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To: Public Health and Human
Services
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representative Shanks
HOUSE BILL NO. 936
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 41-14-31, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
TO EXTEND THE DATE OF THE REPEALER ON THE COVID-19 HOSPITAL 2
EXPANDED CAPACITY PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF 3
HEALTH; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 5
SECTION 1. Section 41-14-31, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 6
amended as follows: 7
41-14-31. (1) The * * * State Department of Health shall 8
establish and administer the COVID-19 Hospital Expanded Capacity 9
Program for the purpose of providing funds to hospitals that 10
increased treatment capacity related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 11
The program shall make grants to hospitals as a reimbursement for 12
expenses incurred during the period beginning on March 3, 2021, 13
through December 31, 2024, in the following manner: 14
(a) Funds shall first be expended for the reimbursement 15
to hospitals for the creation of ICU beds at a maximum amount of 16
Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) per bed. If the 17
reimbursement for allowable expenditures submitted by all 18
hospitals exceeds the amount of funds appropriated to this 19
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program, then the Department of Health shall allocate the 20
reimbursement to each hospital per ICU bed created. 21
(b) After such reimbursement is made in paragraph (a) 22
of this subsection, any remaining funds shall be used to reimburse 23
hospitals for the creation of negative pressure beds at a maximum 24
amount of Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per bed. If the 25
reimbursement for allowable expenditures submitted by all 26
hospitals exceeds the amount of funds appropriated to this 27
program, then the Department of Health shall allocate the 28
reimbursement to each hospital per negative pressure bed created. 29
(2) The Department of Health shall: 30
(a) Promulgate rules and regulations necessary to 31
implement the purposes of this act. 32
(b) Require all applications for grants to be filed no 33
later than December 31, 2023. 34
(c) Require recipients of funds under this program to 35
certify that the reimbursement for the creation of the intensive 36
care units or negative pressure room is for allowable expenditures 37
under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021, Public Law 38
117-2, which amends Title VI of the Social Security Act; and its 39
implementing guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other 40
criteria, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, by 41
the United States Department of the Treasury. 42
(d) Certify to the Department of Finance and 43
Administration that each expenditure of the funds appropriated to 44
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the office under this act is in compliance with the guidelines, 45
guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be 46
amended from time to time, of the United States Department of the 47
Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus State 48
Fiscal Recovery Fund in Section 9901 of ARPA. 49
(3) The department shall not: 50
(a) Reimburse hospitals for funds expended by the 51
"Mississippi ICU Infrastructure Act," Sections 41-14-1 through 52
41-14-11. 53
(b) Reimburse hospitals for professional fees expended 54
in the creation of the beds. 55
(4) The Department of Health may retain up to One Hundred 56
Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00) of the funds appropriated to 57
the program established in this act to pay reasonable expenses 58
incurred in the administration of the program. 59
(5) The department shall operate and administer the grant 60
program from funds appropriated by the Legislature from the 61
Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds. 62
(6) The Department of Health shall submit to the Joint 63
Legislative Budget Committee before October 1 of each year an 64
annual report containing, at a minimum, the number of submitted 65
applications, the amount of grant funds awarded to each hospital 66
for both ICU beds and negative pressure beds, and the number of 67
ICU beds and negative pressure beds that were provided a 68
reimbursement. 69
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ST: COVID-19 Hospital Expanded Capacity
Program; extend repealer on.
(7) This act shall stand repealed on July 1, * * * 2029. 70
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 71
and after July 1, 2026. 72