SB 3101 Mississippi Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Appropriation; Veterans Affairs Board.

SB 3101 appropriates $5,940,191 from the State General Fund and $22,189,165 from special funds to cover the salaries and operating expenses of Mississippi's State Veterans Affairs Board and State Veterans Homes for fiscal year 2027 (July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027). The bill specifically allocates $4,941,898 for "Personal Services" (salaries, wages, and benefits), restricting these funds to 39 permanent and 25 time-limited staff positions without transfer to other budget categories. It mandates that "Vacancy Funding" ($236,833) must only fill unfilled positions from the prior year, not fund promotions or salary increases for current employees. The bill also requires compliance with Mississippi's Variable Compensation Plan and prohibits using general funds to replace federal or special funds.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Signed into Law

Apr 2026

Introduced Feb 23, 2026 Signed Apr 8, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

As Passed the upper → Current version · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was updated to reflect its status as sent to the Governor, with significant reductions in total funding for the State Veterans Affairs Board. The General Fund appropriation dropped by over $228,000, while Special Fund funding decreased by more than $2.3 million. Additionally, the specific allocation for the new Rankin County veterans home was removed, replaced by a new section stating that relocation funding will only be considered once federal grant money is awarded.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding the new Rankin County veterans home was narrowed; the act no longer appropriates money for construction but instead defers funding until federal grants are secured.

FISCAL

Total General Fund appropriation for the State Veterans Affairs Board was reduced from $4,270,182.00 to $4,281,587.00, and Special Fund appropriation was reduced from $671,716.00 to $423,478.00.

The total Personal Services budget was lowered from $4,941,898.00 to $4,705,065.00, resulting in a decrease of $236,833.00 for vacancy funding.

Section 14, which appropriated $18,925,671.00 for the construction of a new veterans home in Rankin County, was completely removed.

A new Section 15 was added to clarify that funding for relocating the Jackson veterans home to Rankin County is contingent upon receiving federal grant money, with state matching funds to be considered later.

Section 4 funding for the Tradition State Veterans Home was adjusted to explicitly reference the 2025 First Extraordinary Session and maintain the $850,000 appropriation for start-up costs.

As Introduced → Committee Substitute · 10 edits

MAJOR

The Committee Substitute significantly increased funding for the State Veterans Affairs Board and the Mississippi State Veterans Homes, adding a new appropriation specifically for the Homes and creating a new section for Capital Expense transfers. It also introduced stricter controls on salary escalations, added a new authority for the Executive Director to transfer funds between the Board and Homes, and expanded eligibility for care for indigent surviving spouses of veterans.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from solely funding the State Veterans Affairs Board to explicitly including the Mississippi State Veterans Homes as a major recipient of new general and special funds, and adding authority for capital construction projects.

FISCAL

Added Section 4 and Section 5 to appropriate $6,357,359 in General Funds and $48,011,634 in Special Funds specifically for the Mississippi State Veterans Homes, which were not present in the original version.

Increased the General Fund appropriation for the State Veterans Affairs Board from $5,711,024 to $5,940,191, and increased the Special Fund appropriation from $3,255,828 to $22,189,165.

Added Section 13 to reappropriate $850,000 from the Capital Expense Fund for start-up and operating costs at the Tradition State Veterans Home.

Added Section 8 to provide $250,000 for care of indigent/low-income Mississippi veterans and the nonveteran surviving spouses of Mississippi veterans who were residents of a state veterans home at the time of the veteran's death.

REQUIREMENT

Added Section 11 authorizing the Board and Homes to escalate and expend up to $5,000,000 from a specific fund number for operating costs consistent with federal fund escalations.

Added Section 7 granting the Executive Director authority to transfer up to 25% of the aggregate authorized budgets between the State Veterans Affairs Board and the Mississippi State Veterans Homes to use cash reserves more efficiently.

Added a new restriction in Section 3 requiring written approval from the Department of Finance and Administration before any positions can be escalated or the Personal Services total increased, requiring proof of new available funds.

Added Section 14 to transfer $18,925,671 from the Special Fund to the Capital Expense Fund to support the construction of a new Veterans Home in Rankin County to replace the Jackson Home.

Added Section 10 requiring the Board to maintain accounting and personnel records in a format comparable to Fiscal Year 2026 and to submit the Fiscal Year 2028 budget request with similar detail.

DEFINITION

Updated authorized headcount figures in Section 3 to reflect new totals (Permanent: 39, Time-Limited: 25) and adjusted Personal Services funding allocations accordingly.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 19, 2026 · House Mar 12, 2026

How they voted

50–0

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 52

Feb 19, 2026

D Democratic18

17 Yea 1

94% Yea

R Republican34

33 Yea 1

97% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 8, 2026

Signed into law

Approved by Governor

executive

Mar 29, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference Report Adopted

lower

Mar 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference Report Filed

lower

Mar 12, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed As Amended

lower

Mar 12, 2026

Lower · Passed

Amended

lower

Mar 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass As Amended

lower

Feb 24, 2026

Committee

Referred To Appropriations C;Appropriations A

lower

Feb 23, 2026

Introduced

Transmitted To House

upper

Feb 19, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed

upper

Feb 18, 2026

Upper · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub

upper

Feb 17, 2026

Committee

Referred To Appropriations

upper

1 primary · 6 co-sponsors