MAS Weekly Legislative Recap Newsletter

Week 6 - February 13

Regular Legislative Session

The Sixth week of the 2026 Regular Legislative Session has passed. The deadline for original floor action on general bills and constitutional amendments originating in own house has passed. The deadline for making requests for appropriation and revenue bills to be drafted is Monday Feb. 23. The deadline for original floor action on appropriation and revenue bills originating in own house is Wednesday Feb. 25^th.

Municipal Inmates in County Jail Facilities Measure Passes Senate Chamber with Strong Vote

Senate Bill 2432

Senate Bill 2432: On Thursday February 12, the Senate Chamber passed Senate Bill 2432 by a vote of 52 to 0.

This measure revises methods that counties and municipalities use to calculate costs for payments of housing municipal prisoners in county jails.

NOTE: This measure will now transmit to the House Chamber for consideration. 

Senate Group Purchase Measures Dies on the Calendar &

House Group Purchasing Measure Passes House Floor Chamber with Strong Vote

Senate Bill 2661 & House Bill 1525

House Bill 1525 passed the House Chamber by a vote of 119 to 0.

This measure would allow the Mississippi Association of Supervisors to establish a group purchasing program for the purchase of supplies, commodities and equipment.

Participation in the proposed program will be strictly on a volunteer basis.

NOTE: This measure will now head to the Senate Chamber for consideration. 

Both County Radar Measures Die

House Bill 1042 and Senate Bill 2614

House Bill 1042 & Senate Bill 2614: Both measures address county radar in different ways.

NOTE: Both measures died on their respective calendar.

Comprehensive Purchasing Measure

Passes House Chamber

House Bill 1314

House Bill 1314: On February 12^th, House Bill 1314 passed the House Chamber by a vote of 119 to 2.

House Bill 1314 significantly revises Mississippi’s public purchasing laws by raising bid thresholds, expanding procurement flexibility, and modernizing competitive processes for state agencies and local governing authorities.

Purchases not requiring a purchase requisition or purchase order increases from $2k to $5k.

Purchase only requiring two competitive bids increases from $5k to $15k. Purchases that require posting advertisement and public bids increases from $75k to $100k.

This measure also makes reverse auction discretionary, and it contains a county group purchase provision.

NOTE: This measure will now transmit to the Senate Chamber for consideration.  

Ad Valorem Tax Notice Legislation

House Bill 1383

House Bill 1383: On February 11^th, House Bill 1383 passed the House Chamber by a vote of 121 to 0.

House Bill 1383 amends Section 27-39-203 of the Mississippi Code to require that each taxing unit annually mail individual property tax notices to taxpayers comparing the prior year’s ad valorem tax and millage rate with the projected current year tax if the same millage is applied, along with the difference between the two amounts, while maintaining existing public hearing and advertisement requirements.

NOTE: This measure will now head to the Senate Chamber for Consideration.

Legislation Addressing Disaster Recovery

Senate Bill 2924, Senate Bill 2632, House Bill 1645, House Bill 1646

Senate Bill 2924: On February 2^nd, Senate Bill 2924 passed the Senate Chamber by a vote of 52 to 0.

This measure makes an appropriation of $20 million for disaster relief for MEMA to aid in disaster response and recovery

NOTE: This measure is currently double referred to the House Appropriations A Committee and the House Accountability, Efficiency, and Transparency Committee.

Senate Bill 2632: On February 12^th, Senate Bill 2632 passed the Senate Chamber by a vote of 52 to 0.

This measure brings forward MEMA code sections.

NOTE: There was a floor amendment passed that created a 2026 Local Governments Disaster Recovery Emergency Loan Program Act that will be administered by the Depart. Of Finance and Administration. Additional Note: This measure will now transmit to the House Chamber for consideration.

House Bill 1645: On February 12^th, House Bill 1645 passed the House Chamber by a vote of 121 to 0.

This measure establishes the “State Managed Disaster Assistance Act of 2026.”

NOTE: This measure will now transmit to the Senate Chamber for consideration.

House Bill 1646: On February 12^th House Bill 1646 passed the House Chamber by a vote of 120 to 0.

This measure is designed to amend MS Code 33-15-307 and 33-15-308. The amending language will increase current transfer limits regarding the disaster trust fund. The increase is from $500k to $2.5 million, and from $1 million to $5 million.

NOTE: The amending language that was passed, removed local governments from this mandate. This measure will now transmit to the Senate Chamber for consideration. 

