Main Street Revitalization Grants; revise FY25 appropriation bills for MDA and MDAH so that MDAH will make grants to certain designated communities.

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To: Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Steverson

HOUSE BILL NO. 625

AN ACT TO REPEAL SECTION 33 OF CHAPTER 113, LAWS OF 2024, 1
WHICH PROVIDES FUNDS FROM THE MISSISSIPPI MAIN STREET 2
REVITALIZATION GRANT PROGRAM FUND TO THE MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT 3
AUTHORITY FOR MAKING GRANTS TO CERTAIN MAIN STREET DESIGNATED 4
COMMUNITIES FOR CERTAIN PROJECTS; TO AMEND SECTION 2 OF CHAPTER 5
113, LAWS OF 2024, TO REVISE THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 APPROPRIATION TO 6
THE MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF 7
SPECIAL FUNDS APPROPRIATED TO THE AUTHORITY; TO AMEND CHAPTER 66, 8
LAWS OF 2024, TO REVISE THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 APPROPRIATION TO THE 9
MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY TO INCREASE THE 10
AMOUNT OF SPECIAL FUNDS APPROPRIATED TO THE DEPARTMENT; TO PROVIDE 11
THAT THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DISTRIBUTE FUNDS FROM THE MISSISSIPPI 12
MAIN STREET REVITALIZATION GRANT PROGRAM FUND TO CERTAIN MAIN 13
STREET DESIGNATED COMMUNITIES FOR CERTAIN PROJECTS; AND FOR 14
RELATED PURPOSES. 15
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 16
SECTION 1. Section 33 of Chapter 113, Laws of 2024, which 17
provides funds from the Mississippi Main Street Revitalization 18
Grant Program Fund to the Mississippi Development Authority for 19
making Mississippi Main Street Revitalization Grants, is repealed. 20
SECTION 2. Section 2 of Chapter 113, Laws of 2024, is 21
amended as follows: 22
Section 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 23
necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State 24
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Treasury to the credit of the Mississippi Development Authority or 25
the appropriate special fund for the purpose of defraying the 26
expenses incurred in the operation of the various divisions of the 27
authority for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending 28
June 30, 2025........................... $ * * * 367,241,496.00. 29
SECTION 3. Chapter 66, Laws of 2024, is amended as follows: 30
Section 1. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 31
necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State General 32
Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of defraying the 33
expenses of the Department of Archives and History for the fiscal 34
year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025............. 35
............................................... $ 12,580,718.00. 36
Section 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 37
necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the special fund in 38
the State Treasury to the credit of the Department of Archives and 39
History which is comprised of special source funds collected by or 40
otherwise available to the department, for the purpose of 41
defraying the expenses of the department and for other purposes as 42
provided in this act for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, 43
and ending June 30, 2025................. $ * * * 33,650,000.00. 44
Section 3. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of 45
this act, the following positions are authorized: 46
AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT: 47
Permanent: 155 48
Time-Limited: 10 49
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With the funds herein appropriated, it shall be the agency's 50
responsibility to make certain that funds required for Personal 51
Services for Fiscal Year 2026 do not exceed Fiscal Year 2025 funds 52
appropriated for that purpose unless programs or positions are 53
added to the agency's Fiscal Year 2025 budget by the Mississippi 54
Legislature. The Legislature shall determine the agency's 55
personal services appropriation, which the State Personnel Board 56
shall publish. The agency's personal services appropriation may 57
consist of restricted funds for approved vacancies for Fiscal Year 58
2025 that may be utilized to fill vacant Fiscal Year 2024 59
headcount. It shall be the agency's responsibility to ensure that 60
the funds provided for vacancies are used to increase headcount 61
and not for promotions, title changes, in-range salary adjustments 62
or any other mechanism for increasing salaries for current 63
employees. It is the Legislature's intention that no employee 64
salary falls below the minimum salary established by the 65
Mississippi State Personnel Board. 66
Additionally, the State Personnel Board shall determine and 67
publish the projected annualized payroll costs based on current 68
employees. It shall be the responsibility of the agency head to 69
ensure that actual personnel expenditures for Fiscal Year 2025 do 70
not exceed the data provided by the Legislative Budget Office. If 71
the agency's Fiscal Year 2025 projected cost exceeds the 72
annualized costs, no salary actions shall be processed by the 73
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State Personnel Board except for new hires determined to be 74
essential for the agency. 75
Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with 76
the terms, conditions, and procedures established by law or 77
allowable under the terms set forth within this act. The State 78
Personnel Board shall not escalate positions without written 79
approval from the Department of Finance and Administration. The 80
Department of Finance and Administration shall not provide written 81
approval to escalate any funds for salaries and/or positions 82
without proof of availability of new or additional funds above the 83
appropriated level. 84
No general funds authorized to be expended herein shall be 85
used to replace federal funds and/or other special funds used for 86
salaries authorized under the provisions of this act and which are 87
withdrawn and no longer available. 88
None of the funds herein appropriated shall be used in 89
violation of the Internal Revenue Service's Publication 15-A 90
relating to the reporting of income paid to contract employees, as 91
interpreted by the Office of the State Auditor. 92
Section 4. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 93
Department of Archives and History shall maintain complete 94
