SB 3070

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2026 Regular Session
To: Appropriations
By: Senator(s) Hopson, DeBar,
Blackwell, McLendon, Parks, Simmons (13th), Wiggins
Senate Bill 3070
(As Sent to Governor)
AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF THE
MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027.
���� BE IT ENACTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1.� The following sum of money, or so much
thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the
State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, to defray the expenses of the
Mississippi Development Authority for the fiscal year beginning
July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027..........................
............................................ $���
22,530,799.00.
SECTION 2.� The following sum, or so much thereof
as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State
Treasury to the credit of the Mississippi Development Authority or the
appropriate special fund for the purpose of defraying the expenses incurred in
the operation of the various divisions of the authority for the fiscal year
beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027 $��
296,325,957.00.
���� SECTION
3.� Of the funds appropriated under the
provisions of this act, not more than the following amount of funds, with the
exception of the provisions in this section, shall be expended only for "Personal Services,"
which includes "Vacancy Funding," for the following authorized number of employment
headcount:
���� FUNDING:
��������� General
Funds:�������������� $ 12,980,883.00
��������� Special
Funds:�������������� $� 3,251,514.00
��������� Total
Funds:���������������� $ 16,232,397.00
���� PERSONAL
SERVICES:
��������� Employee
Salaries, Wages and
��������� �
Fringe Benefits:����������� $ 14,609,157.00
��������� Progressions:��������������� $���������
0.00
��������� Vacancy
Funding:������������ $� 1,623,240.00
��������� Total
Personal Services:����� $ 16,232,397.00
���� AUTHORIZED
HEADCOUNT:
��������� Permanent:������������������ 162
��������� Time-Limited:���������������
43
���� As used in this section, the term "Personal Services"
shall mean funds provided under the major object of expenditure category
Personal Services for Salaries, Wages, and Fringe Benefits.� Funds in this
category shall not be transferred to any other category.
���� It
is the intention of the Legislature to ensure compliance with the Variable
Compensation Plan, as outlined in Section 25-9-147, Mississippi Code of 1972.�
Payment from these funds shall be in accordance with the Variable Compensation
Plan promulgated by the Mississippi State Personnel Board.� It is the
Legislature's intention that no employee's salary falls below the minimum salary established by the
Mississippi State Personnel Board.
���� The
State Personnel Board shall determine and publish the projected annual cost of "Personal Services"
based on monthly and year-to-date payroll expenditures in compliance with the
provisions of this act.
���� With
the funds herein appropriated, it shall be the agency's responsibility to ensure that no single personnel action
or combination of personnel actions, when annualized, exceeds the Fiscal Year
2027 appropriation for "Personal Services" with the exception of escalated funds.� Further, it shall
be the agency's responsibility to ensure that
funds required to be appropriated for "Personal
Services" for Fiscal Year 2028 do not
exceed Fiscal Year 2027 funds appropriated for that purpose unless programs or
positions are added to the agency's Fiscal Year
2027 budget by the Mississippi Legislature.
���� If,
at the time the agency takes any action to change "Personal Services,"
the State Personnel Board determines that the agency has taken or will take an
action that would cause the agency to exceed the funds appropriated in this act
when annualized for Fiscal Year 2027 or increase the need for "Personal Services"
for Fiscal Year 2028, when annualized, the State Personnel Board shall process
no salary actions until such time as the requirements of the provisions of this
section are met with the exception of new hires determined to be essential for
the agency.
���� When
used in this section, "Vacancy Funding" shall mean funds included in the Total Personal Services
amount listed above and designated for approved vacancies in Fiscal Year 2027.�
These funds are to be utilized to increase the number of filled headcounts that
were authorized but unfilled as of the last day of Fiscal Year 2026.� If the
agency fills additional headcounts after March 1, 2026, until the end of Fiscal
Year 2026, the amount of available Vacancy Funding may be proportionally
adjusted to reflect the updated number of filled headcounts.� The agency shall
be responsible for ensuring that "Vacancy
Funding" is used to increase headcounts
and not for promotions, title changes, in-range salary adjustments, or any
other mechanism for increasing salaries for current employees.
