Education (Higher Education)

This bill appropriates $73.47 million total for Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine for fiscal year 2026. It allocates $20.57 million from general funds for operations and $52.90 million from special sources (including $750,000 from the Education Enhancement Fund), specifically funding the Wise Center construction ($17.5 million), rural veterinarian scholarships ($120,000), and Chronic Wasting Disease testing ($125,000). The bill requires the college to track performance metrics like 95% graduation pass rates on vet licensing exams and 40,000 annual animal clinic visits. It mandates efficient spending and reporting to the legislature on these targets.

SB 2003 appropriates $7,887,984 from the State General Fund and $335,000 from the Education Enhancement Fund to support Alcorn State University's agricultural research, extension, and land-grant programs for fiscal year 2026 (July 2025-June 2026). The funds directly support specific programs, including $165,000 for the Poultry Sciences Research Center and $715,000 for broader agricultural research (covering poultry, animal, and environmental science). The bill specifies that general funds cannot replace withdrawn federal or special funds and requires compliance with state budgeting rules. It was signed into law by the governor on June 4, 2025, and takes effect July 1, 2025.