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H. B. No. 1695 *HR26/R1536* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: County Affairs;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representative Currie
HOUSE BILL NO. 1695
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 19-25-73, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
TO REMOVE A CERTAIN PROVISION THAT AUTHORIZES COUNTIES TO CHARGE 2
MUNICIPALITIES, WHICH HAVE MUNICIPAL PRISONERS HOUSED AT COUNTY 3
JAILS, AT A RATE THAT IS TIED TO THE STATE RATE FOR THE HOUSING OF 4
STATE INMATES; TO PROVIDE THAT SUCH REMOVAL WILL ALLOW COUNTIES 5
AND MUNICIPALITIES TO NEGOTIATE THE COSTS FOR THE HOUSING AND CARE 6
OF MUNICIPAL PRISONERS HELD IN COUNTY JAILS; AND FOR RELATED 7
PURPOSES. 8
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 9
SECTION 1. Section 19-25-73, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 10
amended as follows: 11
19-25-73. (1) In respect to the feeding of prisoners by the 12
sheriff's office, the board of supervisors is authorized to choose 13
one (1) of the following methods: 14
(a) It shall only contract with a local caterer or 15
restaurant owner to bring in food for the prisoners, and the 16
contract shall be awarded after taking bids as provided by law for 17
other county contracts. 18
(b) The sheriff shall purchase, in the name of the 19
county, all necessary food and related supplies to be used for 20
feeding prisoners only in the county jail. All purchases of such 21
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food and supplies shall be invoiced to the county and placed on 22
the claims docket of the board of supervisors for disposition in 23
the same manner as all other claims against the county. All wages 24
and other compensation for services rendered to the sheriff in 25
connection with the feeding of prisoners shall be submitted to and 26
approved by the board of supervisors as other wages or 27
compensation paid to employees of the sheriff. The total 28
expenditure for such purpose under this method shall not exceed 29
Fifteen Dollars ($15.00) per day per prisoner * * *. All payments 30
and reimbursements from any source for the keeping of prisoners 31
shall be received and paid into the general fund of the county. 32
(c) The board of supervisors may negotiate a contract 33
with the board of trustees of the local public community hospital 34
to bring in food for the prisoners. 35
(2) The board of supervisors may authorize the sheriff to 36
maintain a bank account entitled "jail food allowance account" 37
into which shall be deposited all receipts for feeding and keeping 38
prisoners in the county jail, including payments from the board of 39
supervisors at the rate not to exceed Fifteen Dollars ($15.00) per 40
prisoner per day and all such receipts from municipalities, the 41
United States and any other jurisdictions required to pay the cost 42
of feeding or keeping prisoners contained in the jail. He shall 43
maintain a receipts journal and a disbursements journal, in a form 44
to be prescribed by the State Department of Audit, which will 45
provide the information necessary to determine the actual cost of 46
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ST: Housing of municipal prisoners in county
jails; revise method that counties and
municipalities use to calculate costs for
payment of.
feeding the prisoners, which shall not exceed Fifteen Dollars 47
($15.00) per prisoner per day * * *. All costs and expenses for 48
such feeding shall be paid from the jail food allowance account 49
and supported by properly itemized invoices. Any funds 50
accumulating in the jail food allowance account in excess of the 51
monthly average expenditures, plus ten percent (10%) for 52
contingencies, shall be paid into the county general fund at least 53
once each calendar quarter. 54
* * * 55
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 56
and after July 1, 2026. 57