUBLIC ENTITIES TO CREATE PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATIONS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENTERING INTO FINANCING AGREEMENTS AND ENGAGING IN NEW MARKETS TAX CREDIT TRANSACTIONS; TO AUTHORIZE PUBLIC ENTITIES TO ENTER INTO FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS IN ORDER TO TRANSFER PUBLIC PROPERTY OR FACILITIES TO OR FROM PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATIONS; TO AUTHORIZE PUBLIC ENTITIES AND PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATIONS, WITH RESPECT TO NEW MARKETS TAX CREDIT TRANSACTIONS, TO ENTER INTO FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS WITH GOVERNMENTAL, NONPROFIT OR FOR PROFIT ENTITIES IN ORDER TO LEVERAGE FUNDS NOT OTHERWISE AVAILABLE TO PUBLIC ENTITIES FOR THE ACQUISITION, CONSTRUCTION OR RENOVATION OF PROPERTIES TRANSFERRED TO A PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION; TO AMEND SECTION 27-15-129, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT THE INVESTMENTS THAT MAY REDUCE A TAXPAYER'S INSURANCE PREMIUM TAX LIABILITY UNDER SUCH SECTION SHALL NOT INCLUDE ANY INVESTMENT FOR WHICH A TAX CREDIT IS ALLOCATED UNDER THIS ACT; TO AMEND SECTION 31-7-13, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

     SECTION 1.  (1) As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings as defined in this subsection unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

          (a)  "Applicable percentage" means sixteen percent (16%) for each of the first through third credit allowance dates for purposes of the taxes imposed by Section 27-7-5 or the taxes imposed by Sections 27-15-103, 27-15-109 and 27-15-123.

          (b) "CDFI fund" means the Community Development Financial Institutions fund of the United States Department of the Treasury.

          (c)  "Credit allowance date" means, with respect to any qualified equity investment: (i) the date on which the qualified equity investment is initially made; and (ii) each of the subsequent two (2) anniversary dates of the date the qualified equity investment was initially made.

          (d)  "MDA" means the Mississippi Development Authority.

          (e)  "Mississippi qualified community development entity" means a qualified community development entity that is or whose controlling entity is headquartered in the State of Mississippi.

          (f)  "Principal business operations" means the physical location where at least sixty percent (60%) of a qualified active low-income community business' employees work.  An entity that has agreed to relocate employees or a Mississippi business that has agreed to hire employees using the proceeds of a qualified low-income community investment to establish principal business operations in Mississippi is deemed to have principal business operations in Mississippi if the entity satisfies the requirements of this paragraph within one hundred eighty (180) days of receiving the qualified low-income community investment or another date as agreed by the business and the MDA.

          (g)  "Purchase price" means the amount paid to the qualified community development entity for a qualified equity investment.

          (h)  "Qualified active low-income community business" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, provided such entity has its principal business operations within the state's geographical boundary.  An entity is deemed a qualified active low-income community business for the duration of a qualified low-income community investment if the qualified community development entity reasonably expects, at the time it makes the qualified low-income community investment, that the entity will continue to satisfy the requirements for being a qualified active low-income community business throughout the entire period of the qualified low-income community investment.

          (i)  "Qualified community development entity" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, provided that:

               (i)  The entity, or an affiliate thereof, has previously entered into an allocation agreement with the CDFI fund with respect to credits authorized by Section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;

               (ii)  Such allocation agreement includes the State of Mississippi within the service area set forth in the allocation agreement; and

               (iii)  Except for Mississippi qualified community development entities, the entity, together with affiliates:

                    1.  Has made qualified low-income community investments under Section 57-105-1 et seq. of at least Thirty Million Dollars ($30,000,000.00) in Mississippi qualified active low-income community businesses;

                    2.  Has made at least One Hundred Million Dollars ($100,000,000) of investments in businesses located in Mississippi; or

                    3.  Has received at least four (4) original tax credit certificates from the MDA.

          (j) "Qualified equity investment" means an equity investment in a qualified community development entity, if the equity investment:

               (i)  Is acquired after the effective date of this act at its original issuance solely in exchange for cash, and if not so acquired, was a qualified equity investment in the hands of a prior holder;

               (ii)  Has at least eighty-five percent (85%) of its cash purchase price used by the qualified community development entity to make qualified low-income community investments in qualified active low-income community businesses that have their principal business operations in the State of Mississippi; and

               (iii)  Is:

                    1.  Designated by the qualified community development entity as a qualified equity investment under this section; and

                    2.  Is at least fifty percent (50%) designated by the qualified community development entity as a qualified equity investment under Section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

          (k)  "Qualified low-income community investment" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; provided, however, that the maximum amount of qualified low-income community investments issued for a single qualified active low-income community business, on an aggregate basis with all of its affiliates, that may be included for purposes of complying with subsection (4)(d)(iii) of this section shall not exceed Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000.00), in the aggregate, whether issued by one (1) or several qualified community development entities and exclusive of repaid or redeemed qualified low-income community investments in such business.

     (2)  A person or entity that holds a qualified equity investment on the credit allowance date shall be entitled to a credit applicable against the taxes imposed by Sections 27-7-5, 27-15-103, 27-15-109 and 27-15-123 during the taxable year that includes the credit allowance date.  The amount of the credit shall be equal to the applicable percentage for such taxable year of the purchase price paid to the qualified community development entity for the qualified equity investment.  The amount of the credit that may be utilized in any one (1) tax year shall be limited to an amount not greater than the total tax liability of the claimant for the taxes imposed by the above-referenced sections.  The credit shall not be refundable or transferable.  Any unused portion of the credit may be carried forward for seven (7) taxable years beyond the credit allowance date on which the credit was earned.  The maximum aggregate amount of qualified equity investments that may be allocated by the MDA may not exceed an amount that would result in taxpayers claiming in any one (1) state fiscal year credits in excess of Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000.00), exclusive of credits that might be carried forward from previous taxable years; however, a maximum of Eighteen Million Dollars ($18,000,000.00) with respect to such allocations may be allocated as credits for taxes imposed by Sections 27-15-103, 27-15-109 and 27-15-123.  Any person or entity claiming a credit under this section against the taxes imposed by Sections 27-7-5, 27-15-103, 27-15-109 and 27-15-123 shall not be required to pay any additional tax under Section 27-15-123 as a result of claiming such credit.  The MDA shall allocate credits within this limit as provided for in subsection (4) of this section.

     (3)  Tax credits authorized by this section that are earned by a partnership, limited liability company, S corporation or other similar pass-through entity, shall be allocated among its partners, members or shareholders, respectively, either in proportion to their ownership interest in such entity or as the partners, members or shareholders mutually agree as provided in an executed document.  Such allocation shall be made each taxable year of such pass-through entity which contains a credit allowance date.  An allocation or pass-through of a credit is not considered a sale for the purposes of this section or any other state law.

     (4)  (a)  For three (3) consecutive fiscal years beginning July 1, 2024, qualified community development entities shall apply to the MDA for an award of credits and related qualified equity investment authority on a form provided by the MDA that includes:

               (i)  The name, address, and tax identification number of the applicant, and evidence of the applicant's certification as a qualified community development entity by the CDFI fund;

               (ii)  A copy of the allocation agreement executed by the applicant or its controlling entity, and the CDFI fund;

               (iii)  A certificate executed by an executive officer of the applicant attesting that the allocation agreement remains in effect and has not been revoked or canceled by the CDFI fund;

               (iv)  A description of the proposed amount, structure, and purchaser of the equity investment;

               (v)  The amount of qualified equity investment authority sought which collectively may not exceed the applicant or its controlling entity's available qualified equity investment authority under Section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended multiplied by two (2);

               (vi)  Evidence of the applicant or its controlling entity's available qualified equity investment authority under Section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;

               (vii)  A nonrefundable application fee of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00);

               (viii)  Except for Mississippi qualified community development entities, evidence that the applicant, on a collective basis with its affiliates, satisfies at least one (1) of the requirements of subsection (1)(i)(iii) of this section for the definition of qualified community development entity; and

               (ix)  Other information as required by the MDA pursuant to paragraph (c) of this subsection.