���� Any
transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with the terms,
conditions, and procedures established by law or allowable under the terms set
forth within this act.� The State Personnel Board shall not escalate positions
or increase the Personal Services total without written approval from the
Department of Finance and Administration.� The Department of Finance and Administration
shall not provide written approval to escalate any funds for salaries and/or
headcounts without proof of availability of new or additional funds above the
appropriated level.� Unless specifically noted, all Fiscal Year 2026 escalated
headcounts have been accounted for and shall be converted to authorized time-limited
headcounts.
���� No
general funds authorized to be expended herein shall be used to replace federal
funds and/or other special funds used for salaries authorized under the
provisions of this act and which are withdrawn and no longer available.
���� None
of the funds herein appropriated shall be used in violation of the Internal
Revenue Service's Publication 15-A relating to
the reporting of income paid to contract employees, as interpreted by the
Office of the State Auditor.
���� If
the agency's total authorized headcount
decreases from Fiscal Year 2026 to Fiscal Year 2027, it will be the agency's discretion as to what headcounts are removed.
���� The Legislature authorized
two (2) new headcounts, which are included in the authorized headcount above
for Fiscal Year 2027.
���� New Headcount Titles
Authorized:
���� Project Management Family �
2
���� SECTION 4.� In
compliance with the "Mississippi Performance Budget and Strategic Planning
Act of 1994," it is the intent of the Legislature that the funds provided
herein shall be utilized in the most efficient and effective manner possible to
achieve the intended mission of this agency.� Based on the funding authorized,
this agency shall make every effort to attain the targeted performance measures
provided below:
��������������������������������������������������������� FY2027
Performance Measures�������������������������������������� Target
Economic Dev & Incentives
���� Number of National
Recruitment Contacts���������������� 1,000
���� Number of International
Investment Contracts����������� 1,800
���� Number of International
Trade Contacts���������������� 3,000
���� Number of Qualified National
Prospects������������������ 225
���� Return on Investment���������������������������������� 10.00
���� Number of New Businesses -
Global Contacts���������������� 15
���� Number of New Jobs from
Global Contacts���������������� 3,000
���� Number of Minority and Small
Business
��������� Contacts���������������������������������������� 8,000
���� Number of Minority Business
��������� Certification
Applications Processed��������������� 150
���� Technical Assistance to
Disadvantaged
��������� Contacts���������������������������������������� 2,500
���� State Contracting with
Minority Business���������� 55,000,000
���� Number of Interactions with
Interested
��������� Businesses��������������������������������������� 3,000
���� Number of Qualified Contacts���������������������������� 750
���� Number of Expansions������������������������������������� 30
���� Number of Jobs Created from
Expansions���������������� 3,000
���� Number of Energy Efficiency
and
��������� Renewable Energy Direct
Contacts���������������� 10,000
Community Dev & Incentives
���� Number of Requests for
Financing or
��������� Incentives���������������������������������������� 225
���� Awarded Grants and Loans for
Community
��������� and Economic
Development�������������������� 50,000,000
���� Number of Grants and Loans
Awarded���������������������� 100
Support Services Program
���� Administration as a Percent
of Total Budget������������� 9.50
Tourism (visit Ms)
���� Number of Tourist Inquiries
Generated���������������� 42,312
���� Number of Visitors per Year���������������������� 44,135,000
���� Travel Revenue ($ in
Billions)������������������������ 12.00
���� Number of Tourists
Registered��������������������� 2,371,161
���� A reporting of the
degree to which the performance targets set above have been or are being
achieved shall be provided in the agency's budget request submitted to the
Joint Legislative Budget Committee for Fiscal Year 2028.
���� SECTION 5.� Of the
funds appropriated in Section 2 of this act, the amount of Eight Hundred
Thousand Dollars ($800,000.00) shall be provided from the Mississippi
Department of Transportation to defray the expenses of the Mississippi
Development Authority in operating the state welcome centers.
���� SECTION 6.� It is the
intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Development Authority shall
maintain complete accounting and personnel records related to the expenditure of
all funds appropriated under this act and that such records shall be in the
same format and level of detail as maintained for Fiscal Year 2026.� It is
further the intention of the Legislature that the agency's budget request for
Fiscal Year 2028 shall be submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee
in a format and level of detail comparable to the format and level of detail
provided during the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request process.
