Public Utilities Staff; remove from the provisions of the MS Budget Transparency and Simplification Act.

HB 1065 clarifies how Mississippi's Public Utilities Staff is funded by removing it from the list of state agencies funded through the general state budget. The bill requires utilities to pay a small tax (0.164% of gross revenue) directly into a dedicated "Public Utilities Staff Regulation Fund" to cover the staff's operational costs, rather than relying on state appropriations. This allows utilities to pass these tax costs to consumers through rate adjustments. The bill explicitly states that the Public Utilities Staff is not funded from the state general fund under Mississippi's budget transparency law, changing its financial structure. (Note: The bill died on the calendar in February 2025 and did not become law.)