MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2020 By: Representative Hines HOUSE BILL NO. 210 an ACT to CREATE the MISSISSIPP
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MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2020 By: Representative Hines To: Workforce Development; Judiciary A HOUSE BILL NO. 210 1 AN ACT TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI COMMISSION ON WAGE REVIEW; 2 TO REQUIRE THE COMMISSION TO EXAMINE THE WAGES PAID TO MISSISSIPPI 3 EMPLOYEES, BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, ESTABLISH MEASURABLE GOALS AND 4 BENCHMARKS FOR THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI RELATING TO WAGES, AND 5 SUBMIT A REPORT OF ITS FINDINGS TO THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF 6 EMPLOYMENT SECURITY AND THE MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE EVERY TWO 7 YEARS; TO ESTABLISH THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMISSION; TO BRING 8 FORWARD SECTIONS 7-7-204, 23-15-239, 37-7-307, 57-34-5, 85-3-4, 9 97-3-54.4, 99-19-20, 17-1-51, 17-1-53, 17-1-55, 25-3-2, 25-3-3, 10 25-3-7, 25-3-9, 25-3-11, 25-3-13, 25-3-15, 25-3-17, 25-3-19, 11 25-3-21, 25-3-23, 25-3-25, 25-3-27, 25-3-29, 25-3-31, 25-3-34, 12 25-3-35, 25-3-36, 25-3-37, 25-3-38, 25-3-39, 25-3-39.1, 25-3-40, 13 25-3-41, 25-3-43, 25-3-45, 25-3-47, 25-3-49, 25-3-51, 25-3-53, 14 25-3-55, 25-3-57, 25-3-59, 25-3-61, 25-3-67, 25-3-69, 25-3-71 AND 15 71-1-45, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE 16 AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 17 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 18 SECTION 1. (1) There is hereby created the Mississippi 19 Commission on Wage Review to examine the wages paid to Mississippi 20 employees, both public and private, establish measurable goals and 21 benchmarks for the State of Mississippi relating to wages, and 22 submit a report of its findings to the Mississippi Department of 23 Employment Security and the Mississippi Legislature every two (2) 24 years. H. B. No. 210 *HR26/R278* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2 20/HR26/R278 PAGE 1 (ENK\KW) 25 (2) The commission shall be composed of the following seven 26 (7) members: 27 (a) The Executive Director of the Mississippi 28 Department of Human Services, or his or her designee; 29 (b) The President of the Mississippi Manufacturers 30 Association, or his or her designee; 31 (c) The Executive Director of the Mississippi 32 Development Authority, or his or her designee; 33 (d) The President of the Magnolia Bar Association, or 34 his or her designee; 35 (e) The State Director of the AARP Mississippi, or his 36 or her designee; 37 (f) One (1) person appointed by the Governor from a 38 nonprofit organization that works with job training and 39 employment; and 40 (g) The State Economist, or his or her designee. 41 (3) The commission shall have the following duties: 42 (a) Review the wages of all employees within the State 43 of Mississippi at least every two (2) years; 44 (b) Compare the wages paid to employees within the 45 State of Mississippi to those wages paid to employees within the 46 Southeastern region of the country; 47 (c) Provide reports and recommendations to the 48 Mississippi Department of Employee Security regarding the wage 49 differentials between those wages paid to employees in Mississippi H. B. No. 210 *HR26/R278* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 20/HR26/R278 ST: Mississippi Commission on Wage Review; PAGE 2 (ENK\KW) create. 50 and those wages paid to employees within the Southeastern region 51 of the country; and 52 (d) Provide the report required under paragraph (c) of 53 this subsection to the Legislature every two (2) years. 54 (4) Appointments shall be made within thirty (30) days after 55 the effective date of this act. The commission shall hold its 56 first meeting before August 1, 2020, and at its first meeting, the 57 commission shall elect a chair and vice chair from among its 58 membership. 59 (5) A majority of the members of the commission shall 60 constitute a quorum. In the adoption of the rules, resolutions 61 and reports, an affirmative vote of a majority of the members 62 shall be required. All members shall be notified in writing of 63 all meetings, such notices shall be mailed at least five (5) days 64 before the date on which a meeting is to be held. 65 (6) To effectuate the purposes of this section, any 66 department, division, board, bureau, committee or agency of the 67 state or any political subdivision thereof, shall, at the request 68 of the chair of the commission, provide such facilities, 69 assistance and data as will enable the committee to properly carry 70 out its duties. 