���� SECTION 7.� Of the
funds appropriated in Sections 1 and 2 of this act, the amount of Four Million
Eight Hundred Seventy-six Thousand Two Hundred Ninety-eight Dollars
($4,876,298.00), or so much thereof as may be necessary, is provided for the
purpose of supporting Mississippi Tourism Advertising and Promotion for Fiscal
Year 2027, and shall not be expended for any type of cultural exchange
program.� Of the funds appropriated herein and allocated within this section,
Two Hundred Ninety-nine Thousand Dollars ($299,000.00) is provided for Tourism
Grant Development Awards.
���� SECTION 8.� It is the
intention of the Legislature that none of the funds appropriated above shall be
expended unless members of the Mississippi House of Representatives and
Mississippi Senate are notified at least five (5) days prior to a public
ceremony announcing the award of any grant in their district or any public
announcement or ceremony regarding the groundbreaking or opening of a facility,
roadway or bridge for which the Legislature has made funds available.� Any
signage regarding any public event or any new facility, roadway or bridge shall
include the following language:� "Funds were made available for this
project by the Mississippi State Legislature."
���� SECTION 9.� It is the
intention of the Legislature that whenever two (2) or more bids are received by
this agency for the purchase of commodities or equipment, and whenever all
things stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, quality
and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind shall be given
preference.� A similar preference shall be given to the Mississippi Industries
for the Blind whenever purchases are made without competitive bids.
SECTION 10.� Of the funds appropriated in Section
1 of this act, One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) is provided for the
Mississippi Delta National Heritage Areas.
SECTION 11.� Of the funds appropriated in Section
1 of this act, One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) is provided for the
Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area.
SECTION 12. �It is the intention of the Legislature
that the Mississippi Development Authority is hereby authorized to escalate,
budget, and expend funds from any source not to exceed Ten Million Dollars
($10,000,000.00) in accordance with rules and regulations of the Department of
Finance and Administration in a manner consistent with the escalation of
federal funds.
SECTION 13.� It is the intention of the
Legislature that the Mississippi Development Authority shall submit a
notification of any General Fund Transfers out of the major category Subsidies
into any other major categories to the Legislative Budget Office.
SECTION 14.� Of the funds appropriated in Section
1 of this act, Twenty Thousand Twenty-five Dollars ($20,025.00) shall be
provided for the support of the Mississippi River Parkway Commission.
���� SECTION 15.� Of the
funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, One Million Seventeen Thousand
Dollars ($1,017,000.00) shall be transferred to Innovate Mississippi.
���� SECTION 16.� Of the
funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, One Hundred Fifty-six Thousand
Dollars ($156,000.00) is provided for the Energy High School Academy,
established in Section 37-69-7, Mississippi Code of 1972.
���� SECTION 17.� Of the
funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, it is the intention of the
Legislature that Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) shall be allocated to the
Mississippi Book Festival.
���� SECTION 18.� Of the
funds appropriated herein, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) shall be
provided to the Mississippi Main Street Association for statewide support and
operations.
���� SECTION 19.� It is
the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Development Authority
shall provide quarterly reports on the status of Gulf Coast Restoration Fund
projects to the Legislative Budget Office and the Department of Finance and
Administration.� It is further the intention of the Legislature that the
Mississippi Development Authority shall provide the Joint Legislative Budget
Committee a detailed report and other such related information on each project's
expenditures with the subsequent fiscal year's budget submission.
SECTION 20.� The following sum, or so much thereof
as may be necessary, is reappropriated out of any money in the Gulf Coast
Restoration Fund not otherwise appropriated to the Mississippi Development
Authority for the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of Gulf Coast
Restoration Fund, as provided in Senate Bill No. 2046, 2025 First Extraordinary
Session, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending
June 30, 2027........................................
................................................. $�
617,065.00.
���� These funds are provided for
administrative expenses at the Mississippi Development Authority as outlined in
Section 57-119-7, Mississippi Code of 1972.
���� Notwithstanding the amount
reappropriated under this section, the amount that may be expended under the
authority of this section shall not exceed the unexpended balance of the funds
remaining as of June 30, 2026, from the amount authorized for the previous
fiscal year.� In addition, this reappropriation shall not change the purpose
for which the funds were originally authorized.