          (b)  The MDA shall set a date to accept applications not less than thirty (30) days but not more than forty-five (45) days after the CDFI fund announces allocation awards under a notice of funding availability that was published in the Federal Register.  In the event that the CDFI fund is unable to publish a notice of funding of allocation awards because of a lack of award authority under Section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, with respect to the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, the MDA shall set a date for accepting applications and waive the requirement that a qualified community development entity designate at least fifty percent (50%) of qualified equity investment authority awarded as a qualified equity investment under Section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, provided that the MDA shall give a preference in the award of tax credits to qualified community development entities that apply with remaining allocation under Section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

          (c)  The MDA shall award credits and the related qualified equity investment authority, subject to the limitations set forth in subsection (2) of this section, fifty percent (50%) to applicants that agree to utilize qualified equity investment authority for loan funds.  The MDA may require additional information in the application to delineate between types of applications.  Within forty-five (45) days with respect to a loan fund application and ninety (90) days for all other applications, the MDA shall grant or deny the application in full or in part.  If the MDA denies any part of the application, the MDA shall inform the applicant of the grounds for the denial.  If the applicant provides the information required by the MDA or otherwise completes its application within fifteen (15) days of the notice of denial, the application is deemed complete as of the original date of submission.  If the applicant fails to provide the requested information or complete its application within the fifteen-day period, the applicant must submit a new application.  If requests for either allocation are not fully subscribed, the MDA shall reallocate such remaining allocation to the other allocation pool.  Once the MDA has allocated credits to a qualified community development entity, the corresponding qualified equity investment must be issued and, if applicable, fifty percent (50%) of such qualified equity investment must be designated under Section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, not later than one hundred twenty (120) days from the date of such allocation.  If the qualified equity investment is not issued and, if applicable, such designation under Section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, is not made within such time period, the allocation shall be cancelled and returned to the MDA for reallocation.  If the actual dollar amount of qualified equity investment is lower than the amount awarded by the MDA, the MDA shall adjust the tax credit allowed under this section and reissue awards to other applicants that did not receive the awards requested pro rata.  Qualified community development entities shall provide the MDA evidence of qualified equity investments and designation under Section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, if applicable, within one hundred thirty (130) days from the date of an allocation.  An applicant certified an award under this paragraph may transfer all or a portion of its certified qualified equity investment authority to any affiliated qualified community development entity by sending written notice to the MDA endorsing the certificate.

          (d)  The Department of Revenue may recapture credits under this section if:

               (i)  Any amount of the federal tax credit available with respect to a qualified equity investment that is eligible for a credit under this section is recaptured under Section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;

               (ii)  The qualified community development entity redeems a qualified equity investment prior to the seventh anniversary of the issuance of the qualified equity investment; or

               (iii)  The qualified community development entity fails to invest at least eighty-five percent (85%) of the cash purchase price of the qualified equity investment in qualified low-income community investments within twelve (12) months of the issuance of the qualified equity investment and maintain that level of investment until the seventh anniversary of the initial credit allowance date for the qualified equity investment.

A qualified community development entity shall notify the Department of Revenue of any of the events set forth in this paragraph (d) within five (5) days of actual knowledge of such event.

          (e)  For purposes of paragraph (d)(iii) of this subsection, an investment is considered maintained by a qualified community development entity even if the investment has been sold or repaid, provided that the qualified community development entity reinvests an amount equal to the capital returned to or recovered by the qualified community development entity from the original investment, exclusive of any profits realized, in another qualified low-income community investment in this state within twelve (12) months after the receipt of that capital.  Periodic loan repayments received by a qualified community development entity from a qualified active low-income community business within a calendar year must be treated as maintained in qualified low-income community investments if a qualified community development entity reinvests the repayments in qualified low-income community investments by the end of the following calendar year.

          (f)  A qualified community development entity is not required to reinvest capital returned from qualified low-income community investments after the sixth anniversary of the issuance of the qualified equity investment, the proceeds of which were used to make the qualified low-income community investment, and the qualified low-income community investment is considered held by the qualified community development entity through the seventh anniversary of the qualified equity investment's issuance.

          (g)  The MDA shall provide notice to the qualified community development entity and the Department of Revenue of any proposed recapture of credits pursuant to this subsection.  The notice must specify the conditions under which the deficiency resulting in the proposed recapture occurred and state that the credits will be recaptured within ninety (90) days unless the qualified community development entity complies with the conditions identified in the notice.  If the entity does not comply with the conditions identified in the notice within the ninety-day period, the Department of Revenue shall provide the entity from whom the credit is to be recaptured with a final order of recapture.  Any credit for which a final recapture order has been issued must be recaptured by the Department of Revenue from the entity who claimed the credit on a tax return.  The qualified equity investment authority of the recaptured credits must be returned to the MDA and must first be awarded pro rata to applicants that have received awards of qualified equity investment authority and complied with this subsection.  If credits are recaptured under this section, any remaining credit is forfeited.

          (h)  The MDA shall not make awards of credits and related qualified equity investment authority after July 1, 2027.

     (5)  Each qualified community development entity that receives qualified equity investments to make qualified low-income community investments in Mississippi must annually report to the MDA the North American Industry Classification System Code, the county, the dollars invested, the number of jobs assisted and the number of jobs assisted with wages over one hundred percent (100%) of the federal poverty level for a family of four (4) of each qualified low-income community investment.

     (6)  The MDA shall file an annual report on all qualified low-income community investments with the Governor, the Clerk of the House of Representatives, the Secretary of the Senate and the Secretary of State describing the North American Industry Classification System Code, the county, the dollars invested, the number of jobs assisted and the number of jobs assisted with wages over one hundred percent (100%) of the federal poverty level for a family of four (4) of each qualified low-income community investment.  The annual report will be posted on the MDA Internet website.

     (7)  (a)  The purpose of this subsection is to authorize the creation and establishment of public benefit corporations for financing arrangements regarding public property and facilities.

          (b)  As used in this subsection:  

               (i)  "New Markets Tax Credit transaction" means any financing transaction which utilizes either this section or Section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

               (ii)  "Public benefit corporation" means a nonprofit corporation formed or designated by a public entity to carry out the purposes of this subsection.

               (iii)  "Public entity or public entities" includes utility districts, regional solid waste authorities, regional utility authorities, community hospitals, regional airport authorities, municipal airport authorities, community and junior colleges, educational building corporations established by or on behalf of the state institutions of higher learning, school districts, planning and development districts, county economic development districts, urban renewal agencies, any other regional or local economic development authority, agency or governmental entity, and any other regional or local industrial development authority, agency or governmental entity.

               (iv)  "Public property or facilities" means any property or facilities owned or leased by a public entity or public benefit corporation.

          (c)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, public entities are authorized pursuant to this subsection to create one or more public benefit corporations or designate an existing corporation as a public benefit corporation for the purpose of entering into financing agreements and engaging in New Markets Tax Credit transactions, which shall include, without limitation, arrangements to plan, acquire, renovate, construct, lease, sublease, manage, operate and/or improve new or existing public property or facilities located within the boundaries or service area of the public entity.  Any financing arrangement authorized under this subsection shall further any purpose of the public entity and may include a term of up to fifty (50) years.

          (d)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary and in order to facilitate the acquisition, renovation, construction, leasing, subleasing, management, operating and/or improvement of new or existing public property or facilities to further any purpose of a public entity, public entities are authorized to enter into financing arrangements in order to transfer public property or facilities to and/or from public benefit corporations, including, without limitation, sales, sale-leasebacks, leases and lease-leasebacks, provided such transfer is related to any New Markets Tax Credit transaction furthering any purpose of the public entity.  Any such transfer under this paragraph (d) and the public property or facilities transferred in connection therewith shall be exempted from any limitation or requirements with respect to leasing, acquiring, and/or constructing public property or facilities.

