SB 2546 Mississippi Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Mississippi Business Finance Corporation; extend repeal date on authority to issue bonds to finance economic development projects.

SB 2546 extends the expiration date for Mississippi's economic development bond program from its previous deadline to October 1, 2029. This bill specifically maintains the authority of the Mississippi Business Finance Corporation to issue bonds financing business projects (like manufacturing, distribution, or warehouse facilities) and provides tax credits for companies using these bonds. It affects businesses seeking state financing for new or expanded operations in Mississippi, as the program allows them to access low-cost capital through state bonds. The bill does not change the program's rules - it only delays the automatic repeal of the existing bond authority.
Bill status died 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Feb 2025
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 6, 2025 Last action Mar 4, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

As Introduced Current version · 9 edits
MAJOR
This bill extends the repeal date for Mississippi's economic development bond program from October 1, 2025 to October 1, 2029, keeping the program active for four more years. It also brings forward related code sections for potential amendment and updates eligibility criteria to include new business types like research and development facilities, technology intensive enterprises, and national or regional headquarters.
Scope change
The bill expands eligibility for economic development financing to include additional business types beyond traditional manufacturing, including research and development facilities, technology intensive enterprises, and national or regional headquarters meeting specific criteria.
TIMELINE

Extended the repeal date for Sections 57-10-401 through 57-10-447 and Section 27-7-22.3 from October 1, 2025 to October 1, 2029, allowing the economic development bond program to continue for four additional years.

ELIGIBILITY

Added new eligible company categories including research and development facilities, technology intensive enterprises, national or regional headquarters, and telecommunications or data/information processing businesses meeting criteria established by the Mississippi Business Finance Corporation.

Modified the definition of 'economic development project' to include projects where an eligible company closes a facility and becomes an approved company, with only the portion exceeding the value of the closed facility being eligible for financing.

Added explicit exclusion in Section 57-10-401 stating that the term 'eligible company' does not include any medical cannabis establishment as defined in the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act.

DEFINITION

Added new definition for 'Mississippi Small Enterprise Development Finance Act' in Section 57-10-401 to clarify its relationship to the economic development program.

REQUIREMENT

Added a provision in Section 57-10-409 requiring financing agreements to specify that annual obligations of approved companies shall equal at least the annual debt service on bonds issued for the economic development project.

Added new subsection (f) to Section 57-10-409 regarding assignment of financing agreements and default remedies, allowing the corporation to accelerate payments or terminate agreements upon default.

Added new subsection (6) to Section 57-10-413 regarding job development assessment fees for companies that close a facility and become approved companies, limiting assessment to jobs created in excess of those that existed at the closed facility.

Modified Section 27-7-22.3 to add a formula requirement for determining the amount of income of approved companies generated by economic development projects, with different formulas for different time periods.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 5, 2025

How they voted

510
Passed
Total votes 51
Feb 5, 2025
D Democratic16
16 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican35
35 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
6
Key actions
2
Committee
3
Feb 14, 2025
Committee
Referred To Ways and Means;Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency
lower
Feb 6, 2025
Introduced
Transmitted To House
upper
Feb 5, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
Jan 30, 2025
Upper · Passed
Title Suff Do Pass
upper
Jan 20, 2025
Committee
Referred To Finance
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Josh Harkins
Josh Harkins
RRepublican
MS
20