Public purchases; increase procurement threshold for public schools and charter schools for competitive bid requirements to $10,000.00.

HB 256 increases the procurement threshold for public schools, school districts, and charter schools under Mississippi's public purchasing law from $5,000 to $10,000. This means these schools can now make purchases under $10,000 without requiring competitive bids, whereas previously they needed bids for purchases over $5,000. The bill amends Section 31-7-13 of Mississippi Code to reflect this change, specifically updating the "bidding procedure for purchases by public schools" in subsection (a)(ii). The change simplifies purchasing for smaller school expenditures but does not affect higher-value procurement rules ($75,000+).