          (e)  With respect to a New Markets Tax Credit transaction, public entities and public benefit corporations are authorized to enter into financing arrangements with any governmental, nonprofit or for-profit entity in order to leverage funds not otherwise available to public entities for the acquisition, construction and/or renovation of properties transferred to such public benefit corporations.  The use of any funds loaned by or contributed by a public benefit corporation or borrowed by or otherwise made available to a public benefit corporation in such financing arrangement shall be dedicated solely to (i) the development of new properties or facilities and/or the renovation of existing properties or facilities or operation of properties or facilities, and/or (ii) the payment of costs and expenditures related to any such financing arrangements, including, but not limited to, funding any reserves required in connection therewith, the repayment of any indebtedness incurred in connection therewith, and the payment of fees and expenses incurred in connection with the closing, administration, accounting and/or compliance with respect to the New Markets Tax Credit transaction.

          (f)  A public benefit corporation created pursuant to this subsection shall not be a political subdivision of the state but shall be a nonprofit corporation organized and governed under the provisions of the laws of this state and shall be a special purpose corporation established to facilitate New Markets Tax Credit transactions consistent with the requirements of this section.

          (g)  Neither this subsection nor anything herein contained is or shall be construed as a restriction or limitation upon any powers which the public entity or public benefit corporation might otherwise have under any laws of this state, and this subsection is cumulative to any such powers.  This subsection does and shall be construed to provide a complete additional and alternative method for the doing of the things authorized thereby and shall be regarded as supplemental and additional to powers conferred by other laws.

     (8)  The MDA shall promulgate rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this section.

     SECTION 2.  Section 27-15-129, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     27-15-129.  (1)  The amount of premium tax payable pursuant to Sections 27-15-103, 27-15-109, 27-15-119 and 83-31-45, Mississippi Code of 1972, shall be reduced from the amount otherwise fixed in such sections if the payer files a sworn statement with the required annual report showing as of the beginning of the reporting period that at least the following amounts of the total admitted assets of the payer were invested and maintained in qualifying Mississippi investments as hereinafter defined in subsection (2) of this section over the period covered by such report:

    Percentage of Total Admitted   Percentage of Premium

       Assets in Qualifying            Tax Payable

      Mississippi Investments

              1%                        99%

              2%                         98%

              3%                         97%

              4%                         96%

              5%                         95%

              6%                         94%

              7%                         93%

              8%                         92%

              9%                         91%

              10%                         80%

              15%                         70%

              20%                         60%

              25%                         50%

     (2)  For the purpose of this section, "a qualifying Mississippi investment" is hereby defined as follows:

          (a)  Certificates of deposit issued by any bank or savings and loan association domiciled in this state;

          (b)  Bonds of this state or bonds of municipal, school, road or levee districts, or other political subdivisions of this state;

          (c)  Loans evidenced by notes and secured by deeds of trust on property located in this state;

          (d)  Real property located in this state;

          (e)  Policy loans to residents of Mississippi, or other loans to residents of this state, or to corporations domiciled in this state;

          (f)  Common or preferred stock, bonds and other evidences of indebtedness of corporations domiciled in this state; and

          (g)  Cash on deposit in any bank or savings and loan association domiciled in this state.

     "A qualifying Mississippi investment" shall not include any investment for which a credit is allocated under Section 57-105-1 * * *and/or, Section 57-115-1 et seq., and/or Section 1 of this act.

     (3)  If the credits, or any part thereof, authorized by the preceding provisions of this section shall be held by a court of final jurisdiction to be unconstitutional and void for any reason or to make the annual premium taxes levied by Sections 27-15-103, 27-15-109, 27-15-119 and 83-31-45, Mississippi Code of 1972, unlawfully discriminatory or otherwise invalid under the Fourteenth Amendment or the Commerce Clause of the Constitution of the United States or under any state or other federal constitutional provisions, it is hereby expressly declared that such fact shall in no way affect the validity of the annual premium taxes levied thereby, and that such provisions would have been enacted even though the Legislature had known this credit section would be held invalid.

     (4)  This section shall apply to taxes accruing and investments existing from and after July 1, 1985.

     SECTION 3.  Section 31-7-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     31-7-13.  All agencies and governing authorities shall purchase their commodities and printing; contract for garbage collection or disposal; contract for solid waste collection or disposal; contract for sewage collection or disposal; contract for public construction; and contract for rentals as herein provided.

          (a)  Bidding procedure for purchases not over $5,000.00.  Purchases which do not involve an expenditure of more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), exclusive of freight or shipping charges, may be made without advertising or otherwise requesting competitive bids.  However, nothing contained in this paragraph (a) shall be construed to prohibit any agency or governing authority from establishing procedures which require competitive bids on purchases of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) or less.

          (b)  Bidding procedure for purchases over $5,000.00 but not over $75,000.00.  Purchases which involve an expenditure of more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) but not more than Seventy-five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00), exclusive of freight and shipping charges, may be made from the lowest and best bidder without publishing or posting advertisement for bids, provided at least two (2) competitive written bids have been obtained.  Any state agency or community or junior college purchasing commodities or procuring construction pursuant to this paragraph (b) may authorize its purchasing agent, or his designee, to accept the lowest competitive written bid under Seventy-five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00).  Any governing authority purchasing commodities pursuant to this paragraph (b) may authorize its purchasing agent, or his designee, with regard to governing authorities other than counties, or its purchase clerk, or his designee, with regard to counties, to accept the lowest and best competitive written bid.  Such authorization shall be made in writing by the governing authority and shall be maintained on file in the primary office of the agency and recorded in the official minutes of the governing authority, as appropriate.  The purchasing agent or the purchase clerk, or his designee, as the case may be, and not the governing authority, shall be liable for any penalties and/or damages as may be imposed by law for any act or omission of the purchasing agent or purchase clerk, or his designee, constituting a violation of law in accepting any bid without approval by the governing authority.  The term "competitive written bid" shall mean a bid submitted on a bid form furnished by the buying agency or governing authority and signed by authorized personnel representing the vendor, or a bid submitted on a vendor's letterhead or identifiable bid form and signed by authorized personnel representing the vendor.  "Competitive" shall mean that the bids are developed based upon comparable identification of the needs and are developed independently and without knowledge of other bids or prospective bids.  Any bid item for construction in excess of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) shall be broken down by components to provide detail of component description and pricing.  These details shall be submitted with the written bids and become part of the bid evaluation criteria.  Bids may be submitted by facsimile, electronic mail or other generally accepted method of information distribution.  Bids submitted by electronic transmission shall not require the signature of the vendor's representative unless required by agencies or governing authorities.

          (c)  Bidding procedure for purchases over $75,000.00.

              (i)  Publication requirement.

                   1.  Purchases which involve an expenditure of more than Seventy-five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00), exclusive of freight and shipping charges, may be made from the lowest and best bidder after advertising for competitive bids once each week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a regular newspaper published in the county or municipality in which such agency or governing authority is located.  However, all American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects in excess of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) shall be bid.  All references to American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects in this section shall not apply to programs identified in Division B of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.   

