MAS Weekly Legislative Recap Newsletter

March 7, 2025

Regular Legislative Session

The Nineth week of the 2025 Regular Legislative Session has passed. The deadline for committees to report general bills and constitutional amendments originating in other House has passed. The deadline for original floor action on general bills and constitutional amendments originating in other chamber is Wednesday March 12^th. 

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

Comprehensive E-911 Measure Survives Major Deadline

Mississippi Emergency Communications Act

Senate Bill 2835

Senate Bill 2835: This measure seeks to increase the commercial mobile radio surcharge (CMRS) to $2.00 for all communication devices, establish a new governance structure, restructures the distribution formula regarding the surcharge revenue, creates a new authority within MS Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), Creates an NG911 Grant Fund, and repeals (ALL) the currently CMRS code section.

NOTE: This measure will now head to the Senate Chamber for Concurrence or Non-Concurrence.

Additional Note: This measure does have a “reverse repealer,” therefore there could be additional changes made once it gets to conference.

Broadband Exemption Measures Continue to

Move through the Legislative Process

House Bill 1644 & Senate Bill 3062

• Section 1 of both measures defines the required speed threshold for mobile broadband at 35 megabits per second downlink three (3) megabits per second uplink for “mobile” broadband that is capable of providing fixed broadband service.

• Section 2 of both measures extends the exemption on “fixed” broadband technologies for 10 years and the technology speeds requirements per customer must be at least equal to the Federal Communication Commissions (FCC’s) fixed broadband speed benchmarks in both directions. In addition, the mobile broadband exemption is capped at 5 years instead of 10 years. This section also provides accountability by requiring the following: “a taxpayer seeking an exemption for equipment under this section “SHALL” submit a certified, sworn description of such equipment, including transmission speeds, to the tax assessor of the county in which such equipment is located, on or before April 1^st of the first assessment year in which the exemption is being claimed.

NOTE: Both measures are assigned to their opposite chamber respective committee.

Purchasing Measures Fail During Major Deadline Week

Senate Bill 2830 and House Bill 184

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 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.

NOTE: Both Measures Died in Committee

Text Link

House Chamber Passes Homestead 

Exemption Reimbursement Measure

Senate Bill 3041

Senate Bill 3041: 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 is now returned for Concurrence. 

Weekly Legislative Recap Zoom Call

Next Friday, March 14, 2025

Please join us next Friday, March 14 at 10:30 am for our weekly legislative recap Zoom call.

Zoom Link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3852299667?omn=84873493136

OR

To Dial In:

888.788.0099

Then Enter Meeting Id Number:

Meeting Id Number: 385 229 9667