accounting and personnel records related to the expenditure of all 95
funds appropriated under this act and that such records shall be 96
in the same format and level of detail as maintained for Fiscal 97
Year 2024. It is further the intention of the Legislature that 98
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the agency's budget request for Fiscal Year 2026 shall be 99
submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee in a format 100
and level of detail comparable to the format and level of detail 101
provided during the Fiscal Year 2025 budget request process. 102
Section 5. It is the intent of the Legislature that the 103
Mississippi Department of Archives and History shall charge the 104
maximum amount allowable for services rendered, consistent with 105
the cost of providing such services. The funds derived from these 106
charges shall be deposited into a special fund account in the 107
State Treasury to the credit of the Mississippi Department of 108
Archives and History. 109
Section 6. It is the intent of the Legislature that no part 110
of the funds herein appropriated shall be required to be used for 111
the payment of rent for the museum and public space in the State 112
Historical Museum, Old Capitol Restoration. 113
Section 7. Of the funds provided in Section 2, Two Million 114
Dollars ($2,000,000.00) is provided to the Department of Archives 115
and History from the Mississippi Landmark Grant Fund in accordance 116
with Section 39-5-23, Mississippi Code of 1972, to help support 117
the preservation of Mississippi Landmark Properties. 118
Section 8. Of the funds provided under the provisions of 119
this act, One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) is provided 120
for the purpose of capital development and maintenance of Beauvoir 121
Shrine, the last home of Jefferson Davis, the only President of 122
the Confederate States of America, subject to approval by the 123
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Department of Archives and History. The expenditure of funds 124
available in this section shall be subject to prior approval by 125
the Department of Archives and History. 126
Section 9. It is the intention of the Legislature that 127
whenever two (2) or more bids are received by this agency for the 128
purchase of commodities or equipment, and whenever all things 129
stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, 130
quality and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind 131
shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to 132
the Mississippi Industries for the Blind whenever purchases are 133
made without competitive bids. 134
Section 10. In addition to all other sums herein 135
appropriated, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be 136
necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State General 137
Fund not otherwise appropriated, to the Department of Archives and 138
History for the purpose of supporting the Statewide Oral History 139
Project for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending 140
June 30, 2025.................................... $ 50,000.00. 141
Section 11. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 142
funds herein appropriated shall be expended in compliance with 143
Section 27-104-25, Mississippi Code of 1972, that no state agency 144
shall incur obligations or indebtedness in excess of their 145
appropriation and that the responsible officers, either personally 146
or upon their official bonds, shall be held responsible for 147
actions contrary to this provision. 148
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Section 12. Of the funds provided in Section 2, Seven 149
Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($750,000.00) is provided from 150
Special Funds in the State Treasury to the credit of the State 151
Treasury fund created in Section 27-19-56.69(8), Mississippi Code 152
of 1972, for the purpose of paying the costs of repair and 153
renovation of the New Capitol, the Old Capitol, the Governor's 154
Mansion, and the War Memorial Building, in accordance with rules 155
and regulations of the Department of Finance and Administration in 156
a manner consistent with the escalation of funds. 157
Section 13. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions 158
of Section 2, Six Million Dollars ($6,000,000.00), or so much 159
thereof, shall be derived out of any money in the State Treasury 160
to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, as created in Section 161
27-103-303, Mississippi Code of 1972, and allocated in a manner as 162
determined by the Treasurer's Office. This appropriation is made 163
to provide the funds necessary to authorize the expenditure of 164
funds for the Vicksburg Military Park Interpretive Center. As a 165
condition of expending these funds, the department shall enter 166
into a memorandum of agreement or similar document with the U.S. 167
Government National Park Services reflecting a plan for building 168
an interpretive center and a lease agreement for lease space 169
therein. 170
Section 14. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions 171
of Section 2, One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00), or so much 172
thereof, shall be derived out of any money in the State Treasury 173
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to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, as created in Section 174
27-103-303, Mississippi Code of 1972, and allocated in a manner as 175
determined by the Treasurer's Office. This appropriation is made 176
to provide the funds necessary to authorize the expenditure of 177
funds for the Crigler Park project. 178
Section 15. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions 179
of Section 2, Six Million Dollars ($6,000,000.00), or so much 180
thereof, shall be derived out of any money in the State Treasury 181
to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, as created in Section 182
27-103-303, Mississippi Code of 1972, and allocated in a manner as 183
determined by the Treasurer's Office. This appropriation is made 184
to provide the funds necessary to authorize the expenditure of 185
funds for Grand Village in Natchez. 186
Section 16. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 187
necessary, is reappropriated out of any money in the Capital 188
Expense Fund not otherwise appropriated for the Department of 189
Archives and History for the purpose of reauthorizing the 190