SECTION 21.� The following sum, or so much thereof
as may be necessary, is reappropriated out of any money in the Capital Expense
Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the Mississippi Development Authority for
the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of Capital Expense Funds for the
Air Service Development Act, as authorized in Senate Bill No. 2046, 2025
First Extraordinary Session, for the fiscal year
beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027........................ $����
93,897.00.
���� Notwithstanding the amount
reappropriated under this section, the amount that may be expended under the
authority of this section shall not exceed the unexpended balance of the funds
remaining as of June 30, 2026, from the amount authorized for the previous
fiscal year.� In addition, this reappropriation shall not change the purpose
for which the funds were originally authorized.
���� SECTION 22.� It is
the intention of the Legislature that the Mississippi Development Authority may
provide operational support to any park operated by the United States National
Park Service in Mississippi during the event of a government shutdown that
materially affects the operations of such park.
SECTION 23.� Of the funds appropriated in Section
2 of this act, the following sums, or so much thereof as may be necessary is
appropriated out of the following funds in the State Treasury to the credit of
the Mississippi Development Authority for the purpose of Mississippi Major
Economic Impact Projects for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026,
and ending June 30, 2027:
(a)� Triple Crown Fund for the purposes described in
Section 57-1-651, Mississippi Code of 1972............. $�� 25,162,916.00.
It is the intention of the Legislature that the
Mississippi Development Authority provide the reporting requirements of each
fund appropriated in this section on or before January 5 of each year.
���� SECTION 24.� Of the
funds appropriated in Section 2, Three Hundred Fifty-six Thousand Dollars
($356,000.00), or so much thereof as may be necessary, shall be derived out of
any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Project Poppy Fund, as
created in Section 57-1-631, Mississippi Code of 1972,
and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office and One
Million Six-Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,600,000.00), or so much thereof as may
be necessary, shall be derived out of any money in the State Treasury to the
credit of the Project Atlas Fund, as created in Section
57-1-641, Mississippi Code of 1972, and allocated in a manner as determined
by the Treasurer's Office.� These funds are provided for expediting services
needed for Project Poppy and Project Atlas.
SECTION 25.� In addition to all other funds
appropriated herein, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary,
is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise
appropriated, to the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority for the
purposes enumerated in Section 51-27-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, for the
fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending
June 30, 2027� $�� ����253,789.00.
SECTION 26.� In addition to all other funds
appropriated herein, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary,
is hereby authorized for expenditure out of any special source funds which are
collected by or otherwise become available for the purpose of defraying the
expenses of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority for the
fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending
June 30, 2027� $������ 357,802.00.
���� SECTION 27.� Of the
funds appropriated under the provisions of Sections 25 and 26 of this act, the
following positions are authorized:
� AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT:
Permanent:���� ������ 3
Time-Limited:� ������ 0
���� Any transfers or escalations
shall be made in accordance with the terms, conditions and procedures
established by law.
���� No general funds authorized
to be expended herein shall be used to replace federal funds and/or other
special funds which are being used for salaries authorized under the provisions
of this act and which are withdrawn and no longer available.
���� SECTION 28.� Of the
funds appropriated under the provisions of Section 2, Fourteen Million Dollars
($14,000,000.00), or so much thereof, shall be derived out of any money in the
State Treasury to the credit of the Mississippi Site Development Grant Fund, as
created in Section 57-1-701, Mississippi Code of 1972, and allocated in a
manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office. These funds are provided to
defray expenses for Mississippi Site Development Grants.
SECTION 29. �Of the funds provided in Section 1 of
this act, Eight Hundred Eighty Thousand Dollars ($880,000.00) is provided for
marketing activities, which include updating strategic plans to improve the
measurement of program performance and effectiveness, updating websites and
branding materials, and performing marketing research to provide stronger
program outcomes.
���� SECTION 30.� The
money herein appropriated shall be paid by the State Treasurer out of any money
in the State Treasury to the credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in
this act, upon warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State
Fiscal Officer shall issue his warrants upon requisitions signed by the proper
person, officer or officers, in the manner provided by law.
���� SECTION 31.� This act
shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026.