                   2.  Reverse auctions shall be the primary method for receiving bids during the bidding process.  If a purchasing entity determines that a reverse auction is not in the best interest of the state, then that determination must be approved by the Public Procurement Review Board.  The purchasing entity shall submit a detailed explanation of why a reverse auction would not be in the best interest of the state and present an alternative process to be approved by the Public Procurement Review Board.  If the Public Procurement Review Board authorizes the purchasing entity to solicit bids with a method other than reverse auction, then the purchasing entity may designate the other methods by which the bids will be received, including, but not limited to, bids sealed in an envelope, bids received electronically in a secure system, or bids received by any other method that promotes open competition and has been approved by the Office of Purchasing and Travel.  However, reverse auction shall not be used for any public contract for design, construction, improvement, repair or remodeling of any public facilities, including the purchase of materials, supplies, equipment or goods for same and including buildings, roads and bridges.  The Public Procurement Review Board must approve any contract entered into by alternative process.  The provisions of this item 2 shall not apply to the individual state institutions of higher learning.  The provisions of this item 2 requiring reverse auction as the primary method of receiving bids shall not apply to term contract purchases as provided in paragraph (n) of this section; however, a purchasing entity may, in its discretion, utilize reverse auction for such purchases.  The provisions of this item 2 shall not apply to individual public schools, including public charter schools and public school districts, only when purchasing copyrighted educational supplemental materials and software as a service product.  For such purchases, a local school board may authorize a purchasing entity in its jurisdiction to use a Request for Qualifications which promotes open competition and meets the requirements of the Office of Purchasing and Travel.

                   3.  The date as published for the bid opening shall not be less than seven (7) working days after the last published notice; however, if the purchase involves a construction project in which the estimated cost is in excess of Seventy-five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00), such bids shall not be opened in less than fifteen (15) working days after the last notice is published and the notice for the purchase of such construction shall be published once each week for two (2) consecutive weeks.  However, all American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects in excess of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) shall be bid.  For any projects in excess of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, publication shall be made one (1) time and the bid opening for construction projects shall not be less than ten (10) working days after the date of the published notice.  The notice of intention to let contracts or purchase equipment shall state the time and place at which bids shall be received, list the contracts to be made or types of equipment or supplies to be purchased, and, if all plans and/or specifications are not published, refer to the plans and/or specifications on file.  If there is no newspaper published in the county or municipality, then such notice shall be given by posting same at the courthouse, or for municipalities at the city hall, and at two (2) other public places in the county or municipality, and also by publication once each week for two (2) consecutive weeks in some newspaper having a general circulation in the county or municipality in the above-provided manner.  On the same date that the notice is submitted to the newspaper for publication, the agency or governing authority involved shall mail written notice to, or provide electronic notification to the main office of the Mississippi Procurement Technical Assistance Program under the Mississippi Development Authority that contains the same information as that in the published notice.  Submissions received by the Mississippi Procurement Technical Assistance Program for projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act shall be displayed on a separate and unique Internet web page accessible to the public and maintained by the Mississippi Development Authority for the Mississippi Procurement Technical Assistance Program.  Those American Recovery and Reinvestment Act related submissions shall be publicly posted within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt by the Mississippi Development Authority and the bid opening shall not occur until the submission has been posted for ten (10) consecutive days.  The Department of Finance and Administration shall maintain information regarding contracts and other expenditures from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, on a unique Internet web page accessible to the public.  The Department of Finance and Administration shall promulgate rules regarding format, content and deadlines, unless otherwise specified by law, of the posting of award notices, contract execution and subsequent amendments, links to the contract documents, expenditures against the awarded contracts and general expenditures of funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  Within one (1) working day of the contract award, the agency or governing authority shall post to the designated web page maintained by the Department of Finance and Administration, notice of the award, including the award recipient, the contract amount, and a brief summary of the contract in accordance with rules promulgated by the department.  Within one (1) working day of the contract execution, the agency or governing authority shall post to the designated web page maintained by the Department of Finance and Administration a summary of the executed contract and make a copy of the appropriately redacted contract documents available for linking to the designated web page in accordance with the rules promulgated by the department.  The information provided by the agency or governing authority shall be posted to the web page for the duration of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding or until the project is completed, whichever is longer.

               (ii)  Bidding process amendment procedure.  If all plans and/or specifications are published in the notification, then the plans and/or specifications may not be amended.  If all plans and/or specifications are not published in the notification, then amendments to the plans/specifications, bid opening date, bid opening time and place may be made, provided that the agency or governing authority maintains a list of all prospective bidders who are known to have received a copy of the bid documents and all such prospective bidders are sent copies of all amendments.  This notification of amendments may be made via mail, facsimile, electronic mail or other generally accepted method of information distribution.  No addendum to bid specifications may be issued within two (2) working days of the time established for the receipt of bids unless such addendum also amends the bid opening to a date not less than five (5) working days after the date of the addendum.

              (iii)  Filing requirement.  In all cases involving governing authorities, before the notice shall be published or posted, the plans or specifications for the construction or equipment being sought shall be filed with the clerk of the board of the governing authority.  In addition to these requirements, a bid file shall be established which shall indicate those vendors to whom such solicitations and specifications were issued, and such file shall also contain such information as is pertinent to the bid.

              (iv)  Specification restrictions.

                   1.  Specifications pertinent to such bidding shall be written so as not to exclude comparable equipment of domestic manufacture.  However, if valid justification is presented, the Department of Finance and Administration or the board of a governing authority may approve a request for specific equipment necessary to perform a specific job.  Further, such justification, when placed on the minutes of the board of a governing authority, may serve as authority for that governing authority to write specifications to require a specific item of equipment needed to perform a specific job.  In addition to these requirements, from and after July 1, 1990, vendors of relocatable classrooms and the specifications for the purchase of such relocatable classrooms published by local school boards shall meet all pertinent regulations of the State Board of Education, including prior approval of such bid by the State Department of Education.

                    2.  Specifications for construction projects may include an allowance for commodities, equipment, furniture, construction materials or systems in which prospective bidders are instructed to include in their bids specified amounts for such items so long as the allowance items are acquired by the vendor in a commercially reasonable manner and approved by the agency/governing authority.  Such acquisitions shall not be made to circumvent the public purchasing laws.

              (v)  Electronic bids.  Agencies and governing authorities shall provide a secure electronic interactive system for the submittal of bids requiring competitive bidding that shall be an additional bidding option for those bidders who choose to submit their bids electronically.  The Department of Finance and Administration shall provide, by regulation, the standards that agencies must follow when receiving electronic bids.  Agencies and governing authorities shall make the appropriate provisions necessary to accept electronic bids from those bidders who choose to submit their bids electronically for all purchases requiring competitive bidding under this section.  Any special condition or requirement for the electronic bid submission shall be specified in the advertisement for bids required by this section.  Agencies or governing authorities that are currently without available high speed Internet access shall be exempt from the requirement of this subparagraph (v) until such time that high speed Internet access becomes available.  Any county having a population of less than twenty thousand (20,000) shall be exempt from the provisions of this subparagraph (v).  Any municipality having a population of less than ten thousand (10,000) shall be exempt from the provisions of this subparagraph (v).  The provisions of this subparagraph (v) shall not require any bidder to submit bids electronically.  When construction bids are submitted electronically, the requirement for including a certificate of responsibility, or a statement that the bid enclosed does not exceed Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), on the exterior of the bid envelope as indicated in Section 31-3-21(1) and (2) shall be deemed in compliance with by including same as an attachment with the electronic bid submittal.

          (d)  Lowest and best bid decision procedure.

              (i)  Decision procedure.  Purchases may be made from the lowest and best bidder.  In determining the lowest and best bid, freight and shipping charges shall be included.  Life-cycle costing, total cost bids, warranties, guaranteed buy-back provisions and other relevant provisions may be included in the best bid calculation.  All best bid procedures for state agencies must be in compliance with regulations established by the Department of Finance and Administration.  If any governing authority accepts a bid other than the lowest bid actually submitted, it shall place on its minutes detailed calculations and narrative summary showing that the accepted bid was determined to be the lowest and best bid, including the dollar amount of the accepted bid and the dollar amount of the lowest bid.  No agency or governing authority shall accept a bid based on items not included in the specifications.

