This bill is a House Concurrent Resolution that formally commends and congratulates the Laurel High School Lady Golden Tornadoes basketball team and their head coach, Sherri Cooley, for winning the 2026 MHSAA Class 5A State Championship. The resolution recognizes the team's 20-game winning streak and 32-2 season record, highlighting individual player achievements and acknowledging Coach Cooley's retirement after a 25-year career marked by a perfect coaching record. It also extends well wishes to Coach Cooley for her health as she retires to focus on her battle with breast cancer. The bill has no policy changes or regulatory effects; it serves solely as a ceremonial acknowledgment of athletic excellence and community pride.
This bill is a concurrent resolution that formally commends the Northwest Mississippi Community College Women's Basketball Team for winning the NJCAA Region 23 Championship during the 2025-2026 season. The resolution recognizes the team's 23-8 record, their championship victory over Pearl River Community College, and their historic first national tournament appearance since 2005. It extends official congratulations from the Mississippi Legislature to the student-athletes, coaches, and college administration for their athletic and academic achievements.
HB 1832 authorizes Humphreys County, Mississippi's Board of Supervisors to contribute up to $25,000 from county funds in 2026 to the Belzoni-Humphreys Development Foundation. The bill specifically directs these funds toward promoting tourism within Humphreys County. This is a procedural authorization with no broader policy changes, limited to a single year (2026) and a defined purpose.
HB 1837 would allow Noxubee County, Mississippi, to impose a 2% tax on short-term rental properties (like Airbnb listings) to fund tourism promotion and parks/recreation. The tax requires a countywide election where 60% voter approval is needed before implementation. Revenue collected must be kept in a separate special fund and spent exclusively on tourism and parks/recreation projects, not general county operations. The tax would expire on July 1, 2030.
HB 1870 authorizes Bolivar County’s Board of Supervisors to create a new utility district specifically for the Choctaw Sewer Association system in the community of Choctaw. This district would directly own, operate, and maintain the existing sewer infrastructure - including lift stations, treatment lagoons, and pipes - transferring responsibility from the current association. The bill establishes a governing board of commissioners (3-5 members) to manage the system, exempting it from certain regulatory approvals, and allows the district to contract services, collect fees, and partner with water associations to address delinquent payments. The change aims to resolve long-standing system disrepair by creating a dedicated entity focused on maintenance and improvement.
HB 1887 authorizes Humphreys County, Mississippi, to contribute up to $5,000 from county funds in 2026 to the Improved Benevolent Protective Elks of the World Hill Lodge #811. The Elks Lodge, a 501(c)(8) nonprofit, provides community and civic services to Humphreys County residents. The bill simply grants the county board discretion to make this contribution using available funds.
HB 4000 authorizes Grenada County, Mississippi, to create the Grenada County Utility Authority, a new public entity to manage water and wastewater services for residents. The authority will be governed by a board of directors, build and maintain water/wastewater systems, and finance projects through revenue bonds and special assessments on benefiting properties. It specifically excludes areas within municipal boundaries and allows service providers to contract with the authority. This bill directly affects Grenada County residents and property owners by establishing a dedicated entity for utility infrastructure.
This concurrent resolution (SC 529) is a symbolic gesture recognizing the 25th anniversary of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) and the 50th anniversary of Prison Fellowship. It affirms that incarcerated individuals in Mississippi have the right to practice their religion without unjustified government restrictions, as protected by RLUIPA. The resolution encourages Mississippi correctional agencies to maintain accessible religious programming and honors Prison Fellowship for its faith-based rehabilitation work, citing studies showing its programs reduce recidivism by over 60%. It does not create new laws but expresses legislative support for existing religious liberty protections in prisons.
This bill authorizes Jackson County's Board of Supervisors to optionally contribute up to $5,000 annually from county funds to the Junior Auxiliary of Pascagoula-Moss Point, a nonprofit focused on community improvement for children, youth, and families. The funding is temporary, set to expire on July 1, 2030, and does not require the county to make contributions. It specifically applies to this single organization in Pascagoula-Moss Point and does not create broader policy changes.
Mississippi's Senate Concurrent Resolution 534 is a request to Congress, not a law. It urges Congress to include in the 2026 Water Resources Development Act a requirement for the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a reliability report on Marine Highway 65 (M-65). This report would assess the condition and risks of locks and infrastructure along M-65, including documented failures at the Demopolis, Holt, and Wilson locks. The resolution directly affects Mississippi's ports (like Yellow Creek and Itawamba), industries, and communities that rely on this waterway for transporting goods like steel, coal, and agricultural products. The report aims to guide future infrastructure investments to maintain the corridor's reliability.
HB 4060 modifies Mississippi's sales tax code to benefit agricultural producers. It exempts retail sales of lime used for farming from the standard 7% sales tax (adding it to Section 27-65-103's list of agricultural exemptions). Additionally, it reduces the tax rate on fencing materials for livestock containment from 7% to 1.5% when sold directly to commercial farmers (amending Section 27-65-17). These changes specifically affect farmers purchasing agricultural lime and livestock fencing materials.
This bill appropriates $3,692,008 from general funds and $257,168,829 from special funds (including $3,050,000 from gasoline taxes) for Mississippi's Department of Marine Resources during fiscal year 2027. It directly affects the department's staffing and budgeting, requiring all funds to be used strictly for personnel costs like salaries and fringe benefits, with no transfers to other spending categories. The bill prohibits using vacancy funding for employee raises or promotions and mandates strict adherence to approved staffing levels (108 permanent and 65 time-limited positions). It also requires the department to maintain detailed records for all expenditures and comply with state personnel compensation rules.
