Public property; authorize DFA to defer to USM recommendation for terms of sale as approved by IHL for certain property.

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To: Public Property;
Universities and Colleges
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) DuPree, Johnson

SENATE BILL NO. 2598

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 1, CHAPTER 445, LAWS OF 2016, TO 1
AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION TO DEFER 2
THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI FOR 3
THE TERMS OF SALE AS APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF STATE 4
INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING FOR PROPERTY UNDER THE POSSESSION 5
AND CONTROL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI WHICH HAS 6
BEEN AUTHORIZED FOR LEASE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 7
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 8
SECTION 1. Section 1, Chapter 445, Laws of 2016, is amended 9
as follows: 10
Section 1. (1) The Department of Finance and 11
Administration, in consultation with the Board of Trustees of 12
State Institutions of Higher Learning, is authorized to sell and 13
convey or lease all or portions of the parcels of certain 14
state-owned real property and any improvements thereon under the 15
possession and control of the University of Southern Mississippi, 16
located in Forrest County, Mississippi, and more particularly 17
described as follows: 18
The following described property situated in Forrest County, 19
Mississippi to wit: South 1/2 of Northeast 1/4 and Southeast 20
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1/4 Section 35 and West 1/2 of West 1/2 and Southeast 1/4 of 21
Northwest 1/4 and Northeast 1/4 of Southwest 1/4 Section 36 22
in Township 5 North range 14 West at St Stephens Meridian and 23
containing 480 acres more or less, and commence at a 4" x 4" 24
concrete monument at the Southeast Corner of the NE 1/4 of 25
the NW 1/4 of Section 36, Township 5 North, range 14 West, 26
Forrest County, Mississippi, and run South 89 degrees 09 27
minutes 27 seconds West for 660.35 feet to a 1/2 inch rebar 28
and the POINT OF BEGINNING, from the POINT OF BEGINNING 29
continue South 89 degrees 09 minutes 27 seconds West for 30
660.35 feet to a 1/4 inch iron pipe; thence run North 01 31
degrees 46 minutes 11 seconds West for 1333.93 feet to a 4 32
inch x 4 inch concrete monument; thence run North 89 degrees 33
49 minutes 24 seconds East for 665.80 feet to a 1/2 inch 34
rebar; thence run South 01 degrees 32 minutes 29 seconds East 35
for 1326.12 feet back to the POINT OF BEGINNING; said parcel 36
of land is a part of the NE 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of Section 36, 37
Township 5 North, range 14 West, Forrest County, Mississippi, 38
and contains 20.24 acres more or less and also an easement 39
more particularly described as commence at a 4 inch x 4 inch 40
concrete monument at the NE corner of the SE 1/4 of the NW 41
1/4 of Section 36 Township 5 North range 14 West Forrest 42
County, Mississippi for the POINT OF BEGINNING; from the 43
POINT OF BEGINNING run South 00 degrees 04 minutes 17 seconds 44
West for 699.86 feet to a 3/4 inch iron pipe and the North 45
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margin line of the Country Club paved public road; thence run 46
North 78 degrees 01 minutes 33 seconds West on and along said 47
margin line for 40.00 feet to a 1/2 inch rebar, thence run 48
North 04 degrees 33 minutes 53 seconds East for 142.19 feet 49
to a 1/2 inch rebar; thence run North 00 degrees 04 minutes 50
17 seconds West for 489.86 feet to a 1/2 inch rebar; thence 51
run North 45 degrees 23 minutes 08 seconds West for 44.26 ft. 52
to 1/2 inch rebar; thence run South 89 degrees 09 minutes 27 53
seconds West for 640.35 feet to a 1/2 inch rebar; then run 54
North 00 degrees 50 minutes 33 seconds West for 28.00 feet to 55
a 1/2 inch rebar; thence run North 89 degrees 09 minutes 27 56
seconds East for 700.35 feet back to the POINT OF BEGINNING; 57
said parcel of land is a part of the SE, 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of 58
Section 36, Township 5 North, range 14 West, Forrest County, 59
Mississippi, and contains 0.91 acres, more or less; together 60
with all improvements thereon and appurtenances thereunto 61
belonging. 62
(2) (a) If sold, the real property described in subsection 63
(1) of this section and any improvements thereon shall be sold for 64
not less than the current fair market value as determined by the 65
averaging of at least two (2) appraisals by qualified appraisers, 66
one (1) of which who shall be selected by the Department of 67
Finance and Administration, and both of which shall be certified 68
and licensed by the Mississippi Real Estate Appraiser Licensing 69
and Certification Board. Except as otherwise provided herein, the 70
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Department of Finance and Administration shall be authorized to 71
defer to the recommendation of the University of Southern 72
Mississippi for the terms of the sale upon approval of the Board 73
of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. 74
(b) If the real property described in subsection (1) of 75
this section is leased, the University of Southern Mississippi, 76
with the approval of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions 77
of Higher Learning, is authorized to negotiate all aspects of any 78
lease and any terms and ancillary agreements pertaining to any 79
lease as may be reasonably necessary to effectuate the intent and 80
purposes of this section and to ensure a fair and equitable return 81
to the state. Any lease approved and entered into on the 82
University's behalf shall not exceed a term of forty (40) years 83
and shall not be cancelled by successor boards based on the 84
binding successor doctrine. 85
(3) The property described in subsection (1) of this section 86
shall be sold or leased only if such action is consistent with the 87
university's goals of research, innovation and commercialization, 88
and only to result in the highest and best use of the property and 89
to ensure that the property is used in a manner that will not 90
interfere with the operation of the University of Southern 91
Mississippi. 92
(4) The State of Mississippi shall retain all mineral rights 93
to the real property sold or leased under this section. 94
S. B. No. 2598 *SS26/R1196* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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ST: Public property; authorize DFA to defer to
USM recommendation for terms of sale as approved
by IHL for certain property.
(5) The Department of Finance and Administration may correct 95
any discrepancies in the legal description of the property 96
provided in this section. 97
(6) The Department of Finance and Administration may recover 98
its costs associated with the transaction authorized by this 99
section from the proceeds of the sale or lease of the real 100
property described in subsection (1) of this section, and the net 101
proceeds of the sale or lease shall be deposited into a special 102
fund in the State Treasury and shall be expended only for the 103
benefit of the University of Southern Mississippi. 104
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 105
and after July 1, 2026. 106