MS Code § 31-7-305 (2020)
2020 Mississippi Code|Title 31 - Public Business, Bonds and Obligations|Chapter 7 - Public Purchases|Timely Payment for Purchases by Public Bodies|§ 31-7-305. Recordkeeping and notice requirements; time for mailing check in payment of invoice; time for payment in event of dispute; interest penalties

  All public bodies of the state, including those which issue checks and those which file requisitions for payment with the State Fiscal Management Board, shall keep a record of the date of receipt of the invoice, dates of receipt, inspection and approval of the goods or services, date of issuing the check or date of filing the requisition for payment, as the case may be, and date of mailing or otherwise delivering the warrant or check in payment thereof. In the event that the State Fiscal Management Board mails or otherwise delivers the warrant directly to the claimant, pursuant to Section 7-7-35, Mississippi Code of 1972, the State Fiscal Management Board shall notify the public body of the date thereof. The provisions of this section are supplemental to the requirements of Sections 19-13-29, 21-39-7, 21-39-13 and 37-5-93, Mississippi Code of 1972.   All public bodies that are authorized to issue checks in payment of goods and services and are not required to issue requisitions for payment to the State Fiscal Management Board shall mail or otherwise deliver such checks no later than forty-five (45) days after receipt of the invoice and receipt, inspection and approval of the goods or services; however, in the event of a bona fide dispute, the public body shall pay only the amount not disputed.   If a warrant or check, as the case may be, in payment of an invoice is not mailed or otherwise delivered within forty-five (45) days after receipt of the invoice and receipt, inspection and approval of the goods and services, the public body shall be liable to the vendor, in addition to the amount of the invoice, for interest at a rate of one and one-half percent (1-1/2 %) per month or portion thereof on the unpaid balance from the expiration of such forty-five-day period until such time as the warrant or check is mailed or otherwise delivered to the vendor. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply only to undisputed amounts for which payment has been authorized. In the case of an error on the part of the vendor, the forty-five-day period shall begin to run upon receipt of a corrected invoice by the public body and upon compliance with the other provisions of this section. The various public bodies shall be responsible for initiating the penalty payments required by this subsection and shall use this subsection as authority to make such payments. Also, at the time of initiating such penalty payment, the public body shall specify in writing an explanation of the delay and shall attach such explanation to the requisition for payment of the penalty or to the file copy of the check issued by the public body, as the case may be.     In the event of a bona fide dispute as to an invoice, or any portion thereof, the dispute shall be settled within thirty (30) days after interest penalties could begin to be assessed, if it were not for the dispute.   If a warrant or check, as the case may be, in payment of an invoice, subject to a prior dispute, is not mailed or otherwise delivered within thirty (30) days after settlement of the dispute, the public body shall be liable to the vendor, in addition to the amount of the invoice, for interest at a rate of one and one-half percent (1-1/2 %) per month or portion thereof on the unpaid balance from the expiration of said thirty-day period until such time as the warrant or check is mailed or otherwise delivered to the vendor. At the time of initiating such penalty payment, the public body shall specify in writing an explanation of the delay and shall attach such explanation to the requisition for payment of the penalty or to the file copy of the check issued by the public body, as the case may be. The interest penalty prescribed in this paragraph shall be in lieu of the penalty provided in subsection (3).