Measure Seeking to Improve Ambulance Patient Protection

House Bill 1657

House Bill 1657: This measure seeks to improve on an ambulance patient protection bill that passed two sessions ago. The existing law directs state-regulated health plans to honor ambulance rates established by local jurisdictions and sets payment standards for jurisdictions who have not set rates for their ambulance services by allowing for the GREATER OF billed charges OR 325% of the prevailing Medicare rate. 



HB 1657 would change the language to allow for the LESSOR of billed charges or a multiple of Medicare, which the ambulance industry supports, and which would be consistent with several other states. However, the bill would also lower the multiple to 200% of Medicare, which the ambulance industry does not support. The patient would have the same co-payments and deductibles, but health plans would have to pay less for the service. 

Virtually every other state that has passed similar legislation has used a multiple of 325% of Medicare, with a few going as high as 350% or 400%. Mississippi EMS providers are supporting changing the "greater of" language to "lessor of" but are not supportive of lowering the multiple of Medicare to 200%.

NOTE: Mississippi EMS providers are supporting changing the "greater of" language to "lessor of" but are not supportive of lowering the multiple of Medicare to 200%.

Further Note: This measure has passed the House Chamber by a vote of 116 to 2. This measure will now head to the Senate Chamber for consideration. 

The Peoples Access Act Passes Senate Chamber

 "As Amended"

Senate Bill 2259

Senate Bill 2259: On February 11^th, Senate Bill 2259 passed the Senate Chamber by a vote of 51 to 1. This measure would mandate a public entity to livestream their regular and special meetings online.

NOTE: The amending language that was passed, removed local governments from this mandate.

Local Improvement Project Claw Back Measure

House Bill 1652

House Bill 1652: This measure requires the return of unexpended funds and earned interest for the Local Improvement Projects measure passed in 2021.

NOTE: This measure has passed out the House Floor Chamber by a vote of 67 to 30 and will now head to the House Floor Calendar for consideration.

Further Note: This measure is currently held on a motion to reconsider.

Mississippi Emergency Communications Authority Act

Senate Bill 2650

Senate Bill 2650: This measure brings forward the full code section for the Mississippi Emergency Communications Authority Act.

NOTE: MAS staff observed the committee as they considered revisiting the governance committee established by last year's measure, where MAS holds representation. The committee also discussed potential legislative actions concerning local Emergency Communication Districts (ECDs).

Further Note: This measure passed the Senate Chamber by a vote of 52 to 0. It has been referred to the House Accountability, Efficiency, and Transparency Committee. 

16^th Section Land Issue Dies on House Calendar

House Bill 1593

House Bill 1593:  This measure defined the rights of owners of land on which is located a body of water regarding Sixteenth Section Land. This measure is brought about due to a Supreme Court ruling that the public can openly utilize leased water on 16^th Section Land. 

NOTE: This measure currently resides on the House Floor Calendar for consideration.

OPPOSE!!

Mississippi Video Service Act

House Bill 1664

House Bill 1664: This measure creates a statewide franchise authority. The Secretary of State would serve in a ministerial role. The language within this proposed new measure preempts and stripes various powers of county and municipal government, and it prohibits any franchise fee agreement negotiation above 5%.

NOTE: This measure currently resides in the Senate Chamber.

MAS is OPPOSED to this measure

Comprehensive Rural Fire Truck Reform Legislation

House Bill 1392

House Bill 1392: On February 6^th, House Bill 1392 passed the House Chamber by a vote of 121 to 1.

House Bill 1392 restructures Mississippi’s fire apparatus standards and local fire-assistance funding by (1) requiring the State Fire Marshal and Mississippi State Rating Bureau to adopt Insurance Services Office (ISO) standards for fire trucks while prohibiting any “age-out” retirement rule based solely on calendar age if the apparatus is properly maintained and passes required safety and performance testing, and (2) consolidating multiple existing rural fire funding streams into a single “FIRE Grant Fund” in the State Treasury to be administered by the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA).

NOTE: This measure will now transmit to the House Chamber.

Further Note: Consolidating and Moving fire funds from the State Department of Insurance to DFA could pose a significant threat to fire funds that both counties and municipalities receive.

MAS asks that this measure be STRONGLY OPPOSED!. 

House and Senate will reconvene Monday.

Note: Bill numbers in bold and blue are hyperlinked to the bill.

*Copyrights. All rights reserved.

Authors: Steve Gray, MAS Gov't Affairs Dir & Deputy Dir. & Derrick Surrette, MAS Executive Dir.