MAS Weekly Legislative Recap Newsletter

Week 4 - January 30, 2026

Regular Legislative Session

The Fourth week of the 2026 Regular Legislative Session has passed. The deadline for introduction of general bills and constitutional amendments has passed. The deadline for committees to report general bills and constitutional amendments originating in own house is Tuesday, February 3^rd

Reverse Auction Measure Passes House Workforce Committee

House Bill 329

House Bill 329: This measure revises the method of receiving bids through for agencies and governing authorities for reverse auction. Governing authorities are given the discretion to determine if reverse auction is not in its best interest.

NOTE: This measure has passed the House Workforce Committee and will now head to the House Floor Calendar

Municipal Inmates in County Jail Facilities

House Bill 1691

House Bill 1691: This measure revises methods that counties and municipalities use to calculate costs for payments of housing municipal prisoners in county jails.

NOTE: This is a double referred measure that has passed out of the County Affairs Committee and will now head to the House Appropriations A Committee for consideration.

PERS Tier 5 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA)

Senate Bill 2613

Senate Bill 2613: This act requires the PERS Board of Trustees to open maintain and manage an account that shall be designated the PERS Tier 5 COLA Account. Beginning July 1, 2026 and on every July1 thereafter through and including July 1, 2035, the State Treasurer, in conjunction with the State Fiscal Officer shall transfer the sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000.00) from the State General Fund to the PERS Tier 5 COLA Account.



NOTE: This measure has passed the Senate Finance Committee and will now head to the Senate Floor Calendar for consideration. 

County Radar

House Bill 1042

House Bill 1042: This measure authorizes the sheriff and his or her deputies in any county to use radar speed detection equipment upon the public streets, roads and highways where a work zone or school zone is designated.

NOTE: This measure is double referred. It has passed out of the House County Affairs Committee and will now head to the House Accountability, Efficiency, and Transparency Committee for consideration. 

Local Fee-In-Lieu Distribution

House Bill 1635

House Bill 1635: This measure revises the distribution of for certain projects regarding the fee-in-lieu of ad valorem tax. In essence, this measure changes Mississippi’s fee-in-lieu of ad valorem taxes program for mega-projects (capital investment over $1 billion) starting after July 1, 2026. For the portion of the project above $1 billion, the bill requires that the fee-in-lieu money be split so that only 20% stays local (county/municipality + schools) and 80% is sent to a new state fund (“Mississippi Strategic Development Fund”) to be used by MDA for statewide infrastructure, economic development, and quality-of-life projects.



NOTE: No action has been taken on this measure. 

Property Tax Elimination & Replacement Study Committee

Senate Bill 2837

Senate Bill 2837: This measure creates a temporary study committee to explore eliminating property taxes (ad valorem taxes on real property) and how the state could replace the lost money that currently funds counties, cities, and school districts. This committee would deliver a report to the Legislature by December 1, 2026 and the committee would dissolve by January 1, 2027.

NOTE: No action has been taken on this measure.

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 of the House Appropriations A Committee and will now head to the House Floor Calendar for consideration.

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 witnessed the committee discussion of the possibility of readdressing the governance committee that was created within this measure when it passed last year, whereas MAS has representation. In addition, there was discussion about legislatively addressing the local Emergency Communication Districts (ECDs).

Additional Note: This measure passed out of the Senate Technology Committee and will now head to the Senate Floor Calendar for consideration.

16^th Section Land Issue

House Bill 1593

House Bill 1593: This measure defines 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. Because of this ruling, counties will lose revenue from leases. House Bill 1593 is intended to clarify and strengthen property and management rights over Sixteenth Section Lands when bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, navigable streams, or oxbow lakes are located on or within those lands. The goal is to ensure the Sixteenth Section School Trust Interest comes first and that the counties continue to receive the leasing revenue.

NOTE: This measure has passed out of the House Judiciary A Committee and will now head to 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 language within this proposed new measure preempts and stripes various powers of county and municipal government.

Please see the following:

Section 5 of this measure mandates that local governing authorities must allow Right-of-Way (ROW) access without any negotiation or permission. If the video provider ceases to provide video services the video provider shall have no obligation to remove its facilities in the right-of-way, so long as the facilities are being utilized to provide one or more services to the residents.

Section 6 of this measure caps local fees at 5%. Local governments cannot negotiate any additional fee/charges.

Section 7 of this measure mandates that a political subdivision shall not impose on a video service provider any build-out or other requirements for construction, placement, or installation of facilities used to provide video service.

Section 9 of this measure states that any certificate of franchise with respect to any political subdivision shall not be required to obtain any authorization, permit, franchise, or license from, or pay another fee or franchise tax to, or post bond in any political subdivision of this state to engage in the business or perform any service authorized under this act.

NOTE: This measure has passed out of the House Public Utilities Committee and will now head to the House Floor Calendar for consideration.