SC 534

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2026 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Younger, Turner-Ford, Parks, Sparks
Senate Concurrent Resolution 534
(As Adopted by Senate and House)
��� A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO URGE THE CONGRESS OF THE
UNITED STATES TO AUTHORIZE A COMPREHENSIVE RELIABILITY REPORT ON MARINE HIGHWAY
65 IN THE WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2026.
WHEREAS, Marine
Highway 65 (M-65), which includes the Tennessee River, the Tennessee-Tombigbee
Waterway, the Tombigbee River, the Black Warrior River and the Mobile River
system, is a vital component of the national inland waterway transportation
network and serves as a critical economic corridor for the State of Mississippi
and the southeastern United States; and
WHEREAS, the
Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway traverses the State of Mississippi for
approximately 234 miles and directly supports the Port of Yellow Creek, the
Port of Itawamba, the Port of Amory, the Port of Aberdeen, the Port of Clay
County, and the Port of Lowndes County, along with numerous private terminals,
industries and multimodal facilities located within the state; and
WHEREAS,
industries located along the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway in Mississippi rely
upon efficient barge transportation for the shipment of steel, coal, petroleum
products, forest products, aggregates, agricultural commodities, and
manufactured goods, supporting thousands of direct and indirect jobs and
generating substantial state and local tax revenues; and
WHEREAS, the
Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway has generated billions of dollars in cumulative
private investment within the State of Mississippi since its completion and
continues to provide a competitive transportation advantage that strengthens
economic development, industrial recruitment, and export capacity; and
WHEREAS, the
United States Maritime Administration has designated Marine Highway 65 as part
of the Marine Highway Program, and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development
Authority serves as the nonfederal sponsor for M-65; and
WHEREAS, the
efficient and reliable operation of locks and dams along Marine Highway 65 is
essential to the uninterrupted movement of commercial navigation, energy
resources, agricultural commodities, and manufactured goods that support
employment, industry and economic growth within Mississippi and the region; and
WHEREAS, recent
incidents and ongoing infrastructure concerns, including lock failures and
operational disruptions at the Demopolis Lock, the Holt Lock and the Wilson
Lock, demonstrate the vulnerability of aging navigation infrastructure and the
potential for significant economic harm resulting from unexpected closures or
reduced reliability; and
WHEREAS,
additional deficiencies in navigation infrastructure along the Marine Highway
65 corridor present risks to system reliability, supply chain efficiency, and
national economic security; and
WHEREAS, a
comprehensive reliability report evaluating the condition, performance history
and risk profile of locks and related navigation infrastructure along Marine
Highway 65 would provide essential information to guide investment decisions,
maintenance priorities, and long-term planning; and
WHEREAS, the
State of Mississippi is a founding member of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway
Development Authority, a four-state compact with Alabama, Kentucky and
Tennessee ratified by the Congress of the United States, and the Authority has
formally requested that Congress authorize such a reliability report in the
Water Resources Development Act of 2026; and
���� WHEREAS, the State of
Mississippi has a substantial interest in the long-term reliability, safety,
and economic viability of Marine Highway 65 for the benefit of Mississippi
workers, industries, ports and communities:
���� NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That the Mississippi Legislature
respectfully urges the Congress of the United States to include in the Water
Resources Development Act of 2026 authorization for the United States Army
Corps of Engineers to conduct a comprehensive reliability report on Marine
Highway 65, including, but not limited to, documented lock failures at the
Demopolis Lock, the Holt Lock and the Wilson Lock, and an assessment of other
infrastructure deficiencies that could negatively impact navigation along the
corridor.
���� BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That
the Mississippi Legislature supports the request of the Tennessee-Tombigbee
Waterway Development Authority and encourages prompt federal action to ensure
the continued reliability and resilience of Marine Highway 65 as a matter of
state, regional, and national importance.
���� BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That
this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President of the
United States Senate, the members of the Mississippi Congressional Delegation
and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority, and be made
available to the Capitol Press Corps.