expenditure of Capital Expense Funds, as authorized in HB 1612, 191
2023 Regular Session to defray expenses of the Department of 192
Archives and History for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, 193
and ending June 30, 2025........................ $ 17,346,271.00. 194
This appropriation is made for the purpose of reauthorizing 195
the expenditure of funds as allocated herein: 196
(a) De la Pointe-Krebs House............... $ 86,271.00. 197
(b) Repair, renovation, and construction 198
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projects undertaken by the Department of 199
Archives and History.........................$ 9,700,000.00. 200
(c) Vicksburg Military Park Interpretive 201
Center.......................................$ 5,900,000.00. 202
(d) Eudora Welty Library Project............$ 1,660,000.00. 203
Notwithstanding the amount reappropriated under this section, 204
the amount that may be expended under the authority of this 205
section, shall not exceed the unexpended balance of the funds 206
remaining as of June 30, 2024, from the amount authorized for the 207
previous fiscal year. In addition, this reappropriation shall not 208
change the purpose for which the funds were originally authorized. 209
Section 17. Of the funds provided in Section 2, the 210
following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is 211
appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit 212
of the Mississippi Historic Site Preservation Fund, for the 213
purpose of making grants to nonprofit organizations in accordance 214
with Section 39-5-22, Mississippi Code of 1972, for the fiscal 215
year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025............. 216
..................................................$ 500,000.00. 217
Section 18. Of the funds provided in Section 2, the 218
following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is 219
appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit 220
of the Mississippi Community Heritage Preservation Grant Fund, for 221
the purpose of grant assistance to Historic County Courthouses, 222
School Buildings and Other Historic Buildings as in Section 223
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39-5-145, Mississippi Code of 1972, for the fiscal year beginning 224
July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025........... $ 5,000,000.00. 225
Section 19. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2, Sixteen 226
Thousand Dollars ($16,000.00), or so much thereof as may be 227
necessary, shall be derived out of any money in the State Treasury 228
to the credit of the Project Poppy Fund, as created in Senate Bill 229
2001, 1st Extraordinary Session of 2024, and allocated in a manner 230
as determined by the Treasurer's Office and Sixteen Thousand 231
Dollars ($16,000.00), or so much thereof as may be necessary, 232
shall be derived out of any money in the State Treasury to the 233
credit of the Project Atlas Fund, as created in House Bill 1, 2nd 234
Extraordinary Session of 2024, and allocated in a manner as 235
determined by the Treasurer's Office. These funds are provided for 236
expediting services needed for Project Poppy and Project Atlas. 237
Section 20. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2, Six 238
Million Nine Hundred Thousand Seventy-two Dollars ($6,972,000.00) 239
shall be derived out of any money in the State Treasury to the 240
credit of the Mississippi Main Street Revitalization Grant Program 241
Fund, as created in Section 57-78-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, and 242
the department shall distribute such funds to the following Main 243
Street Designated Communities for the projects described below: 244
Community Project Name Grant Amount Requested 245
Amory Amory Downtown District 246
Revitalization Project $500,000.00 247
Biloxi How Hop Creative Project $500,000.00 248
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Booneville Booneville Historic Hardware 249
Building Restoration $500,000.00 250
Cleveland Town Green and Public Art 251
Placement $120,000.00 252
Columbus Downtown Columbus Wayfinding and 253
Streetscape Improvement Project $380,000.00 254
Crystal 255
Springs Old Biggs Building Revitalization 256
Project $122,000.00 257
Greenville Greater Greenville River City 258
Revitalization Initiative $500,000.00 259
Hattiesburg Downtown Hattiesburg Welcome Center $500,000.00 260
Hernando Hernando Streetscapes, Public Space 261
Improvements and Retail Recruitment $180,000.00 262
Moss Point Riverfront District Revitalization 263
Project $500,000.00 264
Natchez The Depot Park and Natchez Bluff $362,000.00 265
Nettleton Old Barber Shop Restoration $130,000.00 266
New Albany Revealing or Destination Safely $330,000.00 267
Pascagoula Flagship Revitalization Streetscape 268
Plan $500,000.00 269
Ripley The Hills Hotel $500,000.00 270
Saltillo Wayfinding and Street Sign 271
Revitalization $410,000.00 272
Senatobia Senatobia Utilities Building 273
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ST: Main Street Revitalization Grants; revise
FY25 appropriation bills for MDA and MDAH so
that MDAH will make grants to certain designated
communities.
Renovation $400,000.00 274
Vicksburg Blues Highway Travel Center $408,000.00 275
Water Valley Water Valley Historic Walking Tour $130,000.00 276
TOTAL $6,972,000.00 277
Section * * *21. The Mississippi Department of Archives and 278
History is authorized to accept and expend any grant, donation, or 279
contribution from any individual, public, or private organization, 280
or government entity for purposes of defraying the operational 281
costs of the department. Such grants, donations or contributions 282
shall be received and expended under the rules and regulations of 283
the Department of Finance and Administration in a manner 284
consistent with the escalation of federal funds not to exceed One 285
Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00). 286
Section * * *22. The money herein appropriated shall be 287
paid by the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury 288
to the credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in this 289
act, upon warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the 290
State Fiscal Officer shall issue his warrants upon requisitions 291
signed by the proper person, officer or officers, in the manner 292
provided by law. 293
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from 294
and after its passage. 295