              (ii)  Decision procedure for Certified Purchasing Offices.  In addition to the decision procedure set forth in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph (d), Certified Purchasing Offices may also use the following procedure:  Purchases may be made from the bidder offering the best value.  In determining the best value bid, freight and shipping charges shall be included.  Life-cycle costing, total cost bids, warranties, guaranteed buy-back provisions, documented previous experience, training costs and other relevant provisions, including, but not limited to, a bidder having a local office and inventory located within the jurisdiction of the governing authority, may be included in the best value calculation.  This provision shall authorize Certified Purchasing Offices to utilize a Request For Proposals (RFP) process when purchasing commodities.  All best value procedures for state agencies must be in compliance with regulations established by the Department of Finance and Administration.  No agency or governing authority shall accept a bid based on items or criteria not included in the specifications.

              (iii)  Decision procedure for Mississippi Landmarks.  In addition to the decision procedure set forth in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph (d), where purchase involves renovation, restoration, or both, of the State Capitol Building or any other historical building designated for at least five (5) years as a Mississippi Landmark by the Board of Trustees of the Department of Archives and History under the authority of Sections 39-7-7 and 39-7-11, the agency or governing authority may use the following procedure:  Purchases may be made from the lowest and best prequalified bidder.  Prequalification of bidders shall be determined not less than fifteen (15) working days before the first published notice of bid opening.  Prequalification criteria shall be limited to bidder's knowledge and experience in historical restoration, preservation and renovation.  In determining the lowest and best bid, freight and shipping charges shall be included.  Life-cycle costing, total cost bids, warranties, guaranteed buy-back provisions and other relevant provisions may be included in the best bid calculation.  All best bid and prequalification procedures for state agencies must be in compliance with regulations established by the Department of Finance and Administration.  If any governing authority accepts a bid other than the lowest bid actually submitted, it shall place on its minutes detailed calculations and narrative summary showing that the accepted bid was determined to be the lowest and best bid, including the dollar amount of the accepted bid and the dollar amount of the lowest bid.  No agency or governing authority shall accept a bid based on items not included in the specifications.

              (iv)  Construction project negotiations authority.  If the lowest and best bid is not more than ten percent (10%) above the amount of funds allocated for a public construction or renovation project, then the agency or governing authority shall be permitted to negotiate with the lowest bidder in order to enter into a contract for an amount not to exceed the funds allocated.

          (e)  Lease-purchase authorization.  For the purposes of this section, the term "equipment" shall mean equipment, furniture and, if applicable, associated software and other applicable direct costs associated with the acquisition.  Any lease-purchase of equipment which an agency is not required to lease-purchase under the master lease-purchase program pursuant to Section 31-7-10 and any lease-purchase of equipment which a governing authority elects to lease-purchase may be acquired by a lease-purchase agreement under this paragraph (e).  Lease-purchase financing may also be obtained from the vendor or from a third-party source after having solicited and obtained at least two (2) written competitive bids, as defined in paragraph (b) of this section, for such financing without advertising for such bids.  Solicitation for the bids for financing may occur before or after acceptance of bids for the purchase of such equipment or, where no such bids for purchase are required, at any time before the purchase thereof.  No such lease-purchase agreement shall be for an annual rate of interest which is greater than the overall maximum interest rate to maturity on general obligation indebtedness permitted under Section 75-17-101, and the term of such lease-purchase agreement shall not exceed the useful life of equipment covered thereby as determined according to the upper limit of the asset depreciation range (ADR) guidelines for the Class Life Asset Depreciation Range System established by the Internal Revenue Service pursuant to the United States Internal Revenue Code and regulations thereunder as in effect on December 31, 1980, or comparable depreciation guidelines with respect to any equipment not covered by ADR guidelines.  Any lease-purchase agreement entered into pursuant to this paragraph (e) may contain any of the terms and conditions which a master lease-purchase agreement may contain under the provisions of Section 31-7-10(5), and shall contain an annual allocation dependency clause substantially similar to that set forth in Section 31-7-10(8).  Each agency or governing authority entering into a lease-purchase transaction pursuant to this paragraph (e) shall maintain with respect to each such lease-purchase transaction the same information as required to be maintained by the Department of Finance and Administration pursuant to Section 31-7-10(13).  However, nothing contained in this section shall be construed to permit agencies to acquire items of equipment with a total acquisition cost in the aggregate of less than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) by a single lease-purchase transaction.  All equipment, and the purchase thereof by any lessor, acquired by lease-purchase under this paragraph and all lease-purchase payments with respect thereto shall be exempt from all Mississippi sales, use and ad valorem taxes.  Interest paid on any lease-purchase agreement under this section shall be exempt from State of Mississippi income taxation.

          (f)  Alternate bid authorization.  When necessary to ensure ready availability of commodities for public works and the timely completion of public projects, no more than two (2) alternate bids may be accepted by a governing authority for commodities.  No purchases may be made through use of such alternate bids procedure unless the lowest and best bidder cannot deliver the commodities contained in his bid.  In that event, purchases of such commodities may be made from one (1) of the bidders whose bid was accepted as an alternate.

          (g)  Construction contract change authorization.  In the event a determination is made by an agency or governing authority after a construction contract is let that changes or modifications to the original contract are necessary or would better serve the purpose of the agency or the governing authority, such agency or governing authority may, in its discretion, order such changes pertaining to the construction that are necessary under the circumstances without the necessity of further public bids; provided that such change shall be made in a commercially reasonable manner and shall not be made to circumvent the public purchasing statutes.  In addition to any other authorized person, the architect or engineer hired by an agency or governing authority with respect to any public construction contract shall have the authority, when granted by an agency or governing authority, to authorize changes or modifications to the original contract without the necessity of prior approval of the agency or governing authority when any such change or modification is less than one percent (1%) of the total contract amount.  The agency or governing authority may limit the number, manner or frequency of such emergency changes or modifications.

          (h)  Petroleum purchase alternative.  In addition to other methods of purchasing authorized in this chapter, when any agency or governing authority shall have a need for gas, diesel fuel, oils and/or other petroleum products in excess of the amount set forth in paragraph (a) of this section, such agency or governing authority may purchase the commodity after having solicited and obtained at least two (2) competitive written bids, as defined in paragraph (b) of this section.  If two (2) competitive written bids are not obtained, the entity shall comply with the procedures set forth in paragraph (c) of this section.  In the event any agency or governing authority shall have advertised for bids for the purchase of gas, diesel fuel, oils and other petroleum products and coal and no acceptable bids can be obtained, such agency or governing authority is authorized and directed to enter into any negotiations necessary to secure the lowest and best contract available for the purchase of such commodities.

          (i)  Road construction petroleum products price adjustment clause authorization.  Any agency or governing authority authorized to enter into contracts for the construction, maintenance, surfacing or repair of highways, roads or streets, may include in its bid proposal and contract documents a price adjustment clause with relation to the cost to the contractor, including taxes, based upon an industry-wide cost index, of petroleum products including asphalt used in the performance or execution of the contract or in the production or manufacture of materials for use in such performance.  Such industry-wide index shall be established and published monthly by the Mississippi Department of Transportation with a copy thereof to be mailed, upon request, to the clerks of the governing authority of each municipality and the clerks of each board of supervisors throughout the state.  The price adjustment clause shall be based on the cost of such petroleum products only and shall not include any additional profit or overhead as part of the adjustment.  The bid proposals or document contract shall contain the basis and methods of adjusting unit prices for the change in the cost of such petroleum products.

          (j)  State agency emergency purchase procedure.  If the governing board or the executive head, or his designees, of any agency of the state shall determine that an emergency exists in regard to the purchase of any commodities or repair contracts, so that the delay incident to giving opportunity for competitive bidding would be detrimental to the interests of the state, then the head of such agency, or his designees, shall file with the Department of Finance and Administration (i) a statement explaining the conditions and circumstances of the emergency, which shall include a detailed description of the events leading up to the situation and the negative impact to the entity if the purchase is made following the statutory requirements set forth in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this section, and (ii) a certified copy of the appropriate minutes of the board of such agency requesting the emergency purchase, if applicable.  Upon receipt of the statement and applicable board certification, the State Fiscal Officer, or his designees, may, in writing, authorize the purchase or repair without having to comply with competitive bidding requirements.

