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SB2341 • 2026

Public lands; extend date of repeal on section prescribing who may purchase.

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 29-1-75, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO EXTEND THE DATE OF REPEAL ON THE RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED ON THE PURCHASE OF PUBLIC LANDS BY CERTAIN CORPORATIONS AND NONRESIDENT ALIENS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Taxes
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Barrett
Last action
2026-03-19
Official status
Law
Effective date
July 1, 20

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the conditions under which banking corporations or other nonbanking corporations can purchase tax-forfeited lands.

Extend Repeal Date for Public Land Purchase Restrictions

This bill extends the date when certain restrictions on who can buy public lands in Mississippi will end.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the law to extend the repeal date of a section that restricts corporations and nonresident aliens from buying public land.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Corporations that want to buy public lands in Mississippi.
  • Nonresident aliens interested in purchasing public lands in the state.

Terms To Know

nonresident alien
A person who is not a citizen or permanent resident of Mississippi and lives outside the state.
tax-forfeited lands
Land that has been taken by the government because property taxes were not paid on it.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if nonresident aliens stop using their land for industrial purposes.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect current owners of public lands.
  • The exact date when the restrictions will end has been left blank in the original text.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-19 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    03/19 Approved by Governor

  2. 2026-03-13 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    03/13 (H) Enrolled Bill Signed

  3. 2026-03-12 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    03/12 (S) Enrolled Bill Signed

  4. 2026-03-11 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    03/11 (H) Returned For Enrolling

  5. 2026-03-10 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    03/10 (H) Passed

  6. 2026-02-25 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/25 (H) Title Suff Do Pass

  7. 2026-02-06 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/06 (H) Referred To Public Property

  8. 2026-02-05 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/05 (S) Transmitted To House

  9. 2026-02-04 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/04 (S) Passed

  10. 2026-01-29 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/29 (S) Title Suff Do Pass

  11. 2026-01-19 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/19 (S) Referred To Public Property

Official Summary Text

Public lands; extend date of repeal on section prescribing who may purchase.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
S. B. No. 2341 *SS08/R47* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/SS08/R47
PAGE 1 (aa\kr)

To: Public Property
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Barrett

SENATE BILL NO. 2341

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 29-1-75, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
EXTEND THE DATE OF REPEAL ON THE RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED ON THE 2
PURCHASE OF PUBLIC LANDS BY CERTAIN CORPORATIONS AND NONRESIDENT 3
ALIENS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 5
SECTION 1. Section 29-1-75, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 6
amended as follows: 7
29-1-75. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, 8
neither a corporation nor a nonresident alien, nor any association 9
of persons composed in whole or in part of nonresident aliens, 10
shall directly or indirectly purchase or become the owner of any 11
of the public lands; and every patent issued in contravention 12
hereof shall be void. 13
(2) (a) A banking corporation owning such tax-forfeited 14
lands or holding a mortgage or deed of trust thereon at the time 15
of the sale to the state, and whose mortgage or deed of trust is 16
still in force and effect, may purchase such lands, regardless of 17
acreage, owned by it as aforesaid or on which it held a mortgage 18
or deed of trust. In the event of a purchase by such corporation 19
S. B. No. 2341 *SS08/R47* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R47
PAGE 2 (aa\kr)

as a mortgagee, such lands shall be held for the benefit of the 20
mortgagor subject to all the terms and conditions of the mortgage 21
or deed of trust held by the purchasing banking corporation and, 22
upon payment of the debt secured by such mortgage or deed of 23
trust, together with interest and incidents, such banking 24
corporation shall in that event reconvey such lands to the 25
original mortgagor, his or her heirs or assigns. 26
(b) Any other nonbanking corporation may purchase lands 27
sold or forfeited to the state for delinquent taxes under any 28
section of Chapter 1, Title 29, specifically relating to the sale 29
of such tax-forfeited lands by the Secretary of State. A 30
nonbanking corporation purchasing land sold or forfeited to the 31
state shall be subject to the acreage limitations of Section 32
29-1-73. 33
(c) Except as provided in Sections 89-27-5 and 89-27-7, 34
nonresident aliens may acquire and hold not to exceed three 35
hundred twenty (320) acres of public lands in this state for the 36
purpose of industrial development thereon. In addition, any 37
nonresident alien may acquire and hold not to exceed five (5) 38
acres of public lands for residential purposes. If any land 39
acquired by a nonresident alien for the purpose of industrial 40
development ceases to be used for industrial development, it shall 41
escheat to the public body that sold such land to the nonresident 42
alien. 43
S. B. No. 2341 *SS08/R47* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R47
PAGE 3 (aa\kr)
ST: Public lands; extend date of repeal on
section prescribing who may purchase.
(d) Land that is classified as an industrial or 44
residential zone, but is otherwise used as forest or agricultural 45
land in the performance of forest or agricultural activities, 46
shall serve as a prima facie case as to the purpose of the land 47
being devoted to forestry and/or agriculture and shall make the 48
land and the nonresident alien subject to the provisions of 49
Sections 89-27-5 and 89-27-7. 50
(3) This section shall stand repealed on July 1, * * * 2029. 51
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 52
and after July 1, 2026. 53