MS
Mississippi House Bill HB384

Mississippi 2025 Regular Session

Mississippi House Bill HB384 Compare Versions

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11 MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE 2025 Regular Session To: Universities and Colleges; Appropriations A By: Representative Zuber House Bill 384 AN ACT TO PROVIDE THAT THE MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY SHALL ESTABLISH A PROGRAM TO PROVIDE GRANTS TO STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING TO ASSIST SUCH INSTITUTIONS WITH ESTABLISHING ENDOWMENTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECRUITING AND EMPLOYING PROFESSORS OF QUANTUM COMPUTING AND PROFESSORS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ENGINEERING; TO PROVIDE AN APPLICATION PROCESS FOR STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING THAT DESIRE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GRANT PROGRAM; TO CREATE THE "STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING QUANTUM COMPUTING AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ENGINEERING PROFESSORS FUND" AS A SPECIAL FUND IN THE STATE TREASURY; TO PROVIDE THAT MONIES IN THE FUND SHALL BE DISBURSED, UPON APPROPRIATION BY THE LEGISLATURE, IN THE DISCRETION OF THE MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, TO PROVIDE GRANTS AUTHORIZED IN 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 section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: (a) "MDA" means the Mississippi Development Authority. (b) "State institution of higher learning" means a state institution of higher learning described in Section 37-101-1, Mississippi Code of 1972. (2) (a) The MDA shall establish a program to provide grants to state institutions of higher learning to assist such institutions with establishing endowments for the purpose of recruiting and employing professors of quantum computing and professors of Artificial Intelligence engineering. (b) A state institution of higher learning desiring assistance under the grant program established under this section must submit an application to the MDA. The application must contain: (i) A description of the purposes for which a grant is requested, such as the endowment the state institution of higher learning desires to establish and the type and number of professors that the institution of higher learning intends to recruit and/or employ; (ii) The amount of funds from sources other than assistance under this section dedicated by the institution of higher learning for the endowment; (iii) The amount of grant funds requested; and (iv) Any other information requested by the MDA. (c) The MDA shall review such application and determine whether the applicant is eligible for assistance under the grant program. If the MDA approves the applicant for assistance under the grant program, it shall issue a certificate to the applicant designating the applicant as eligible for assistance under the program. (3) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund, to be designated as the "State Institutions of Higher Learning Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence Engineering Professors Fund", which shall consist of funds made available by the Legislature in any manner. The fund shall be maintained by the State Treasurer as a separate and special fund, separate and apart from the General Fund of the state. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned or investment earnings on amounts in the fund shall be deposited into such fund. Monies in the fund shall be disbursed, upon appropriation by the Legislature, in the discretion of the MDA, to provide grants for the purposes described in this section. (4) The MDA shall have all powers necessary to implement and administer the program established under this section, and the MDA shall promulgate rules and regulations, in accordance with the Mississippi Administrative Procedures Law, necessary for the implementation of this section. SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2025.
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33 MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
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55 2025 Regular Session
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77 To: Universities and Colleges; Appropriations A
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99 By: Representative Zuber
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1111 # House Bill 384
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1313 AN ACT TO PROVIDE THAT THE MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY SHALL ESTABLISH A PROGRAM TO PROVIDE GRANTS TO STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING TO ASSIST SUCH INSTITUTIONS WITH ESTABLISHING ENDOWMENTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECRUITING AND EMPLOYING PROFESSORS OF QUANTUM COMPUTING AND PROFESSORS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ENGINEERING; TO PROVIDE AN APPLICATION PROCESS FOR STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING THAT DESIRE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GRANT PROGRAM; TO CREATE THE "STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING QUANTUM COMPUTING AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ENGINEERING PROFESSORS FUND" AS A SPECIAL FUND IN THE STATE TREASURY; TO PROVIDE THAT MONIES IN THE FUND SHALL BE DISBURSED, UPON APPROPRIATION BY THE LEGISLATURE, IN THE DISCRETION OF THE MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, TO PROVIDE GRANTS AUTHORIZED IN THIS ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
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1515 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
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1717 SECTION 1. (1) As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings as defined in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
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1919 (a) "MDA" means the Mississippi Development Authority.
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2121 (b) "State institution of higher learning" means a state institution of higher learning described in Section 37-101-1, Mississippi Code of 1972.
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2323 (2) (a) The MDA shall establish a program to provide grants to state institutions of higher learning to assist such institutions with establishing endowments for the purpose of recruiting and employing professors of quantum computing and professors of Artificial Intelligence engineering.
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2525 (b) A state institution of higher learning desiring assistance under the grant program established under this section must submit an application to the MDA. The application must contain:
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2727 (i) A description of the purposes for which a grant is requested, such as the endowment the state institution of higher learning desires to establish and the type and number of professors that the institution of higher learning intends to recruit and/or employ;
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2929 (ii) The amount of funds from sources other than assistance under this section dedicated by the institution of higher learning for the endowment;
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3131 (iii) The amount of grant funds requested; and
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3333 (iv) Any other information requested by the MDA.
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3535 (c) The MDA shall review such application and determine whether the applicant is eligible for assistance under the grant program. If the MDA approves the applicant for assistance under the grant program, it shall issue a certificate to the applicant designating the applicant as eligible for assistance under the program.
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3737 (3) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund, to be designated as the "State Institutions of Higher Learning Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence Engineering Professors Fund", which shall consist of funds made available by the Legislature in any manner. The fund shall be maintained by the State Treasurer as a separate and special fund, separate and apart from the General Fund of the state. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned or investment earnings on amounts in the fund shall be deposited into such fund. Monies in the fund shall be disbursed, upon appropriation by the Legislature, in the discretion of the MDA, to provide grants for the purposes described in this section.
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3939 (4) The MDA shall have all powers necessary to implement and administer the program established under this section, and the MDA shall promulgate rules and regulations, in accordance with the Mississippi Administrative Procedures Law, necessary for the implementation of this section.
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4141 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2025.