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HB1651 • 2026

State agencies; allow to charge other agencies for short-term rental of event space.

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 27-104-203, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE AN EXCEPTION TO THE PROHIBITION AGAINST A STATE AGENCY CHARGING ANOTHER STATE AGENCY A FEE FOR ANY AGENCY FOR THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL AT EVENT SPACE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Housing
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Read, Cockerham
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
Law
Effective date
July 1, 20

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify any limits on the type or nature of event spaces beyond short-term rentals.

State Agencies Can Charge for Event Space Rentals

This law allows state agencies to charge other state agencies for renting event space temporarily.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes a rule that stops state agencies from charging each other fees for short-term rental of event spaces.
  • Adds an exception so state agencies can now rent out their event spaces to other state agencies and charge them money, but the charges cannot exceed fifty percent (50%) of the rate customarily charged by the agency for comparable use of the space.

Who It Names or Affects

  • State agencies that own or manage event spaces
  • Other state agencies that might need to rent these spaces

Terms To Know

Event Space
A place used for meetings, conferences, and other gatherings.
State Agency
An organization run by the government to manage public services or programs.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only applies to short-term rentals of event space.
  • It does not change other rules about charging fees between state agencies for different types of services.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    04/08 Approved by Governor

  2. 2026-04-02 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    04/02 (S) Enrolled Bill Signed

  3. 2026-04-02 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    04/02 (H) Enrolled Bill Signed

  4. 2026-03-31 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    03/31 (S) Conference Report Adopted

  5. 2026-03-30 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    03/30 (H) Conference Report Adopted

  6. 2026-03-29 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    03/29 (H) Conference Report Filed

  7. 2026-03-29 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    03/29 (S) Conference Report Filed

  8. 2026-03-23 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    03/23 (S) Conferees Named Hopson,DeBar,McCaughn

  9. 2026-03-23 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    03/23 (H) Conferees Named Read,Cockerham,Mangold

  10. 2026-03-18 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    03/18 (H) Decline to Concur/Invite Conf

  11. 2026-03-09 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    03/09 (S) Returned For Concurrence

  12. 2026-03-05 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    03/05 (S) Passed As Amended

  13. 2026-03-05 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    03/05 (S) Amended

  14. 2026-03-03 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    03/03 (S) Title Suff Do Pass As Amended

  15. 2026-02-13 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/13 (S) Referred To Appropriations

  16. 2026-02-06 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/06 (H) Transmitted To Senate

  17. 2026-02-05 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/05 (H) Passed As Amended

  18. 2026-02-05 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/05 (H) Amended

  19. 2026-01-29 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/29 (H) Title Suff Do Pass As Amended

  20. 2026-01-19 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/19 (H) Referred To Appropriations A

Official Summary Text

State agencies; allow to charge other agencies for short-term rental of event space.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
H. B. No. 1651 *HR26/R1620SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/HR26/R1620SG
PAGE 1 (RF\KW)

To: Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representatives Read, Cockerham

HOUSE BILL NO. 1651
(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 27-104-203, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
TO PROVIDE AN EXCEPTION TO THE PROHIBITION AGAINST A STATE AGENCY 2
CHARGING ANOTHER STATE AGENCY A FEE FOR ANY AGENCY FOR THE 3
SHORT-TERM RENTAL AT EVENT SPACE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 5
SECTION 1. Section 27-104-203, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 6
amended as follows: 7
27-104-203. From and after July 1, 2016, no state agency 8
shall charge another state agency a fee, assessment, rent, audit 9
fee, personnel fee or other charge for services or resources 10
received. The provisions of this section shall not apply (a) to 11
grants, contracts, pass-through funds, project fees or other 12
charges for services between state agencies and the Board of 13
Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, any public 14
university, the Mississippi Community College Board, any public 15
community or junior college, and the State Department of 16
Education, nor (b) to charges for services between the Board of 17
Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, any public 18
university, the Mississippi Community College Board, any public 19
H. B. No. 1651 *HR26/R1620SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR26/R1620SG
PAGE 2 (RF\KW)

community or junior college, and the State Department of 20
Education, nor (c) to federal grants, pass-through funds, cost 21
allocation charges, surplus property charges or project fees 22
between state agencies as approved or determined by the State 23
Fiscal Officer, nor (d) to telecommunications, data center 24
services, and/or other information technology services that are 25
used on an as-needed basis and those costs shall be passed through 26
to the using agency, nor (e) to federal grants, special funds, or 27
pass-through funds, available for payment by state agencies to the 28
Department of Finance and Administration related to Mississippi 29
Management and Reporting Systems (MMRS) Statewide Application 30
charges and utilities as approved or determined by the State 31
Fiscal Officer, nor (f) to grants, contracts, pass-through funds, 32
project fees or charges for services between the State Department 33
of Health and the State Department of Revenue, and other state 34
agencies or entities, including, but not limited to, the Board of 35
Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, any public 36
university, the Mississippi Community College Board, any public 37
community or junior college, and the State Department of 38
Education, for the operation of the medical cannabis program as 39
established by the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act, nor (g) to 40
charges between the Department of Human Services and the 41
Department of Child Protection Services for services or resources 42
received by either department from the other, nor (h) to charges 43
by a state agency to another state agency, public university, or 44
H. B. No. 1651 *HR26/R1620SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR26/R1620SG
PAGE 3 (RF\KW)
ST: State agencies; allow to charge other
agencies for short-term rental of event space.
public community or junior college for the short-term rental of 45
event space that is owned, operated, or managed by the charging 46
agency and made available for rental to generate operating 47
revenue, provided that the charge does not exceed fifty percent 48
(50%) of the rate customarily charged by the agency for comparable 49
use of the space. The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of 50
Higher Learning, any public university, the Mississippi Community 51
College Board, any public community or junior college, and the 52
State Department of Education shall retain the authority to charge 53
and be charged for expenditures that they deemed nonrecurring in 54
nature by the State Fiscal Officer. 55
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 56
and after July 1, 2026. 57