HB 43 Mississippi House · 2025 First Extraordinary Session

Appropriation; Educational Television, Authority for.

HB 43 appropriates $4,713,545 from general funds and $9,921,012 from special funds (including $2,118,966 from the Education Enhancement Fund) to cover the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television's (MAET) expenses for fiscal year 2026 (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026). The bill specifically restricts $6,550,368 of these funds for "Personal Services" (salaries, wages, benefits, and vacancy funding), limiting MAET to 87 total authorized positions (80 permanent, 7 time-limited) and prohibiting use for public relations or replacing federal funds. It requires MAET to maintain detailed financial records matching its 2025 reporting standards and mandates that any 2027 budget request follow the same format. This is a routine budget appropriation bill, now law after passing the legislature and being signed by the governor on June 2, 2025.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

May 2025

Committee Review

May 2025

House Passage

May 2025

Senate Passage

May 2025

Signed into Law

Jun 2025

Introduced May 29, 2025 Signed Jun 4, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

As Passed the lower → Current version · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill title was updated from 'As Passed the House' to 'As Sent to Governor', indicating the bill has completed its legislative journey and is now awaiting the Governor's signature or veto. This is a procedural change reflecting the bill's current status in the legislative process rather than a substantive policy change.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill header and title to reflect that the legislation has moved from the House stage to being sent to the Governor for final approval.

As Introduced → As Passed the lower · 9 edits

MAJOR

The bill was amended to add new funding sources and clarify how funds are used, while also adding performance targets and restrictions on salary escalations. The House version increases total appropriations by adding $2,118,966 from the Education Enhancement Fund and reappropriating an additional $899,202 for specific projects. New sections were added to establish performance measures for content operations, technical services, and education services, and to restrict the use of funds for general public relations activities.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include specific performance metrics and additional funding sources, while adding restrictions on how funds can be used for personnel actions and public relations.

FISCAL

Added $2,118,966 from the Education Enhancement Fund for tower maintenance, digitalization, Mississippi History content, and a Medgar Evers documentary.

Reappropriated $899,202 from the Education Enhancement Fund for tower maintenance, digitalization, Mississippi History, and the Medgar Evers documentary.

REQUIREMENT

Added performance measures requiring 100 locally produced TV programs, 1,092 radio programs, 25,000 monthly web users, and 99.95% on-air reliability.

Added restrictions preventing the use of general funds to replace federal or special funds, and requiring IRS compliance for contract employee reporting.

Added requirement that the agency submit FY2027 budget requests to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee in a format comparable to FY2026 requests.

Added authority for the Mississippi Authority to accept grants and donations up to $2,000,000 for operational costs.

Added requirement that $1.50 per square foot be paid to the Executive Office of the State Board of Institutions of Higher Learning for utility costs.

Added authority to purchase technical equipment using the Capital Equipment Replacement Revolving Fund.

ENFORCEMENT

Modified the State Personnel Board's authority to process salary actions, requiring them to halt actions if they would exceed FY2026 appropriations or increase FY2027 needs.

Floor votes · Senate May 29, 2025 · House May 28, 2025

How they voted

40–8

Passed · 11 other

Total votes 59

May 29, 2025

D Democratic20

17 Yea 3

85% Yea

R Republican39

23 Yea 8 Nay 8

58% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jun 4, 2025

Signed into law

Approved by Governor

executive

May 29, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed

upper

May 29, 2025

Upper · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass

upper

May 29, 2025

Committee

Referred To Appropriations

upper

May 29, 2025

Introduced

Transmitted To Senate

lower

May 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed

lower

May 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass

lower

May 28, 2025

Committee

Referred To Appropriations A

lower

1 primary · 8 co-sponsors