     If the governing board or the executive head, or his designees, of any agency determines that an emergency exists in regard to the purchase of any commodities or repair contracts, so that the delay incident to giving opportunity for competitive bidding would threaten the health or safety of any person, or the preservation or protection of property, then the provisions in this section for competitive bidding shall not apply, and any officer or agent of the agency having general or specific authority for making the purchase or repair contract shall approve the bill presented for payment, and he shall certify in writing from whom the purchase was made, or with whom the repair contract was made.

     Total purchases made under this paragraph (j) shall only be for the purpose of meeting needs created by the emergency situation.  Following the emergency purchase, documentation of the purchase, including a description of the commodity purchased, the purchase price thereof and the nature of the emergency shall be filed with the Department of Finance and Administration.  Any contract awarded pursuant to this paragraph (j) shall not exceed a term of one (1) year.

     Purchases under the grant program established under Section 37-68-7 in response to COVID-19 and the directive that school districts create a distance learning plan and fulfill technology needs expeditiously shall be deemed an emergency purchase for purposes of this paragraph (j).

          (k)  Governing authority emergency purchase procedure.  If the governing authority, or the governing authority acting through its designee, shall determine that an emergency exists in regard to the purchase of any commodities or repair contracts, so that the delay incident to giving opportunity for competitive bidding would be detrimental to the interest of the governing authority, then the provisions herein for competitive bidding shall not apply and any officer or agent of such governing authority having general or special authority therefor in making such purchase or repair shall approve the bill presented therefor, and he shall certify in writing thereon from whom such purchase was made, or with whom such a repair contract was made.  At the board meeting next following the emergency purchase or repair contract, documentation of the purchase or repair contract, including a description of the commodity purchased, the price thereof and the nature of the emergency shall be presented to the board and shall be placed on the minutes of the board of such governing authority.  Purchases under the grant program established under Section 37-68-7 in response to COVID-19 and the directive that school districts create a distance learning plan and fulfill technology needs expeditiously shall be deemed an emergency purchase for purposes of this paragraph (k).

          (l)  Hospital purchase, lease-purchase and lease authorization.

              (i)  The commissioners or board of trustees of any public hospital may contract with such lowest and best bidder for the purchase or lease-purchase of any commodity under a contract of purchase or lease-purchase agreement whose obligatory payment terms do not exceed five (5) years.

              (ii)  In addition to the authority granted in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph (l), the commissioners or board of trustees is authorized to enter into contracts for the lease of equipment or services, or both, which it considers necessary for the proper care of patients if, in its opinion, it is not financially feasible to purchase the necessary equipment or services.  Any such contract for the lease of equipment or services executed by the commissioners or board shall not exceed a maximum of five (5) years' duration and shall include a cancellation clause based on unavailability of funds.  If such cancellation clause is exercised, there shall be no further liability on the part of the lessee.  Any such contract for the lease of equipment or services executed on behalf of the commissioners or board that complies with the provisions of this subparagraph (ii) shall be excepted from the bid requirements set forth in this section.

          (m)  Exceptions from bidding requirements.  Excepted from bid requirements are:

               (i)  Purchasing agreements approved by department.  Purchasing agreements, contracts and maximum price regulations executed or approved by the Department of Finance and Administration.

              (ii)  Outside equipment repairs.  Repairs to equipment, when such repairs are made by repair facilities in the private sector; however, engines, transmissions, rear axles and/or other such components shall not be included in this exemption when replaced as a complete unit instead of being repaired and the need for such total component replacement is known before disassembly of the component; however, invoices identifying the equipment, specific repairs made, parts identified by number and name, supplies used in such repairs, and the number of hours of labor and costs therefor shall be required for the payment for such repairs.

              (iii)  In-house equipment repairs.  Purchases of parts for repairs to equipment, when such repairs are made by personnel of the agency or governing authority; however, entire assemblies, such as engines or transmissions, shall not be included in this exemption when the entire assembly is being replaced instead of being repaired.

              (iv)  Raw gravel or dirt.  Raw unprocessed deposits of gravel or fill dirt which are to be removed and transported by the purchaser.

              (v)  Governmental equipment auctions.  Motor vehicles or other equipment purchased from a federal agency or authority, another governing authority or state agency of the State of Mississippi, or any governing authority or state agency of another state at a public auction held for the purpose of disposing of such vehicles or other equipment.  Any purchase by a governing authority under the exemption authorized by this subparagraph (v) shall require advance authorization spread upon the minutes of the governing authority to include the listing of the item or items authorized to be purchased and the maximum bid authorized to be paid for each item or items.

              (vi)  Intergovernmental sales and transfers.  Purchases, sales, transfers or trades by governing authorities or state agencies when such purchases, sales, transfers or trades are made by a private treaty agreement or through means of negotiation, from any federal agency or authority, another governing authority or state agency of the State of Mississippi, or any state agency or governing authority of another state.  Nothing in this section shall permit such purchases through public auction except as provided for in subparagraph (v) of this paragraph (m).  It is the intent of this section to allow governmental entities to dispose of and/or purchase commodities from other governmental entities at a price that is agreed to by both parties.  This shall allow for purchases and/or sales at prices which may be determined to be below the market value if the selling entity determines that the sale at below market value is in the best interest of the taxpayers of the state.  Governing authorities shall place the terms of the agreement and any justification on the minutes, and state agencies shall obtain approval from the Department of Finance and Administration, prior to releasing or taking possession of the commodities.

              (vii)  Perishable supplies or food.  Perishable supplies or food purchased for use in connection with hospitals, the school lunch programs, homemaking programs and for the feeding of county or municipal prisoners.

              (viii)  Single-source items.  Noncompetitive items available from one (1) source only.  In connection with the purchase of noncompetitive items only available from one (1) source, a certification of the conditions and circumstances requiring the purchase shall be filed by the agency with the Department of Finance and Administration and by the governing authority with the board of the governing authority.  Upon receipt of that certification the Department of Finance and Administration or the board of the governing authority, as the case may be, may, in writing, authorize the purchase, which authority shall be noted on the minutes of the body at the next regular meeting thereafter.  In those situations, a governing authority is not required to obtain the approval of the Department of Finance and Administration.  Following the purchase, the executive head of the state agency, or his designees, shall file with the Department of Finance and Administration, documentation of the purchase, including a description of the commodity purchased, the purchase price thereof and the source from whom it was purchased.

              (ix)  Waste disposal facility construction contracts.  Construction of incinerators and other facilities for disposal of solid wastes in which products either generated therein, such as steam, or recovered therefrom, such as materials for recycling, are to be sold or otherwise disposed of; however, in constructing such facilities, a governing authority or agency shall publicly issue requests for proposals, advertised for in the same manner as provided herein for seeking bids for public construction projects, concerning the design, construction, ownership, operation and/or maintenance of such facilities, wherein such requests for proposals when issued shall contain terms and conditions relating to price, financial responsibility, technology, environmental compatibility, legal responsibilities and such other matters as are determined by the governing authority or agency to be appropriate for inclusion; and after responses to the request for proposals have been duly received, the governing authority or agency may select the most qualified proposal or proposals on the basis of price, technology and other relevant factors and from such proposals, but not limited to the terms thereof, negotiate and enter contracts with one or more of the persons or firms submitting proposals.

               (x)  Hospital group purchase contracts.  Supplies, commodities and equipment purchased by hospitals through group purchase programs pursuant to Section 31-7-38.

              (xi)  Information technology products.  Purchases of information technology products made by governing authorities under the provisions of purchase schedules, or contracts executed or approved by the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services and designated for use by governing authorities.

