Transportation

SB 2047 reauthorizes the expenditure of $68.7 million in unspent Gulf Coast Restoration Funds for specific coastal restoration and development projects in Mississippi. The bill directs funds to cities (like Gulfport, Long Beach, and Ocean Springs), counties (including Pearl River and Harrison), redevelopment authorities, universities (such as Mississippi State University), and organizations for projects including harbor restoration, road improvements, downtown revitalization, and economic development sites. It does not create new funding but reallocates leftover funds from prior fiscal years to continue previously authorized projects, such as the Long Beach Harbor Complex Restoration and the Mississippi Cyber Center. The bill was signed into law by the governor on June 2, 2025, and applies to fiscal year 2026.

HB 16 approves $30,185,481 in state funds for the Yellow Creek State Inland Port Authority to cover its fiscal year 2026 expenses (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026). It allocates $15 million for capital projects and $50,000 for overtime pay, while requiring the authority to maintain detailed financial records and give preference to Mississippi Industries for the Blind in purchasing decisions. The bill, signed into law on June 4, 2025, is a funding appropriation with no new policy provisions.

SB 2017 appropriates $235.7 million for Mississippi's Department of Transportation's Office of State Aid Road Construction for fiscal year 2026 (July 2025-June 2026). It allocates $5.3 million specifically for staff salaries and filling open positions (including $392,000 for "vacancy funding"), with strict limits to prevent exceeding budgeted personnel costs. Additionally, $55 million is dedicated to replacing structurally deficient bridges under the Local System Bridge Program. The bill requires detailed accounting of all funds and mandates that administrative costs stay below 4% of construction spending.

HB 45 appropriates $1.48 billion from state funds to the Mississippi Department of Transportation for fiscal year 2026 (July 2025-June 2026). It allocates $194.2 million specifically for salaries, benefits, and approved vacancies ("Personal Services"), with strict rules preventing salary reductions below state board minimums and requiring unused "Vacancy Funding" to fill unfilled positions rather than raise existing salaries. The bill also directs $1.02 billion for construction, $274.6 million for maintenance, $81.8 million for debt service, and $37.5 million for aeronautics/rails, plus $650,000 to the Agriculture Department for beaver control and $5 million to Public Safety for commercial truck enforcement. This is a routine funding measure for ongoing transportation operations, not a new policy.