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To: Ways and Means
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representatives Creekmore IV, Scott
HOUSE BILL NO. 1716
(As Sent to Governor)
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 57-78-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
REVISE AND TO PROVIDE CERTAIN DEFINITIONS OF TERMS UNDER THE 2
MISSISSIPPI MAIN STREET REVITALIZATION GRANT PROGRAM ACT; TO 3
REVISE CERTAIN PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE 4
MISSISSIPPI MAIN STREET REVITALIZATION GRANT PROGRAM; AND FOR 5
RELATED PURPOSES. 6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 7
SECTION 1. Section 57-78-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 8
amended as follows: 9
57-78-5. (1) For the purposes of this section: 10
(a) "Eligible recipient" means a: 11
(i) Main Street Designated Community, or local 12
Main Street program that has achieved and maintained Designated 13
Community Status by the Mississippi Main Street Association 14
(MMSA), that is a good-standing member of the MMSA, and that has 15
obtained Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or 501 (c)(4) 16
tax-exempt status or Section 501(c)(6) tax-exempt status from the 17
Internal Revenue Service; 18
(ii) Main Street Network Community; 19
(iii) Main Street Associate Community; 20
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(iv) Cities and counties located in Mississippi 21
that otherwise meet the requirements of this chapter; or 22
(v) Business improvement districts that otherwise 23
meet the requirements of this chapter. 24
(b) "Matching funds" means cash funds that are either 25
in the applicant's possession or proposed by a match partner and 26
clearly identified in a support letter and are reserved for the 27
proposed project. No state funds may be included in determining 28
the amount of the match. 29
(c) * * * "MMSA" means the Mississippi Main Street 30
Association. 31
(2) The * * * Mississippi Development Authority shall accept 32
applications from eligible recipients, prioritize their 33
applications and, in consultation with the MMSA, submit a list of 34
suggested recipients to the Legislature no later than December of 35
each year. * * * The Legislature shall review the submitted list 36
and determine the projects for which to award grants to eligible 37
recipients through the Mississippi Development Authority. 38
The * * * Mississippi Development Authority will consider 39
projects in relation to the following criteria: 40
(a) The demonstration of local financial need; 41
(b) Projects that demonstrate high local impact; 42
(c) Projects that produce a high level of public 43
benefit; 44
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(d) Projects that demonstrate best practices in 45
preservation; 46
(e) Projects that will have local administration and 47
implementation capacity; 48
(f) The distribution of geographic size and location of 49
the project; and 50
(g) Projects that will be completed on time * * *. 51
* * * 52
(3) The Mississippi Development Authority shall provide 53
grant funds to the eligible recipients under this section on a 54
reimbursement basis, not to exceed Five Hundred Thousand Dollars 55
($500,000.00) per community each year, and grantees shall not 56
receive compensation for their required twenty percent (20%) of 57
local match funds, which must cover at least twenty percent (20%) 58
of the total project cost. Municipalities, or eligible recipients 59
within a municipality, with a population of over ten thousand 60
(10,000) are required to possess local matching funds to cover at 61
least twenty percent (20%) of the total project cost. 62
Municipalities, or eligible recipients within a municipality, with 63
a population of less than ten thousand (10,000), shall be required 64
to have a local cash match of ten percent (10%) for the first One 65
Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) requested, then will be 66
required to have a local cash match of twenty percent (20%) for 67
any amount over One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00). 68
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(4) Eligible costs for the expenditure of grant funds 69
include the acquisition of land and any improvements thereon, 70
preservation of historic downtown structures and sites, and 71
initiatives that will produce a revitalization to the economy of 72
the historic downtown areas. 73
(5) Grants may be awarded for prospective purchases or for 74
acquisitions of which the applicant has closed. In the latter 75
case, the applicant shall demonstrate: 76
(a) The closing occurred no more than twelve (12) 77
months prior to the date of application for the grant; and 78
(b) The subject purchase was made to help preserve and 79
revitalize the location and economy of a historic downtown 80
community. 81
(6) Any eligible recipient that is awarded a grant pursuant 82
to this section for a project involving a historic property must 83
comply with all applicable laws relating to the property, as well 84
as applicable regulations of the Mississippi Department of 85
Archives and History, or other department or agency relating to 86
such property. 87
(7) Grantees must adhere to Mississippi state procedures and 88
guidelines relating to the implementation and financing of the 89
approved project. Grantees must also submit any and all audit and 90
financial statements as required by the State of Mississippi. 91
(8) Nothing in this section shall preclude the subsequent 92
transfer or assignment by a state agency or other owner or holder 93
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of any property interest acquired pursuant to this section to the 94
State of Mississippi, the county, city, town or municipality in 95
which the land is located, for the purpose of further preserving, 96
improving or maintaining the downtown property. The Mississippi 97
Development Authority shall facilitate transfers and assignments 98
of any such interests held by the department. 99
(9) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to 100
be known as the "Mississippi Main Street Revitalization Grant 101
Program Fund," which shall consist of funds made available by the 102
Legislature in any manner, funds received as grants, endowments or 103
gifts from the federal government, its agencies and 104
instrumentalities, and funds from any other source designated for 105
deposit into such fund. The fund shall be maintained by the State 106
Treasurer as a separate and special fund, separate and apart from 107
the General Fund of the state. Unexpended amounts remaining in 108
the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the 109
State General Fund, and any investment earnings or interest earned 110
on amounts in the fund shall be deposited to the credit of the 111
fund. Monies in the fund shall be used by the Mississippi 112
Development Authority, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for 113
the purposes provided in this section. 114
(10) The Mississippi Development Authority shall administer 115
the fund and establish guidelines for the expenditure of grant 116
funds and reports relating to the expenditure of grant funds. 117
The * * * Mississippi Development Authority may use no more than 118
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ST: Mississippi Main Street Revitalization
Grant Program Act; revise certain provisions.
two percent (2%) of the amount of funds deposited into the 119
Mississippi Main Street Revitalization Grant Fund for 120
administrative expenses in carrying out its duties under this 121
section. 122
(11) To carry out this chapter, the Mississippi Development 123
Authority may enter into cooperative agreements with entities in 124
the public and private sectors, including: 125
(a) Colleges and universities; 126
(b) Historical societies; 127
(c) State and local agencies; and 128
(d) Nonprofit organizations. 129
(12) To develop cooperative land-use strategies and conduct 130
activities that facilitate the conservation of the historic, 131
cultural, natural and scenic resources, the Mississippi 132
Development Authority may require that recipients seek and secure 133
technical assistance from the * * * MMSA, to the extent that a 134
recipient of technical assistance is engaged in the protection, 135
interpretation or commemoration of historically significant 136
property in the area in and around the historic downtown site. 137
* * * 138
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 139
and after July 1, 2026. 140