MAS Weekly Legislative Recap Newsletter

February 28, 2025

Regular Legislative Session

The Eighth week of the 2025 Regular Legislative Session has passed. The deadline for making requests for appropriations and revenue bills to be drafted as well as the deadline for original floor action on appropriation and revenue bills originating in own house has passed. The deadline for committees to report general bills and constitutional amendments originating in other house is Tuesday March 4, 2025. 

** TIP: Text in blue, bold and underlined is hyperlinked.

Proposed Measures Having a Negative Impact to County Government Dies on Key Deadline Day

Senate Bill 2992: This measure seeks to increase from $7,500.00 to 20,000.00 of the assessed value of the homestead property.

NOTE: From an actual value standpoint this bill would have raised the homestead exemption from $75,000.00 to $200,000.00.

This measure has DIED in Committee

Senate Bill 2994: This measure seeks to exempt certain business personal property from ad valorem taxes.

This measure has DIED in Committee

House Bill 1850: This bill created an act that stated from year 2026 and beyond, increases by more than 5% above the true value of the property preceding year 2026 “shall” be exempt from ad valorem taxation.

This measure has DIED on the Calendar

Measure Providing Additional Funding to the County Volunteer Fire Department Fund and the Municipal Fire Fund Resides in House Ways and Means Committee

Senate Bill 2802

Senate Bill 2802: This measure increases the funds transferred to the county and municipal fire funds by the Department of Revenue. Note the following:

• Municipal Fire Protection Fund: Increases from $4,850,000.00 to $7,500,000.00 from the insurance premium tax. In addition to this fund, the percentage of the insurance premium tax that is distributed based on growth goes from ½% to 10%.

• County Volunteer Fire Department Fund: Increases from $4,850,000.00 to $7,500,000.00 from the insurance premium tax. In addition to this fund, the percentage of the insurance premium tax that is distributed based on growth goes from 1/2 % to 10%.

NOTE: This measure currently resides in the House Ways and Means Committee. If no action is taken by Tuesday, March 4^th, this measure will die in committee.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: If you have House members that serve on the House Ways and Means Committee, please contact them and ask that Senate Bill 2802 be brought up.

Click here or the black button below to see the members of the House Ways and Means Committee members.

Purchasing Measures Must Meet Next Week’s Deadline in Order to Stay Alive

Senate Bill 2830 and House Bill 184

Both Senate Bill 2830 and House Bill 184 must pass out of the Senate and House Accountability, Efficiency, and Transparency Committee by Tuesday March 4^th or both measures will die in committee. These measures address threshold increases for purchasing to allow county governments to operate more efficiently and effectively.

As a reminder of what each measure addresses, please see the following:

• The House version (House Bill 184) amends MS Code 31-7-13 to revise from $5,000.00 to $10,000.00 for public purchases that may be made without advertising or otherwise requesting competitive bids. This measure also amends MS Code 31-7-103 to increase the purchasing threshold from $2,000.00 to $5,000.00 for purchases made not requiring a purchase order, purchase requisition, or receiving report. The
• The Senate version (Senate Bill 2830) amends MS Code 31-7-13, and increases the purchasing threshold from $5,000.00 to $15,000.00 for purchases only requires to two (2) quotes.

House Chamber Passes Homestead 

Exemption Reimbursement Measure

Senate Bill 3041

On Thursday, February 27^th, the House Chamber amended and passed Senate Bill 3041 by voice vote. This measure is the appropriation for the Department of Revenue. In Section 7 of this measure, the House Chamber retained the $94 million for the Homestead Exemption Reimbursement. NOTE: This measure will now transfer back to the Senate Chamber for Concurrence or Non-Concurrence.