Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that appropriates funds for the fiscal year 2021-2022.

Highlights:

• Appropriates $71.36 million for the Department of the Attorney General (Sec. 102).

• Appropriates $17.51 million for the Department of Civil Rights (Sec. 103).

• Appropriates $198.71 million for the Legislature (Sec. 105).

• Appropriates $224.24 million for the Department of State (Sec. 106).

• Appropriates $578.60 million for the Department of Technology, Management and Budget (Sec. 107).

• Appropriates $2.11 billion for the Department of the Treasury (Sec. 108).

• Prohibits funds from being used by a principal executive department, state agency, or authority to hire a person to provide legal services that are the responsibility of the attorney general. This prohibition does not apply to legal services for bonding activities and for those outside services that the attorney general authorizes (Sec. 208).

• Requires the attorney general to perform all legal services, including representation before courts and administrative agencies rendering legal opinions and providing legal advice to a principal executive department or state agency (Sec. 301-1).

• Authorizes the Department of Civil Rights to receive and expend funds from local and private sources, up to a combined total of $85,000 for all of the following purposes (Sec. 401-1):

• Developing and presenting training for employers on equal employment opportunity law and procedures;

• The publication and sale of civil rights related informational material;

• The provision of copy material made available under freedom of information requests;

• Other copy fees, subpoena fees, and witness fees;

• Developing, presenting, and participating in mediation processes for certain civil rights cases;

• Workshops, seminars, and recognition or award programs consistent with the programmatic mission of the individual unit sponsoring or coordinating the programs; and

• Staffing costs for all activities included in this subsection.

• Prohibits funds appropriated in part 1 to an entity within the legislative branch from being expended or transferred to another account without written approval of the authorized agent of the legislative entity (Sec. 601-1).

• Specifies if the Department of State receives or is eligible to receive federal funds that must be used for election-related purposes, and the federal funds may be received or expended only after satisfying certain conditions placed by the federal government, the federal funds must not be expended except upon appropriation in a budget act (Sec. 719a).

• Requires the Department of Technology, Management, and Budget to conduct a pilot program for the purpose of reducing tail spend. MDTMB will issue an RFP for a procurement system that meets all of the following requirements (Sec. 815):

• The system is offered to this state at no cost;

• The system requests bids for all items in an automated manner;

• The system tracks warranty information for all purchased items; and

• The system automatically updates state inventory management at the point of purchase.

• Authorizes the Department of the Treasury to charge an investment service fee against applicable retirement funds. The fees may be expended for necessary salaries, wages, contractual services, supplies, materials, equipment, travel, worker's compensation insurance premiums, and grants to the civil service commission and state employees' retirement funds (Sec. 904).

Full Bill Text