HB 41 appropriates $1.6 million from general funds and $6.49 million from special funds (including $1.49 million from the Education Enhancement Fund) to cover the Mississippi Arts Commission's expenses for fiscal year 2026. The bill specifically allocates $1.49 million to fund arts education programs in public schools, including teacher training, grants, and the "Whole Schools Initiative." It strictly limits $1.098 million of the total funds to "Personal Services" (salaries, benefits, and vacancy funding for staff), prohibiting use for promotions or salary increases beyond approved headcounts. The Commission must maintain detailed financial records and ensure funds are spent only as specified, directly affecting its staff and public school arts programs.
SB 2029 appropriates $1.2 million for the Dixie National Livestock Show in Jackson and allocates additional funds totaling $196,540 for other livestock events in Mississippi. It directly supports livestock exhibitors, county associations, and schools by funding prizes, premiums, and operational costs for county shows, district livestock shows, state dairy shows, and high school rodeos. Key provisions require 75% of district and dairy show funds to go to 4-H and Smith-Hughes students, limit county show funding to $2,000 per county, and mandate adequate facilities for funded events. The bill specifies exact amounts for each event type (e.g., $65,000 for district shows, $14,150 for high school rodeo promotion) for fiscal year 2026. It has been signed into law by the governor.
SB 2004 allocates $24.5 million in state general funds and $10.5 million from special sources (including $1.35 million from the Education Enhancement Fund) to support Mississippi State University's Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station for fiscal year 2025-2026. The bill directly funds the station's operations, including research activities, and requires reporting on performance targets like researcher staffing levels and publications. It mandates efficient use of funds to meet specific annual goals and includes provisions for purchasing preferences for Mississippi Industries for the Blind. This is a routine appropriations bill focused on sustaining agricultural research, not a policy change.
SB 2008 allocates $47.3 million from state funds and $11 million from federal sources to support Mississippi's student financial aid programs for fiscal year 2026. It prioritizes aid for students from families earning under $42,500 annually (based on income thresholds in Section 11) and prohibits funding for specific loan programs like the Southeast Asia POW/MIA Grant. The bill requires detailed annual reports tracking recipients, award amounts, repayment status, and institutional distribution of funds. It also restricts students from receiving multiple state grant awards simultaneously in the same enrollment term.
This bill appropriates $73.47 million total for Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine for fiscal year 2026. It allocates $20.57 million from general funds for operations and $52.90 million from special sources (including $750,000 from the Education Enhancement Fund), specifically funding the Wise Center construction ($17.5 million), rural veterinarian scholarships ($120,000), and Chronic Wasting Disease testing ($125,000). The bill requires the college to track performance metrics like 95% graduation pass rates on vet licensing exams and 40,000 annual animal clinic visits. It mandates efficient spending and reporting to the legislature on these targets.
SB 2002 is a funding bill that allocates $86.1 million (from state general and special funds) to support 15 specific research centers and programs at Mississippi's public universities for fiscal year 2026. It directly affects institutions like the Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Mississippi Law Research Institute, and Jackson State University's Urban Research Center. The bill specifies exact dollar amounts for each program, such as $8.6 million for the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory and $5.4 million for the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences. This is a routine appropriations bill that provides operating funds for existing university research initiatives, not a policy change.
HB 43 appropriates $4,713,545 from general funds and $9,921,012 from special funds (including $2,118,966 from the Education Enhancement Fund) to cover the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television's (MAET) expenses for fiscal year 2026 (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026). The bill specifically restricts $6,550,368 of these funds for "Personal Services" (salaries, wages, benefits, and vacancy funding), limiting MAET to 87 total authorized positions (80 permanent, 7 time-limited) and prohibiting use for public relations or replacing federal funds. It requires MAET to maintain detailed financial records matching its 2025 reporting standards and mandates that any 2027 budget request follow the same format. This is a routine budget appropriation bill, now law after passing the legislature and being signed by the governor on June 2, 2025.
SB 2003 appropriates $7,887,984 from the State General Fund and $335,000 from the Education Enhancement Fund to support Alcorn State University's agricultural research, extension, and land-grant programs for fiscal year 2026 (July 2025-June 2026). The funds directly support specific programs, including $165,000 for the Poultry Sciences Research Center and $715,000 for broader agricultural research (covering poultry, animal, and environmental science). The bill specifies that general funds cannot replace withdrawn federal or special funds and requires compliance with state budgeting rules. It was signed into law by the governor on June 4, 2025, and takes effect July 1, 2025.
SB 2006 appropriates $6,262,007 from the State General Fund and $1,369,899 from special sources (including $450,000 from the Education Enhancement Fund) to cover the operating and maintenance costs of Mississippi State University's Forest and Wildlife Research Center for fiscal year 2026 (July 2025-June 2026). The bill specifies that general funds cannot replace withdrawn federal or special funds and requires that any matching federal grants be accounted for under the special source funds. It also reappropriates $1,000,000 from the Capital Expense Fund for Deer Lab renovations, subject to prior unexpended balances. This is a straightforward funding measure with no policy changes, directly affecting the research center’s operations.
SB 2051 amends Mississippi's fiscal 2025 budget to redirect $1.4 million from the State Department of Education's (MDE) existing appropriation specifically for the continuation of the current school safety platform. This bill does not create new programs but ensures a designated sum remains available for ongoing school safety technology and services. The funding revision applies directly to MDE's budget allocation for school safety operations. The bill passed the legislature on May 28, 2025, but ultimately died in committee.
