SB 2917 Mississippi Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Budget; provide for various transfers of funds, and create various special funds.

This bill revises how Mississippi's public universities can use funds from the 2022 Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) Capital Improvements Fund for facility projects. It adjusts the specific project descriptions (e.g., renovation, construction, or repair details) for allocations at institutions like Alcorn State University, Mississippi State University, and the University of Mississippi Medical Center. The bill requires universities to account for unused funds after four years and directs transfers of certain funds during fiscal year 2027. It does not create new funding but clarifies existing fund usage rules for capital improvements.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Apr 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Signed into Law

Apr 2026

Introduced Feb 12, 2026 Signed Apr 13, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

As Passed the upper → Current version · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was rewritten to shift its primary focus from detailing specific university construction projects to directing the State Treasurer to transfer large sums of money from the Capital Expense Fund and Education Enhancement Fund into various special funds. This change simplifies the legislation by removing detailed project lists and instead establishing new special funds for specific initiatives like a Cancer Center, Cybersecurity Center, and Military Park, while directing existing funds to support these new entities.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a narrow list of university capital improvements to a broad directive for transferring funds to a wide array of state, local, and educational entities, including the creation of several new special funds.

FISCAL

Added specific directives for the State Treasurer to transfer $808.1 million from the Capital Expense Fund and $93.7 million from the Education Enhancement Fund to numerous new and existing special funds.

Created four new special funds: the 2026 Local Improvements Projects Fund, USM Science Research Fund, Cancer Center Fund, and Mississippi Cybersecurity Center Fund.

Removed the detailed line-item breakdown of specific construction projects and dollar amounts allocated to individual universities that previously defined the bill's primary purpose.

Changed the legislative intent from specifying exact project scopes to authorizing broad fund transfers to support infrastructure and research initiatives.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirements for biannual and quarterly reporting by the Department of Finance and Administration and receiving entities to track fund usage and project progress.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 10, 2026 · House Mar 10, 2026

How they voted

52–0

Passed

Total votes 52

Feb 10, 2026

D Democratic18

18 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican34

34 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 13, 2026

Signed into law

Approved by Governor

executive

Apr 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

Conference Report Adopted

upper

Apr 1, 2026

Upper · Passed

Conference Report Filed

upper

Mar 30, 2026

Committee

Recommitted For Further Conf

lower

Mar 30, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference Report Filed

lower

Mar 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed As Amended

lower

Mar 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Amended

lower

Feb 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass As Amended

lower

Feb 16, 2026

Committee

Referred To Appropriations A

lower

Feb 12, 2026

Introduced

Transmitted To House

upper

Feb 10, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed As Amended

upper

Feb 10, 2026

Upper · Passed

Amended

upper

Feb 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass

upper

Jan 19, 2026

Committee

Referred To Appropriations

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors