Section 37-183-3 - DefinitionsAs used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) "Department" means the Department of Finance and Administration.(b) "COVID-19" means the Coronavirus Disease 2019.(c) "CARES Act" means the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.(d) "Eligible postsecondary educational institution" means:(i) Any state-supported four-year college or university operating within the State of Mississippi under the governing authority of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning;(ii) Any private four-year college or university operating within the State of Mississippi and accredited by a state, regional or national accrediting organization; and(iii) Any state-supported two-year community college operating within the State of Mississippi under the governing authority of the Mississippi Community College Board and a local community college district board of trustees.(e) "Interruption in learning" means disruption of regular educational instruction at a postsecondary educational institution facility resulting from required or voluntary closure related to COVID-19.(f) "Public health measure" means any action reasonably taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the educational setting.(g) "Eligible expense" means a cost incurred by a postsecondary educational institution for public health measures or due to interruption in learning from March 1, 2020, through December 30, 2020. Such eligible expenses may consist of:(i) Training and professional development for faculty and staff regarding measures to decrease the spread of COVID-19;(ii) Purchasing facility sanitization supplies and other expenses of disinfection of the recipient institution's facilities to mitigate or respond to COVID-19;(iii) Technology costs associated with transition to and administration of online learning;(iv) Payroll expenses for public health and public safety employees employed by the recipient institution, and payroll expenses for health care, human services and similar employees of the institution whose services are substantially dedicated to mitigating or responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency;(v) Purchasing of medical supplies and personal protection equipment (PPE);(vi) Developing infrastructure necessary at the community or junior colleges to increase capacity in workforce development or skills training classes for students who are unemployed, underemployed or seeking new employment as a direct or indirect result of COVID-19; or(vii) Medical expenses incurred by the recipient institution to treat or diagnose COVID-19, including COVID-19 testing and serological testing, emergency medical response and transportation, and telemedicine expenses related to COVID-19. No cost will be considered an eligible expense if found to be ineligible under the guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, of the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the CARES Act.
(h) "Grant" means an award by the department to a postsecondary educational institution to cover eligible expenses in accordance with this chapter.(i) "Program" means the Postsecondary Education COVID-19 Mitigation Relief Program established in this chapter.Added by Laws, 2020, ch. 489, HB 1793,§ 2, (became law without the Governor's signature on July 9, 2020).