MAS Weekly Legislative Recap Newsletter

Week 10 - March 13

2026 Regular Legislative Session

The Tenth week of the 2026 Regular Legislative Session has passed.

• The deadline for original floor action on general bills and constitutional amendment originating in other house has passed.
• The deadline for original floor action on appropriations and revenue bills originating in other house is Tuesday, March 17.   

Municipal Inmates in County Jail Facilities

 Heads to Conference

Senate Bill 2432

Senate Bill 2432: On Tuesday March 10^th, The Senate Chamber decline concurrence and invited conference for Senate Bill 2432.

Please continue to reach out to your local legislative delegation and request that this legislation allow counties and municipalities the authority to negotiate a rate to house municipal inmates in county jails at a rate above $25 dollars a day.

Special Call Meeting Notice Legislation

House Bill 1231

House Bill 1231: This measure shortens the requirement for notice of a special call meeting of the county board of supervisors from five (5) days to three (3) days.

NOTE: This measure is currently returned for enrollment and will soon head to the Governor for consideration.

Senate Strike All Amendment Brings Back Consolidation of Fire Funds Legislation

House Bill 939

House Bill 939: This measure originally addressed the MS Length-of-Service Award Program (LOSAP), the Senate Chamber exercised a “strike all amendment” and reinserted language from House Bill 1392 that died last week.

With the strike all language, the Rural Fire Truck Fund, Rural Fire Truck Matching Assistance Fund, Supplementary Rural Fire Truck Fund, and the Annual Fire Fund will be transferred into a new “Fire Grant Fund.”

A newly create “Fire Grant Advisory Committee” will provide guidance to the Department of Finance and Administration regarding grant awards and program administration.

There will be grant categories such as fire trucks, firefighting equipment, and countywide fire protection programs. Grants can cover up to 70% of the purchase cost or up to 90% for first-time applicants.

To qualify for any grant, applicants must maintain a fire rating plan with one-year and three-year goals for maintaining or improving their fire protection rating.

Proposed Legislation Withholds Homestead Benefit

for Tax Non-Compliance

House Bill 4044

House Bill 4044: This measure revises certain homestead exemption eligibility provisions and revises the distribution of the portion paid on certain homestead property. Basically, this measure proposes to withhold the homestead exemption from taxpayers who fail to comply with Mississippi’s income tax laws, but instead of the county keeping the revenue, it would go to the Department of Revenue. This would be a fundamental shift in policy/process of sending local county ad valorem taxes up to the State level.

*Copyright. All rights reserved.

Authors: Steve Gray, MAS Government Affairs Director & Deputy Director, and Derrick Surrette, MAS Executive Director.

The House and Senate will reconvene Monday.