Mississippi Main Street; authorize counties to donate to and make MDAH administrator of Main Street Revitalization Grant.

The Mississippi Main Street Revitalization Grant Program is now administered by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History instead of the Mississippi Development Authority.

Section 33 of Chapter 113, Laws of 2024, which provided funds from the Main Street Revitalization Grant Program Fund to the Mississippi Development Authority for making grants, is repealed.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History is now authorized to distribute funds from the Mississippi Main Street Revitalization Grant Program Fund directly to designated Main Street communities for specific projects.

Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations were revised to reduce funding for the Mississippi Development Authority by $6,972,000 and increase funding for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History by $6,972,000 to support the Main Street grant program.

The bill repeals Section 19-5-93 of the Mississippi Code of 1972, which authorized county boards of supervisors to donate funds to various charitable causes including Main Street programs, removing the ability for counties to contribute to Main Street revitalization through this specific statute.

The Mississippi Main Street Revitalization Grant Program administration was transferred from the Mississippi Development Authority to the Department of Archives and History.

The maximum annual grant amount per community was increased from $500,000 to $750,000.

A provision limiting administrative expenses to no more than 2% of deposited funds was deleted.

New grant categories were added for tuberculosis hospitals, charity wards, public libraries, patriotic memorials, St. Jude Hospital transportation, public museums, domestic violence shelters, literacy programs, children's group homes, Boys and Girls Clubs, farmers' markets, and YMCA chapters.

References to Confederate graves and care of the aged were removed from the county donation authority section, while Main Street programs were added as a new donation category.

The definition of eligible recipients for the Main Street program was updated to include Main Street Designated Communities, Network Communities, Associate Communities, cities meeting chapter requirements, and business improvement districts.