              (xii)  Energy efficiency services and equipment.  Energy efficiency services and equipment acquired by school districts, community and junior colleges, institutions of higher learning and state agencies or other applicable governmental entities on a shared-savings, lease or lease-purchase basis pursuant to Section 31-7-14.

              (xiii)  Municipal electrical utility system fuel.  Purchases of coal and/or natural gas by municipally owned electric power generating systems that have the capacity to use both coal and natural gas for the generation of electric power.

              (xiv)  Library books and other reference materials.  Purchases by libraries or for libraries of books and periodicals; processed film, videocassette tapes, filmstrips and slides; recorded audiotapes, cassettes and diskettes; and any such items as would be used for teaching, research or other information distribution; however, equipment such as projectors, recorders, audio or video equipment, and monitor televisions are not exempt under this subparagraph.

               (xv)  Unmarked vehicles.  Purchases of unmarked vehicles when such purchases are made in accordance with purchasing regulations adopted by the Department of Finance and Administration pursuant to Section 31-7-9(2).

              (xvi)  Election ballots.  Purchases of ballots printed pursuant to Section 23-15-351.

              (xvii)  Multichannel interactive video systems.  From and after July 1, 1990, contracts by Mississippi Authority for Educational Television with any private educational institution or private nonprofit organization whose purposes are educational in regard to the construction, purchase, lease or lease-purchase of facilities and equipment and the employment of personnel for providing multichannel interactive video systems (ITSF) in the school districts of this state.

               (xviii)  Purchases of prison industry products by the Department of Corrections, regional correctional facilities or privately owned prisons.  Purchases made by the Mississippi Department of Corrections, regional correctional facilities or privately owned prisons involving any item that is manufactured, processed, grown or produced from the state's prison industries.

              (xix)  Undercover operations equipment.  Purchases of surveillance equipment or any other high-tech equipment to be used by law enforcement agents in undercover operations, provided that any such purchase shall be in compliance with regulations established by the Department of Finance and Administration.

              (xx)  Junior college books for rent.  Purchases by community or junior colleges of textbooks which are obtained for the purpose of renting such books to students as part of a book service system.

              (xxi)  Certain school district purchases.  Purchases of commodities made by school districts from vendors with which any levying authority of the school district, as defined in Section 37-57-1, has contracted through competitive bidding procedures for purchases of the same commodities.

              (xxii)  Garbage, solid waste and sewage contracts.  Contracts for garbage collection or disposal, contracts for solid waste collection or disposal and contracts for sewage collection or disposal.

              (xxiii)  Municipal water tank maintenance contracts.  Professional maintenance program contracts for the repair or maintenance of municipal water tanks, which provide professional services needed to maintain municipal water storage tanks for a fixed annual fee for a duration of two (2) or more years.

              (xxiv)  Purchases of Mississippi Industries for the Blind products or services.  Purchases made by state agencies or governing authorities involving any item that is manufactured, processed or produced by, or any services provided by, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind.

              (xxv)  Purchases of state-adopted textbooks.  Purchases of state-adopted textbooks by public school districts.

              (xxvi)  Certain purchases under the Mississippi Major Economic Impact Act.  Contracts entered into pursuant to the provisions of Section 57-75-9(2), (3) and (4).

              (xxvii)  Used heavy or specialized machinery or equipment for installation of soil and water conservation practices purchased at auction.  Used heavy or specialized machinery or equipment used for the installation and implementation of soil and water conservation practices or measures purchased subject to the restrictions provided in Sections 69-27-331 through 69-27-341.  Any purchase by the State Soil and Water Conservation Commission under the exemption authorized by this subparagraph shall require advance authorization spread upon the minutes of the commission to include the listing of the item or items authorized to be purchased and the maximum bid authorized to be paid for each item or items.

              (xxviii)  Hospital lease of equipment or services.  Leases by hospitals of equipment or services if the leases are in compliance with paragraph (l)(ii).

              (xxix)  Purchases made pursuant to qualified cooperative purchasing agreements.  Purchases made by certified purchasing offices of state agencies or governing authorities under cooperative purchasing agreements previously approved by the Office of Purchasing and Travel and established by or for any municipality, county, parish or state government or the federal government, provided that the notification to potential contractors includes a clause that sets forth the availability of the cooperative purchasing agreement to other governmental entities.  Such purchases shall only be made if the use of the cooperative purchasing agreements is determined to be in the best interest of the governmental entity.

              (xxx)  School yearbooks.  Purchases of school yearbooks by state agencies or governing authorities; however, state agencies and governing authorities shall use for these purchases the RFP process as set forth in the Mississippi Procurement Manual adopted by the Office of Purchasing and Travel.

              (xxxi)  Design-build method of contracting and certain other contracts.  Contracts entered into under the provisions of Section 31-7-13.1, 37-101-44 or 65-1-85.

              (xxxii)  Toll roads and bridge construction projects.  Contracts entered into under the provisions of Section 65-43-1 or 65-43-3.

              (xxxiii)  Certain purchases under Section 57-1-221.  Contracts entered into pursuant to the provisions of Section 57-1-221.

              (xxxiv)  Certain transfers made pursuant to the provisions of Section 57-105-1(7).  Transfers of public property or facilities under Section 57-105-1(7) and construction related to such public property or facilities.

              (xxxv)  Certain purchases or transfers entered into with local electrical power associations.  Contracts or agreements entered into under the provisions of Section 55-3-33.

              (xxxvi)  Certain purchases by an academic medical center or health sciences school.  Purchases by an academic medical center or health sciences school, as defined in Section 37-115-50, of commodities that are used for clinical purposes and 1. intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions or in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease, and 2. medical devices, biological, drugs and radiation-emitting devices as defined by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

              (xxxvii)  Certain purchases made under the Alyce G. Clarke Mississippi Lottery Law.  Contracts made by the Mississippi Lottery Corporation pursuant to the Alyce G. Clarke Mississippi Lottery Law.

               (xxxviii)  Certain purchases made by the Department of Health and the Department of Revenue.  Purchases made by the Department of Health and the Department of Revenue solely for the purpose of fulfilling their respective responsibilities under the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act.  This subparagraph shall stand repealed on June 30, 2026.

               (xxxvix)  Certain transfers made pursuant to the provisions of Section 1(7) of this act.  Transfers of public property or facilities under Section 1(7) of this act and construction related to such public property or facilities.

          (n)  Term contract authorization.  All contracts for the purchase of:

              (i)  All contracts for the purchase of commodities, equipment and public construction (including, but not limited to, repair and maintenance), may be let for periods of not more than sixty (60) months in advance, subject to applicable statutory provisions prohibiting the letting of contracts during specified periods near the end of terms of office.  Term contracts for a period exceeding twenty-four (24) months shall also be subject to ratification or cancellation by governing authority boards taking office subsequent to the governing authority board entering the contract.

              (ii)  Bid proposals and contracts may include price adjustment clauses with relation to the cost to the contractor based upon a nationally published industry-wide or nationally published and recognized cost index.  The cost index used in a price adjustment clause shall be determined by the Department of Finance and Administration for the state agencies and by the governing board for governing authorities.  The bid proposal and contract documents utilizing a price adjustment clause shall contain the basis and method of adjusting unit prices for the change in the cost of such commodities, equipment and public construction.

          (o)  Purchase law violation prohibition and vendor penalty.  No contract or purchase as herein authorized shall be made for the purpose of circumventing the provisions of this section requiring competitive bids, nor shall it be lawful for any person or concern to submit individual invoices for amounts within those authorized for a contract or purchase where the actual value of the contract or commodity purchased exceeds the authorized amount and the invoices therefor are split so as to appear to be authorized as purchases for which competitive bids are not required.  Submission of such invoices shall constitute a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) nor more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by imprisonment for thirty (30) days in the county jail, or both such fine and imprisonment.  In addition, the claim or claims submitted shall be forfeited.

