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To: Ports and Marine
Resources; Accountability,
Efficiency, Transparency
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Blount, Norwood, Frazier,
Mumford
SENATE BILL NO. 2649
AN ACT TO REPEAL SECTION 61-3-6, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
WHICH CREATES THE JACKSON METROPOLITAN AREA AIRPORT AUTHORITY; TO 2
AMEND SECTIONS 61-3-3 AND 61-3-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 3
CONFORM TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 5
SECTION 1. Section 61-3-6, Mississippi Code of 1972, which 6
creates the Jackson Metropolitan Area Airport Authority, is 7
repealed. 8
SECTION 2. Section 61-3-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 9
amended as follows: 10
61-3-3. The following words or terms, whenever used or 11
referred to in this chapter, shall have the following respective 12
meanings unless different meanings clearly appear from the 13
context: 14
(a) "Airport" means any area of land or water which is 15
used, or intended for use, for the landing and taking off of 16
aircraft, and any appurtenant areas which are used, or intended 17
for use, for airport buildings or other airport facilities or 18
rights-of-way, or for other appropriate purposes, including buffer 19
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areas and areas for airport-compatible development, together with 20
all buildings and facilities located thereon. 21
(b) "Airport-related contracts, leases and other 22
arrangements" means any leases, contracts or other arrangements 23
entered into by an authority in accordance with Section 61-3-21 24
other than any: 25
(i) Unrelated contracts, leases and other 26
arrangements, as defined in this section; and 27
(ii) Leases, contracts or other arrangements 28
related primarily to buffer areas or other such areas for 29
airport-compatible development and any buildings or facilities 30
located thereon. 31
(c) "Airport authority" or "authority" means any 32
regional airport or municipal airport authority created pursuant 33
to the provisions of this chapter. 34
(d) "Airport hazard" means any structure, object or 35
natural growth, or use of land which obstructs the airspace 36
required for the flight of aircraft in landing or taking off at an 37
airport, or is otherwise hazardous to such landing or taking off 38
of aircraft. 39
(e) "Air navigation facility" means any facility other 40
than one owned and operated by the United States, used in, 41
available for use in, or designed for use in aid of air 42
navigation, including any structures, mechanisms, lights, beacons, 43
markers, communicating systems, or other instrumentalities, or 44
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devices used or useful as an aid, or constituting an advantage or 45
convenience, to the safe taking off, navigation and landing of 46
aircraft, or the safe and efficient operation or maintenance of an 47
airport, and any combination of any or all of such facilities. 48
(f) "Clerk" means the custodian of the official records 49
of a municipality. 50
( * * *g) "Bonds" means any bonds, notes, interim 51
certificates, debentures or similar obligations issued by an 52
authority pursuant to this chapter. 53
( * * *h) "Governing body" means the official or 54
officials authorized by law to exercise ordinance or other 55
lawmaking powers of a municipality. 56
( * * *i) "Local government" means any local 57
governmental unit as defined in Section 17-13-5. 58
( * * *j) "Municipal airport authority" or "municipal 59
authority" means a municipal airport authority created pursuant to 60
the provisions of Section 61-3-5 * * *. 61
( * * *k) "Municipality" means any county, supervisors 62
district or supervisors districts, or all that portion of the 63
county lying outside the territorial boundaries of any named city, 64
town or village, and a city, town and village of this state or any 65
state-supported institution of higher learning or any public 66
community or junior college. 67
( * * *l) "Person" means any individual, firm, 68
partnership, corporation, company, association, joint-stock 69
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association or body politic, and includes any trustee, receiver, 70
assignee or other similar representative thereof. 71
( * * *m) "Regional airport authority" or "regional 72
authority" means a regional airport authority created pursuant to 73
the provisions of Section 61-3-7. 74
( * * *n) "Unrelated contracts, leases and other 75
arrangements" means any lease, contract or other arrangement 76
entered into by the authority in accordance with Section 61-3-21 77
pursuant to which the current, primary use of the structures, 78
improvements or other facilities erected, installed, constructed 79
or located in connection therewith are substantially unrelated to 80
the support of the following airport-related activities: 81
(i) The taking off and landing of commercial and 82
private aircraft at the airport or air navigation facility; 83
(ii) The maintenance or repair of commercial or 84
private aircraft taking off and landing at the airport or air 85
navigation facility; 86
(iii) The storage, via hanger or otherwise, of 87
commercial or private aircraft taking off and landing at the 88
airport or air navigation facility; 89
(iv) The shipping or transporting of freight by 90
aircraft at the airport or air navigation facility; 91
(v) The provision of ground and air transportation 92
services to commercial or private aircraft passengers; 93
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(vi) The supplying of goods, commodities, things, 94
services or facilities primarily: 95
1. To commercial and private aircraft taking 96
off and landing at the airport or air navigation facility; or 97
2. Within the airport terminal building to 98
commercial or private aircraft passengers in the process of 99
traveling on such aircraft. 100
(vii) Any fixed base operator activities providing 101
aviation services at the airport or air navigation facility. 102
SECTION 3. Section 61-3-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 103
amended as follows: 104
61-3-5. Any municipality or a state-supported institution of 105
higher learning or a public community or junior college, by 106
resolution, may create a public body, corporate and politic, to be 107
known as a municipal airport authority, which shall be authorized 108
to exercise its functions upon the appointment and qualification 109
of the first commissioners thereof. Upon the adoption of a 110
resolution creating a municipal airport authority, the governing 111
body of the municipality or of the state-supported institution of 112
higher learning or other public community or junior college, 113
pursuant to the resolution, shall appoint five (5) persons as 114
commissioners of the authority. The commissioners who are first 115
appointed shall be designated to serve for terms of one (1), two 116
(2), three (3), four (4) and five (5) years, respectively. 117
Thereafter, each commissioner shall be appointed for a term of 118
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ST: Jackson Airport takeover; repeal provisions
regarding.
five (5) years, except that vacancies occurring otherwise than by 119
the expiration of term shall be filled for the unexpired term in 120
the same manner as the original appointments. * * * 121
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from 122
and after July 1, 2026. 123