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House Chamber Passes Omnibus Bond Measure
(House Bill 1983)
On Wednesday, March 27th, the Mississippi House of Representatives passed House Bill 1983 by a vote of 118 to 0. This measure creates an omnibus bond measure with various projects. This measure is now transmitted to the Senate Chamber for consideration.
NOTE: MAS will monitor this bill closely. This measure has the potential of being a legislative vehicle for various projects that could benefit Mississippi counties.
House Chamber Passes ARPA Rural Water Association Infrastructure Grant Program
(House Bill 1951)
On Tuesday, March 26th, the Mississippi House of Representative passed House Bill 1951 by a vote of 119 to 0. This measure makes an appropriation to the Mississippi Department of Health for the purpose of funding the ARPA Rural Water Association Infrastructure Grant Program.
NOTE: Section 1 of this measure funds the program at $50,000,000.00. Additional note: Section 4 of this measure notes that if your rural water association has already received funding from this program, they will not be eligible for this new funding round. This measure is now transmitted to the Senate Chamber for consideration.
House Chamber Passes Hospital
Sustainability Grant Program
(House Bill 1916)
On Tuesday March 26th, the Mississippi House of Representative passed House Bill 1916 by a vote of 117 to 0. This measure makes an appropriation to the Mississippi Department of Health for the purposes of providing grants to the eleven hospitals that were ineligible for grants from the first round of the Mississippi Hospital Sustainability Grant Program. Section 1 of this measure makes an appropriation of $6,850,000.00 for the program. This measure is now transmitted to the Senate Chamber for consideration.
URGENT!
Purchasing Measures in Danger of Failing
(House Bill 1421 and Senate Bill 2699)
MAS would like to thank the membership for their constant engagement and communication with their local legislative delegation. We’ve received information that both purchasing bills may not survive beyond Tuesday’s deadline. Both chambers have a different philosophy regarding how the language is drafted. Please contact your local legislative delegation and ask that they ask the leadership to consider allowing the bills to survive Tuesday’s deadline so that legislative work may continue on these two bills. As a reminder of what each purchasing bill does, please see the language below.
House Bill 1421: This measure revises the public purchasing law to provide that purchases of less than ten thousand dollars may be made without advertising or otherwise requesting competitive bids. In addition, this measure provides that no requisition to purchase, purchase order or receiving report shall be required for the purchase of any item or services with an acquisition cost of not more than five thousand dollars.
Senate Bill 2699: This measure currently allows county purchases from $2k to $5k to be made without a purchase order or receiving report, and also purchases made from $5k to $10k for fuel, machinery parts, and machinery repairs to be made without a purchase order or receiving report.
Upcoming Deadline:
The Thirteenth week of the 2024 Regular Legislative Session is now complete. The deadline for making requests for appropriation and revenue bills to be drafted has passed. The deadline for committees to report general bills and constitutional amendments originating in other House is Tuesday, April 2nd.
House and Senate will reconvene on Monday at 4pm.
*Copyright. All Rights Reserved
Authors, Steve Gray and Derrick Surrette
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