          (p)  Electrical utility petroleum-based equipment purchase procedure.  When in response to a proper advertisement therefor, no bid firm as to price is submitted to an electric utility for power transformers, distribution transformers, power breakers, reclosers or other articles containing a petroleum product, the electric utility may accept the lowest and best bid therefor although the price is not firm.

          (q)  Fuel management system bidding procedure.  Any governing authority or agency of the state shall, before contracting for the services and products of a fuel management or fuel access system, enter into negotiations with not fewer than two (2) sellers of fuel management or fuel access systems for competitive written bids to provide the services and products for the systems.  In the event that the governing authority or agency cannot locate two (2) sellers of such systems or cannot obtain bids from two (2) sellers of such systems, it shall show proof that it made a diligent, good-faith effort to locate and negotiate with two (2) sellers of such systems.  Such proof shall include, but not be limited to, publications of a request for proposals and letters soliciting negotiations and bids.  For purposes of this paragraph (q), a fuel management or fuel access system is an automated system of acquiring fuel for vehicles as well as management reports detailing fuel use by vehicles and drivers, and the term "competitive written bid" shall have the meaning as defined in paragraph (b) of this section.  Governing authorities and agencies shall be exempt from this process when contracting for the services and products of fuel management or fuel access systems under the terms of a state contract established by the Office of Purchasing and Travel.

          (r)  Solid waste contract proposal procedure.  Before entering into any contract for garbage collection or disposal, contract for solid waste collection or disposal or contract for sewage collection or disposal, which involves an expenditure of more than Seventy-five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00), a governing authority or agency shall issue publicly a request for proposals concerning the specifications for such services which shall be advertised for in the same manner as provided in this section for seeking bids for purchases which involve an expenditure of more than the amount provided in paragraph (c) of this section.  Any request for proposals when issued shall contain terms and conditions relating to price, financial responsibility, technology, legal responsibilities and other relevant factors as are determined by the governing authority or agency to be appropriate for inclusion; all factors determined relevant by the governing authority or agency or required by this paragraph (r) shall be duly included in the advertisement to elicit proposals.  After responses to the request for proposals have been duly received, the governing authority or agency shall select the most qualified proposal or proposals on the basis of price, technology and other relevant factors and from such proposals, but not limited to the terms thereof, negotiate and enter into contracts with one or more of the persons or firms submitting proposals.  If the governing authority or agency deems none of the proposals to be qualified or otherwise acceptable, the request for proposals process may be reinitiated.  Notwithstanding any other provisions of this paragraph, where a county with at least thirty-five thousand (35,000) nor more than forty thousand (40,000) population, according to the 1990 federal decennial census, owns or operates a solid waste landfill, the governing authorities of any other county or municipality may contract with the governing authorities of the county owning or operating the landfill, pursuant to a resolution duly adopted and spread upon the minutes of each governing authority involved, for garbage or solid waste collection or disposal services through contract negotiations.

          (s)  Minority set-aside authorization.  Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, any agency or governing authority, by order placed on its minutes, may, in its discretion, set aside not more than twenty percent (20%) of its anticipated annual expenditures for the purchase of commodities from minority businesses; however, all such set-aside purchases shall comply with all purchasing regulations promulgated by the Department of Finance and Administration and shall be subject to bid requirements under this section.  Set-aside purchases for which competitive bids are required shall be made from the lowest and best minority business bidder.  For the purposes of this paragraph, the term "minority business" means a business which is owned by a majority of persons who are United States citizens or permanent resident aliens (as defined by the Immigration and Naturalization Service) of the United States, and who are Asian, Black, Hispanic or Native American, according to the following definitions:

              (i)  "Asian" means persons having origins in any of the original people of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands.

              (ii)  "Black" means persons having origins in any black racial group of Africa.

              (iii)  "Hispanic" means persons of Spanish or Portuguese culture with origins in Mexico, South or Central America, or the Caribbean Islands, regardless of race.

              (iv)  "Native American" means persons having origins in any of the original people of North America, including American Indians, Eskimos and Aleuts.

          (t)  Construction punch list restriction.  The architect, engineer or other representative designated by the agency or governing authority that is contracting for public construction or renovation may prepare and submit to the contractor only one (1) preliminary punch list of items that do not meet the contract requirements at the time of substantial completion and one (1) final list immediately before final completion and final payment.

          (u)  Procurement of construction services by state institutions of higher learning.  Contracts for privately financed construction of auxiliary facilities on the campus of a state institution of higher learning may be awarded by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning to the lowest and best bidder, where sealed bids are solicited, or to the offeror whose proposal is determined to represent the best value to the citizens of the State of Mississippi, where requests for proposals are solicited.

          (v)  Insurability of bidders for public construction or other public contracts.  In any solicitation for bids to perform public construction or other public contracts to which this section applies, including, but not limited to, contracts for repair and maintenance, for which the contract will require insurance coverage in an amount of not less than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00), bidders shall be permitted to either submit proof of current insurance coverage in the specified amount or demonstrate ability to obtain the required coverage amount of insurance if the contract is awarded to the bidder.  Proof of insurance coverage shall be submitted within five (5) business days from bid acceptance.

          (w)  Purchase authorization clarification.  Nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing any purchase not authorized by law.

          (x)  Mississippi Regional Pre-Need Disaster Clean Up Act.  (i)  The Department of Finance and Administration shall enter into nine (9) contracts for the pre-need purchase of labor, services, work, materials, equipment, supplies or other personal property for disaster-related solid waste collection, disposal or monitoring.  One (1) contract shall be entered into for each of the nine (9) Mississippi Emergency Management Association districts:

                    1.  Coahoma, DeSoto, Grenada, Panola, Quitman, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tunica and Yalobusha Counties;

                    2.  Alcorn, Benton, Itawamba, Lafayette, Lee, Marshall, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Tippah, Tishomingo and Union Counties;

                    3.  Attala, Bolivar, Carroll, Holmes, Humphreys, Leflore, Montgomery, Sunflower and Washington Counties;

                    4.  Calhoun, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Clay, Lowndes, Monroe, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Webster and Winston Counties;

                    5.  Claiborne, Copiah, Hinds, Issaquena, Madison, Rankin, Sharkey, Simpson, Warren and Yazoo Counties;

                    6.  Clarke, Jasper, Kemper, Lauderdale, Leake, Neshoba, Newton, Scott, and Smith Counties and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians;

                    7.  Adams, Amite, Franklin, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lincoln, Pike, Walthall and Wilkinson Counties;

                    8.  Covington, Forrest, Greene, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Lamar, Marion, Perry and Wayne Counties; and

                    9.  George, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River and Stone Counties.

     Any such contract shall set forth the manner of awarding such a contract, the method of payment, and any other matter deemed necessary to carry out the purposes of the agreement.  Such contract may be entered into only for a term of one (1) year, with an option for an additional one-year extension after the conclusion of the first year of the contract, and only after having solicited bids or proposals, as appropriate, which shall be publicly advertised by posting on a web page maintained by the Department of Finance and Administration through submission of such advertisement to the Mississippi Procurement Technical Assistance Program under the Mississippi Development Authority.  The bid opening shall not occur until after the submission has been posted for at least ten (10) consecutive days.  The state's share of expenditures for solid waste collection, disposal or monitoring under any contract shall be appropriated and paid in the manner set forth in the contract and in the same manner as for other solid waste collection, disposal, or monitoring expenses of the state.  Any contract entered into under this paragraph shall not be subject to the provisions of Section 17-13-11.

               (ii)  Any board of supervisors of any county or any governing authority of any municipality may opt in to the benefits and services provided under the appropriate and relevant contract established in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph at the time of a disaster event in that county or municipality.  At the time of opt in, the county or municipality shall assume responsibility for payment in full to the contractor for the disaster-related solid waste collection, disposal or monitoring services provided.  Nothing in this subparagraph (ii) shall be construed as requiring a county or municipality to opt in to any such contract established in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph.

     SECTION 4.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.

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