MAS Weekly Legislative Recap Newsletter - Week 11

MAS Weekly Legislative Recap Newsletter

Week 11 - March 20

2026 Regular Legislative Session

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

The deadline for original floor action on appropriations and revenue bills originating in other house has passed.
The deadline to concur or not concur in amendments from other house on general bills and constitutional amendments is Thursday, March 26. In addition, the deadline for introductions of local and private bills that are not revenue bills is Friday, March 27.

Senate Chamber Names Conferees for Municipal Inmates in County Jail Facilities Measure

Senate Bill 2432

NOTE: MAS will update the membership of the total list when the House Chamber submits its conferee list.

On Tuesday, March 17, the Senate Chamber named conferees for Senate Bill 2432.

Those conferees are as

follows:

Sen. Derrick Simmons,
Sen. Dennis Debar, and
Sen. Jason Barrett.

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

2026 Local Governments Disaster Recovery Emergency Loan Program Measure Due from the Governor

Senate Bill 2632

Senate Bill 2632: This measure creates the 2026 Local Governments Disaster

Recovery Emergency Loan Program Act that will be administered by the Dept. of

Finance and Administration.

NOTE: This measure is now due From the Governor on 3/23/26.

Homestead Exemption Reimbursement Measure

Passes Senate Chamber

Senate Bill 3090

Senate Bill 3090: This measure makes an appropriation for the purpose of

defraying the expenses of the MS Department of Revenue and for the purpose

of reimbursing the counties, county districts, and municipal separate school

districts for tax losses incurred by reason of the exemption of homes from certain

ad valorem taxes.

Section 7 of this measure provides $94 million for the homestead exemption

reimbursement. This monetary value represents level funding from last year’s

appropriation.

NOTE: The Senate Chamber has declined concurrence and invited conference.

Legislative Attempts to Impact PERS Continue Throughout the Legislative Process

Senate Bill 2103 and House Bill 4073

Senate Bill 2103: The House 'Strike

All Language' to this measure

readdresses education policy and a

teacher pay raise.

In addition, it also addresses PERS

as it relates to the following:

Reduces retirement years for first responders (25 years instead of 35)
Allows general employees to retire after 30 years instead of 35
Maintains age-based retirement option (age 60 with 8+ years)
Keeps first responders under older, more favorable COLA (“13th check”) rules.

NOTE: This measure is currently

returned for concurrence or

nonconcurrence.

House Bill 4073: The Senate

Strike All language to this

measure also makes

changes to PERS that

include:

Reducing new-member retirement service requirements from 35 to 30 years;
Shortening the return-to- work separation period from 90 days to 30 days;
Directing large state transfers to strengthen PERS funding and a Tier 5 COLA account.

The PERS transfers

consist of:

$1 Billion PERS Stabilization

Funding; $500M one-time

transfer in 2026 + $50M

annually through 2036 (with

General Fund backstop if

needed) to strengthen the

PERS Employers’

Accumulation Account;

$50M Tier 5 COLA Funding:

$5M annually from the

General Fund (2026–

2035) into a dedicated

account to support COLA-

type benefits for new Tier 5

members.

NOTE: This measure is

currently returned for

concurrence or

nonconcurrence.

Potential Special Projects Legislation Measures

House Bill 1653 & House Bill 4067

House Bill 1653: This measure

revises certain project funding

with monies from the Local

Improvement Project Fund and

IHL Capital Improvements Fund.

NOTE: There is strong sentiment

that this measure could be the

special projects legislation for

the 2026 Regular Legislative

Session. This measure is currently

in conference committee.

The conferees are as follows:

House Conferees:

Rep. Read
Rep. Cockerham
Rep. Bell (21^st)

Senate Conferees:

Sen. Hopson
Sen. DeBar
Sen. Harkins.

House Bill 4067: This measure

authorizes the issuance for bonds for

various purposes.

NOTE: There is also strong sentiment

that this measure could also be a

special projects measure for the 2026

Regular Legislative Session by way of

issuing bond debt.

NOTE: This measure is currently

returned for concurrence.

Special Call Meeting Notice Legislation

Due from the Governor

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 due from the Governor on 3/23/2026.

House Invites Conference on Measure Addressing 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 created “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.

NOTE: The House Chamber has declined to concur and invited conference.

Strike All Amendment

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

The House and Senate will reconvene Monday.

Weekly Legislative Recap Zoom Call

Next Friday, March 27

Please join us next Friday, March 27 at 10:30 am for our weekly legislative recap Zoom call.

Join Zoom Link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3852299667?omn=87946763444

Call In: 888.788.0099

Then Enter Meeting Id Number: 385 229 9667

Zoom Link

Helpful Technology

Download the Mississippi Legislature Roster to your iPhone. Visit the App Store on your iPhone and search “ECM Legislative Roster” and download the roster. (This App is provided by the Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi)

Mississippi Association of Supervisors

793 North President Street

Jackson, MS 39202

www.mssupervisors.org