This bill requires Mississippi county boards of supervisors to provide adequate and habitable office space for local Child Protection Services (CPS) offices. It clarifies that the space must be safe and functional for staff operations, directly affecting county boards responsible for facility provision. The bill also establishes a lease agreement where CPS pays federal funds for rent (at fair market value), while counties cover maintenance, repairs, utilities, and other operational costs. This ensures CPS offices meet basic infrastructure standards without using federal funds for building improvements.
HB 561 allows alcohol package retailers in Mississippi to also sell lottery tickets. It directly affects businesses holding a "package retailer's permit" under Mississippi's alcohol laws, enabling them to apply as lottery retailers under the Alyce G. Clarke Mississippi Lottery Law. The bill amends eligibility rules to explicitly include these alcohol permit holders as qualified lottery retailers, removing a previous barrier. This change permits these stores to sell lottery tickets alongside their existing alcohol sales, without altering lottery operations or requirements.
SB 2190 increases Mississippi's required minimum balance for the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund from 10% to 15% of the General Fund's annual appropriations. It also raises the maximum amount that can be diverted from unencumbered General Fund cash into the reserve from 10% to 15% of the General Fund's appropriations for the fiscal year. The fund, used to manage cash flow shortages, cover revenue shortfalls (with a $50 million annual cap), and provide immediate disaster assistance, will now require a larger reserve to be maintained.
SB 2191 revises Mississippi law to allow municipalities and counties to use a special fund from use tax revenue for specific infrastructure projects. The fund can cover repairs to roads, bridges, water systems, and sewer infrastructure, as well as debt payments for these projects, but cannot be used for salaries, administrative costs, or personal equipment. Municipalities must meet a minimum spending requirement on eligible projects (based on past spending adjusted for inflation) to receive full funding, with allocations split equally among all municipalities plus portions based on population and past sales tax revenue. Unspent funds carry over to the next fiscal year without lapsing into the general fund.
HB 605 requires Mississippi's Commissioner of Insurance to establish a state-run health insurance exchange by 2026. This exchange would allow residents to compare and purchase health insurance plans through an online portal, using funds from a new "Mississippi Health Insurance State Exchange Trust Fund" (financed by up to 3.5% of insurer fees). The bill directs the transfer of existing risk pool association funds to this trust by June 2026 and authorizes the Commissioner to use the current risk pool association's resources to operate the exchange. It directly affects Mississippi residents seeking health insurance, insurers selling plans through the exchange, and the state's existing risk pool association.
HB 644 requires Mississippi state agencies to include the estimated cost to the state when proposing new rules or significant changes to existing rules. It mandates that agencies provide legislators with copies of rule notices and economic impact statements at no cost, and ensures rules are invalid if agencies fail to comply with these disclosure requirements. The bill directly affects all state agencies drafting new regulations and Mississippi legislators, who gain clearer financial information about proposed rules. This procedural change aims to increase transparency in the rulemaking process by requiring upfront cost disclosures.
HB 660 formalizes salary schedules for Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol (MHP), Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics (MBN), and Commercial Traffic Enforcement Division (CTED) officers within the Department of Public Safety. It establishes specific pay rates based on officer rank and years of experience, such as Troopers earning $54,000 for under 4 years and Captains earning up to $104,500 for over 25 years. The bill directly affects sworn law enforcement officers in these divisions by defining their compensation structure through a detailed salary scale. It does not create new salary increases but codifies existing pay classifications for these state law enforcement roles.
SB 2208 creates a Mississippi Public University System Governance Study Committee to review the state's public university governance structure. The committee will assess issues like accountability, resource efficiency, student outcomes, and governance effectiveness across Mississippi's public institutions of higher learning. It must submit findings and recommendations to the legislature by December 1, 2026, and dissolve on January 1, 2027, or after its final report. This procedural bill directly affects Mississippi's public universities and their governing bodies by mandating a formal review of their operational framework.
HB 670 increases the limit on how many package retailer permits a person can own from one to two, under certain conditions. This change directly affects business owners who currently hold a single permit for stores selling alcohol in sealed containers for takeaway (not on-premises consumption). The bill amends Mississippi Code Section 67-1-51 to allow ownership of up to two such permits, without altering other permit types or sales rules. This is a concrete policy change to expand business ownership options in the alcohol retail sector.
HB 672 allows counties, cities, tribes, or state agencies in Mississippi that already permit alcohol sales ("wet" jurisdictions) to authorize alcohol stores to sell packaged alcohol on Sundays between 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. It does not require stores to open on Sundays - they may continue operating Monday through Saturday. The bill amends existing law (Section 67-1-83) to permit these Sunday hours, while maintaining the existing ban on Sunday sales elsewhere. The law takes effect on July 1, 2026.
SB 2016 creates the Mississippi Department of Tourism to centralize and streamline tourism promotion and development across the state. It transfers all tourism-related powers, duties, and staff from the Mississippi Development Authority to this new department by July 1, 2026, and diverts a portion of hotel and restaurant sales tax revenue into a dedicated tourism advertising fund (previously allocated to the Development Authority). The bill establishes an appointed Executive Director, authorizes the department to develop regional tourism strategies, coordinate with local tourism groups, and manage advertising through the new fund, while repealing six existing tourism statutes. This reorganization directly affects Mississippi’s tourism industry, state agencies managing tourism programs, and local tourism entities receiving state funding.
HB 710 requires Mississippi's Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to be reimbursed from the state General Fund for revenue lost when issuing legally mandated discounts on hunting/fishing licenses, state park admissions, and other recreational fees (like boat rentals). The department must track these lost revenues annually, submit a report by June 30 each year, and receive payment within 30 days to the Fisheries and Wildlife Fund. This applies only to discounts issued on or after July 1, 2026, and requires the department's accounting to be audited by the State Auditor. The bill ensures the department isn't financially burdened by required discount programs while directing funds to a dedicated conservation account.