71 SECTION 2. Section 7-7-204, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 72 brought forward as follows: 73 7-7-204. (1) Within the limits of the funds available to 74 the Office of the State Auditor for such purpose, the State H. B. No. 210 *HR26/R278* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 20/HR26/R278 ST: Mississippi Commission on Wage Review; PAGE 3 (ENK\KW) create. 75 Auditor may grant a paid internship to students pursuing junior or 76 senior undergraduate-level year coursework toward a bachelor's 77 degree in accounting or graduate-level coursework toward a 78 master's degree in accounting. Those applicants deemed qualified 79 shall receive funds that may be used to pay for tuition, books and 80 related fees to pursue their degree. It is the intent of the 81 Legislature that the paid internship program (hereinafter referred 82 to as the program) shall be used as an incentive for accounting 83 students to develop job-related skills and to encourage accounting 84 careers at the Office of the State Auditor. 85 (2) In order to be eligible for the program, an applicant 86 must: 87 (a) Attend any college or school approved and 88 designated by the Office of the State Auditor. 89 (b) Satisfy the following conditions: 90 (i) Undergraduate stipulations: Applicants must 91 have successfully obtained a minimum of fifty-eight (58) semester 92 hours toward a bachelor of science degree in accounting from a 93 Mississippi institution of higher learning. 94 Applicants must have achieved a minimum grade point average 95 (GPA) on the previously obtained semester hours toward a bachelor 96 of science degree in accounting of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. 97 If accepted into the program, participants shall maintain a 98 minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all coursework 99 counted toward a bachelor of science degree in accounting. H. B. No. 210 *HR26/R278* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 20/HR26/R278 ST: Mississippi Commission on Wage Review; PAGE 4 (ENK\KW) create. 100 (ii) Graduate stipulations: Applicants must have 101 met the regular admission standards and have been accepted into 102 the master of science accounting program at a Mississippi 103 institution of higher learning. 104 If accepted into the program, participants shall maintain a 105 minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all coursework 106 counted toward a master of science degree in accounting. 107 (c) All program participants will be required to work a 108 total of three hundred thirty-six (336) hours each summer at the 109 Office of the State Auditor in Jackson, Mississippi. 110 (d) Agree to work as an auditor at the Office of the 111 State Auditor upon graduation for a period of time equivalent to 112 the period of time for which the applicant receives compensation, 113 calculated to the nearest whole month, but in no event less than 114 two (2) years. 115 (3) (a) Before being placed into the program, each 116 applicant shall enter into a contract with the Office of the State 117 Auditor, which shall be deemed a contract with the State of 118 Mississippi, agreeing to the terms and conditions upon which the 119 internship shall be granted to him. The contract shall include 120 such terms and provisions necessary to carry out the full purpose 121 and intent of this section. The form of such contract shall be 122 prepared and approved by the Attorney General of this state, and 123 shall be signed by the State Auditor of the Office of the State 124 Auditor and the participant. H. B. No. 210 *HR26/R278* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 20/HR26/R278 ST: Mississippi Commission on Wage Review; PAGE 5 (ENK\KW) create. 125 (b) Upon entry into the program, participants will 126 become employees of the Office of the State Auditor during their 127 time in the program and shall be eligible for benefits such as 128 medical insurance paid by the agency for the participant; however, 129 in accordance with Section 25-11-105II(b), those participants 130 shall not become members of the Public Employees' Retirement 131 System while participating in the program. Participants shall not 132 accrue personal or major medical leave while they are in the 133 program. 134 (c) The Office of the State Auditor shall have the 135 authority to cancel any contract made between it and any program 136 participant upon such cause being deemed sufficient by the State 137 Auditor. 138 (d) The Office of the State Auditor is vested with full 139 and complete authority and power to sue in its own name any 140 participant for any damages due the state on any such uncompleted 141 contract, which suit shall be filed and handled by the Attorney 142 General of the state.