House Bill 983

AN ACT TO CREATE THE PREGNANCY RESOURCES GRANT PROGRAM TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES; TO PROVIDE THAT THE PROGRAM SHALL BE A COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM USED BY THE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO CRISIS PREGNANCY ORGANIZATIONS, PREGNANCY RESOURCES ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT OFFER SUPPORT SERVICES TO WOMEN BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER PREGNANCY; TO SPECIFY THE TYPES OF CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A GRANT UNDER THE PROGRAM; TO SPECIFY THE PURPOSES FOR WHICH AN ORGANIZATION MAY USE GRANT FUNDS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO MAKE AN ANNUAL REPORT ABOUT THE PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) There is created the Pregnancy Resources Grant Program to be administered by the Department of Child Protection Services. The program shall be a competitive grant program used by the department to provide funds to crisis pregnancy organizations, pregnancy resources organizations and other nonprofit organizations that offer support services to women before, during and after pregnancy.

(2) The program shall be funded from monies appropriated by the Legislature to the department for that purpose. The department may use not more than two percent (2%) of the funds appropriated for the program for the administration of the program. Any funds appropriated for the program that are not expended by the department during the fiscal year for which they are provided shall be reappropriated to the department for the program for the next fiscal year.

(3) The department shall adopt rules and regulations regarding the operation of the program, and shall prescribe the terms and conditions of grants awarded under the program. To be eligible to receive a grant under the program, an organization must be an "eligible charitable organization" as defined in Section 27-7-22.41(1)(b)(i) or in Section 27-7-22.43(2)(b) that provides all or some of the following services: health care services, parenting education, prenatal care, pregnancy diagnosis, ultrasounds and STI testing.

(4) An organization may use grant funds for any of the following purposes:

(a) Staffing;

(b) Upgrades and purchases of medical equipment;

(d) Outreach; and

(e) Such other purposes as authorized by the department.

(5) In order to receive a grant, an organization must provide the following information to the department:

(a) The total amount of grant funds that the organization is requesting;

(b) How the grant funds will be used by the organization to provide support services to women; and

(6) The department shall submit an annual report on the program to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The report shall contain a detailed explanation of how the funds appropriated for the program were awarded, how those grants were used by organizations to provide support services to women, and whether more funds are needed for the program.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2023.