HB 1938 Mississippi House · 2026 Regular Session

Appropriation; Transportation, Department of.

This bill appropriates $1.477 billion from state funds to cover the Mississippi Department of Transportation's (MDOT) administrative costs and program expenses for fiscal year 2027 (July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027). It allocates specific amounts for key areas: $1.02 billion for construction, $274 million for maintenance, $64.9 million for administration, $81.6 million for debt service, and $37.5 million for aeronautics/rails. The funds are restricted to authorized uses, including strict limits on salary expenses and prohibitions against using general funds to replace federal funding. This is a routine funding measure, not a policy change.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House Passage

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

Signed into Law

Apr 2026

Introduced Feb 20, 2026 Signed Apr 6, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

As Passed the lower → Current version · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to increase total funding for the Mississippi Department of Transportation by approximately $87.5 million, primarily allocated to construction and maintenance projects. Key changes include a new section authorizing salary progressions for specific job families, an updated timeline for vacancy funding adjustments, and a new provision allowing the department to escalate up to $2 million in personnel costs. Several section numbers were shifted due to the insertion of new content.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include specific job families eligible for salary increases and a new mechanism for escalating personnel costs within federal fund limits.

FISCAL

Total appropriation increased from $1,477,665,268 to $1,565,117,653, with significant increases in Construction ($50M), Maintenance ($51M), and Aeronautics/Rails ($2.5M) allocations.

A new provision authorizes $1,646,720 for salary progressions specifically for Inspection, Facilities/Maintenance, Engineering, and Transportation Technical job families.

REQUIREMENT

New Section 13 allows the Department of Transportation to escalate up to $2 million in personnel costs consistent with federal fund escalations, pending approval from the Department of Finance and Administration.

The deadline for adjusting Vacancy Funding based on filled headcounts was changed from February 1, 2026, to March 1, 2026.

TECHNICAL

Section numbering was reorganized (Sections 13 through 20 were renumbered to 13 through 21) to accommodate the insertion of the new salary progression and escalation sections.

As Introduced → As Passed the lower · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to reflect its passage by the House, updating the title and sponsor list. Substantively, the bill now appropriates over $1.4 billion for the Mississippi Department of Transportation for fiscal year 2027, with specific allocations for salaries, construction, maintenance, and debt service. It introduces new funding sources from various special funds, establishes strict performance metrics for road maintenance and safety, and adds provisions for transferring funds to other state agencies for litter prevention, beaver control, and commercial transportation enforcement.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include new specific funding sources from multiple special funds (e.g., Capacity Project Fund, Infrastructure Match Fund) and new mandates for transferring funds to the Department of Agriculture and Commerce and the Department of Public Safety.

FISCAL

The total appropriation amount was updated to $1,477,665,268.00, and the bill now explicitly lists allocations from six specific special funds (including the 2022 Capacity Project Fund and 2023 Lafayette County Infrastructure Improvement Funds) in addition to general special funds.

New sections authorize the transfer of $650,000 to the Department of Agriculture for beaver control, $5 million to the Department of Public Safety for commercial transportation enforcement, and $300,000 to the Southern Rail Commission.

REQUIREMENT

New sections require the Department of Transportation to establish strict project cost estimation and review policies, including capturing consultant costs and requiring approval for any cost estimate changes.

The bill adds detailed performance measures for FY2027, setting specific targets for acreage mowed, pavement condition ratings, bridge inspections, and debt service costs.

A new requirement mandates that signage for funded projects must state that funds were made available by the Mississippi State Legislature and specify the legislative term.

The bill adds a provision authorizing the disposal or transfer of obsolete or inoperable cell phones to recycling programs for U.S. military personnel.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 12, 2026 · House Feb 19, 2026

How they voted

51–0

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 52

Mar 12, 2026

D Democratic18

18 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican34

33 Yea 1

97% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 6, 2026

Signed into law

Approved by Governor

executive

Mar 29, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference Report Adopted

lower

Mar 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference Report Filed

lower

Mar 12, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed As Amended

upper

Mar 12, 2026

Upper · Passed

Amended

upper

Mar 12, 2026

Upper · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass As Amended

upper

Feb 27, 2026

Committee

Referred To Appropriations

upper

Feb 20, 2026

Introduced

Transmitted To Senate

lower

Feb 19, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed

lower

Feb 18, 2026

Lower · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass

lower

Feb 16, 2026

Committee

Referred To Appropriations E;Appropriations A

lower

1 primary · 8 co-sponsors