MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2026 Regular Session
To: Appropriations
By: Senator(s) Hopson, DeBar
AN ACT MAKING AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION OF CAPITAL EXPENSE FUNDS FUNDS AND SPECIAL FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEARS 2026 AND 2027 TO DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL; THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE - DIVISION OF MEDICAID; THE MISSISSIPPI EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY; THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION; THE MISSISSIPPI STATE SUPREME COURT - ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF COURTS; THE MISSISSIPPI AUTHORITY FOR EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION; THE MISSISSIPPI BOARD OF MEDICAL LICENSURE; THE DEPARTMENT OF MARINE RESOURCES; THE MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD; THE BOARD OF EXAMINERS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS AND MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS; THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES; THE MISSISSIPPI OFFICE OF STUDENT FINANCIAL AID; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of paying for certain outside legal assistance, expert witness fees, court fees, judgments and settlement agreements incurred by the Office of the Attorney General for the period beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026............................. $ 294,000.00.
Of the funds appropriated in this section, the following amounts are provided:
(a) United States Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Mississippi; Chemfax, Inc., Superfund Site, Gulfport, Harrison County, Mississippi; Docket Number CERCLA 04 2014 3756..................
................................................ $ 10,000.00.
(b) Curtis Flowers v. State of Mississippi, Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Mississippi, Cause No. 1:20 cv 00150..........
................................................ $ 50,000.00.
(c) Eddie Lee Howard v. State of Mississippi, Circuit Court of Lowndes County, Mississippi, Cause No. 2021 0026 CV1C............
................................................ $ 50,000.00.
(d) Sherwood Dwayne Brown v. State of Mississippi, Circuit Court of Desoto County, No. 22-287........................ $ 50,000.00.
(e) Courtney Williams v. State of Mississippi, Circuit Court of Yazoo County, No. 23-00012....................... $ 48,000.00.
(f) Kelton K. Hathorne, Sr. v. State of Mississippi, Circuit Court of Forrest County, Mississippi, No. 25-cv-00095.................
................................................ $ 86,000.00.
SECTION 2. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of paying for certain outside legal assistance, expert witness fees, court fees, judgments and settlement agreements incurred by the Office of the Attorney General for the period beginning upon passage of this act and ending June 30, 2027................ $ 720,000.00.
Of the funds appropriated in this section, the following amounts are provided:
(a) Olivia Y., et al v. Tate Reeves, et al., United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Northern Division, Cause No. 3:04-cv-251 (HSO)(ASH)....................... $ 120,000.00.
(b) White, et al.v. State Board of Election Commissioners, et al., No.4:22-CV-00062-SA-JMV (N.D. Miss)............... $ 100,000.00.
(c) Mississippi State Conference of the National Conference for the Advancement of Colored People, et al. v. State Board of Election Commissioners, et al. No. 3:22-cv-734 (S.D. Miss)................
................................................ $ 100,000.00.
(d) AbbVie Inc., et al. v. Fitch, Civil Action No. 1:24-cv-00184-HSO-BWR (S.D. Miss.)............................. $ 100,000.00.
(e) AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP v. Fitch, 1:24-cv-00196-LG-BWR (S.D. Miss.)..................................... $ 100,000.00.
(f) Express Scripts Pharmacy, Inc. v. Mississippi Board of Pharmacy, et al., 1:25-cv-01390 (Hinds Chancery Court)...........
................................................ $ 100,000.00.
(g) Arkela Lewis, et al. v. Mississippi Department of Public Safety, et al., 3:25-cv-721 (S.D. Miss.).......... $ 100,000.00.
SECTION 3. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency for the period beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026. $ 2,475,000.00.
This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying expenses related to the Civil Action No. 25CI1:23-cv-00204-WLK settlement agreement.
SECTION 4. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television for the period beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026 $ 149,500.00.
This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying expenses related to Civil Action No. 3:24-cv-607-DPJ-ASH and Civil Action No. 3:24-cv-464-KHJ-MTP (S.D. Miss.) settlement agreements.
SECTION 5. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Mississippi Community College Board for the period beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026.. $ 100,000.00.
This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying expenses related to the Civil Action No.3:23-cv-233-DPJ-ASH settlement agreement.
SECTION 6. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Governor's Office-Division of Medicaid for the period beginning upon passage of this act, and ending June 30, 2027.....
............................................... $ 35,000,000.00.
This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying mandated Medicaid medical services.
SECTION 7. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency for the period beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026. $ 1,315,990.00.
This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying operational expenses resulting from the loss of the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG).
SECTION 8. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency for the period beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026. $ 2,672,869.00.
This additional appropriation is for the purpose of providing funding to counties in a proportional amount that would have been received through the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG).
SECTION 9. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Department of Finance and Administration for the period beginning upon passage of this act and ending June 30, 2027............................................... $ 4,000,000.00.
This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying expenses related to the repair, renovation, and relocation expenses that occurred due to the closing of the Bolton Building.
SECTION 10. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Department of Finance and Administration for the period beginning upon passage of this act and ending June 30, 2027............................................... $ 1,000,000.00.
This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying expenses incurred by the Mississippi Semiquincentennial Commission to plan, promote and implement public celebrations, events, programs and commemorations as outlined in Section 39-41-1, Mississippi Code of 1972.
SECTION 11. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Administrative Office of Courts and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Mississippi State Supreme Court - Administrative Office of Courts for the period beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026. $ 4,000,000.00.
This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying expenses related to court reporters and trial judge support staff.
SECTION 12. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Mississippi State Supreme Court - Administrative Office of Courts for the period beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026...............................................................
............................................... $ 796,572.00.
This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying expenses related to trial judge appointments and payments of terminal leave.
SECTION 13. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure for the period beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026.......................................................
............................................... $ 25,000.00.
This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying expenses related to the replacement of a vehicle.
SECTION 14. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Tidelands Fund No. 3345200000 to the Department of Marine Resources and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Department of Marine Resources for the period beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026........... $ 5,309,560.00.
This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying expenses related to prior year Tidelands projects.
SECTION 15. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists for the period beginning upon passage of this act, and ending June 30, 2027........................ $ 50,000.00.
This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying expenses related to licensing system upgrades and maintenance.
SECTION 16. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid for the period beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026........................ $ 5,100,000.00.
This additional appropriation is for the purpose of defraying expenses related to Higher Education Legislative Plan Grant (HELP), Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant (MTAG), and Mississippi Eminent Scholars Grant (MESG).
SECTION 17. In addition to all other sums herein appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, and allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to defray the expenses of the Department of Human Services for the period beginning upon passage of this act and ending June 30, 2027 $ 4,500,000.00.
This additional appropriation is made for the purpose of defraying the expense related to income verification software.
SECTION 18. The money appropriated by this act 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 not otherwise appropriated, 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 19. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after passage.