SB3071 • 2026

Appropriation; Gulf Coast Restoration Funds to the Mississippi Development Authority.

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION AND A REAPPROPRIATION TO THE MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO AUTHORIZE AND REAUTHORIZE THE EXPENDITURE OF GULF COAST RESTORATION FUNDS PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED FOR PROJECTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027.

Budget

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Hopson, DeBar, Blackwell, McLendon, Parks, Simmons (13th), Wiggins
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Law
Effective date: July 1, 20

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide detailed descriptions of how each project will be carried out or the exact limits on reappropriated funds.

Appropriation for Gulf Coast Restoration Projects

This act provides funding from the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund to the Mississippi Development Authority for various projects aimed at restoring and developing areas along the coast.

What This Bill Does

Provides $41,092,000 in funds from the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund to the Mississippi Development Authority for fiscal year 2027.
Reauthorizes previous appropriations made under Senate Bill No. 2047 up to an unexpended balance of $30,898,945.

Who It Names or Affects

The Mississippi Development Authority receives funding for projects.
Local units of government, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, ports, airports, public-private partnerships, private entities, and local economic development groups benefit from the allocated funds.

Terms To Know

Gulf Coast Restoration Fund: A fund established to support projects aimed at restoring areas affected by environmental damage along Mississippi's Gulf Coast.
Mississippi Development Authority: An agency responsible for managing and distributing funds allocated for economic development and restoration projects in the state of Mississippi.

Limits and Unknowns

The Governor partially vetoed this bill, which may affect how some provisions are implemented.
Specific details about each project's implementation are not provided in the summary text.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
04/13 Partially Vetoed By Governor
2026-04-02 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
04/02 (H) Enrolled Bill Signed
2026-04-02 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
04/02 (S) Enrolled Bill Signed
2026-03-31 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
03/31 (H) Motion to Reconsider Tabled
2026-03-30 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
03/30 (H) Motion to Reconsider Entered (Ladner, Mims)
2026-03-30 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
03/30 (H) Conference Report Adopted
2026-03-30 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
03/30 (S) Conference Report Adopted
2026-03-30 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
03/30 (S) Conference Report Filed
2026-03-30 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
03/30 (H) Conference Report Filed
2026-03-29 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
03/29 (S) Recommitted For Further Conf
2026-03-29 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
03/29 (H) Recommitted For Further Conf
2026-03-27 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
03/27 (S) Conference Report Filed
2026-03-27 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
03/27 (H) Conference Report Filed
2026-03-19 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
03/19 (H) Conferees Named Mims,Cockerham,Barton
2026-03-19 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
03/19 (S) Conferees Named Hopson,Blackwell,Wiggins
2026-03-17 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
03/17 (S) Decline to Concur/Invite Conf
2026-03-13 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
03/13 (H) Returned For Concurrence
2026-03-12 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
03/12 (H) Passed As Amended
2026-03-12 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
03/12 (H) Amended
2026-03-11 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
03/11 (H) Title Suff Do Pass As Amended
2026-03-11 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
03/11 (H) DR - TSDPAA: AP To A3
2026-03-11 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
03/11 (H) DR - TSDPAA: A3 To AP
2026-02-24 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
02/24 (H) Referred To Appropriations D;Appropriations A
2026-02-23 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
02/23 (S) Transmitted To House
2026-02-19 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
02/19 (S) Passed
2026-02-18 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
02/18 (S) Title Suff Do Pass
2026-02-17 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
02/17 (S) Referred To Appropriations

Official Summary Text

Appropriation; Gulf Coast Restoration Funds to the Mississippi Development Authority.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

S. B. No. 3071 *SS26/A417SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ A1/2
26/SS26/A417SG
PAGE 1

To: Appropriations
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Hopson, DeBar, Blackwell,
McLendon, Parks, Simmons (13th), Wiggins

SENATE BILL NO. 3071
(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION AND A REAPPROPRIATION TO THE 1
MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO AUTHORIZE AND REAUTHORIZE THE 2
EXPENDITURE OF GULF COAST RESTORATION FUNDS PREVIOUSLY 3
APPROPRIATED FOR PROJECTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 5
SECTION 1. The following sum of money, or so much thereof as 6
may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the 7
Gulf Coast Restoration Fund, as created in Section 57-119-1 8
Mississippi Code of 1972, not otherwise appropriated to the 9
Mississippi Development Authority. These funds are provided for 10
projects as outlined in Section 57-119-9, Mississippi Code of 11
1972, for assistance to local units of government, nongovernmental 12
organizations, institutions of higher learning, community 13
colleges, ports, airports, public-private partnerships, private 14
for-profit entities, private nonprofit entities and local economic 15
development entities for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, 16
and ending June 30, 2027........................ $ 41,092,000.00. 17
(a) To assist the City of Moss Point with 18
the Highway 63/Escatawpa Natural Gas Pipeline 19
S. B. No. 3071 *SS26/A417SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/A417SG
PAGE 2

Installation.................................... $ 2,800,000.00 20
(b) To assist the Pearl River County Board 21
of Supervisors with the Pearl River County 22
Industrial Park Speculative Building............ $ 4,000,000.00 23
(c) To assist the City of Diamondhead 24
with the Commercial District Transformation 25
Phase IV........................................ $ 2,000,000.00 26
(d) To assist the City of Ocean Springs 27
with Public Works Redevelopment and Relocation 28
Phase I and II.................................. $ 1,500,000.00 29
(e) To assist the City of Lucedale with 30
Cowart Street Improvements...................... $ 1,764,000.00 31
(f) To assist the George County Board of 32
Supervisors with the Industrial Park Water 33
System Expansion Project........................ $ 1,029,000.00 34
(g) To assist the LaPointe-Krebs Foundation 35
with the development of a new LaPointe-Krebs 36
Interpretive Center............................. $ 900,000.00 37
(h) To assist the Lucedale-George County 38
Historical Society with the Lucedale-George 39
County History Museum........................... $ 150,000.00 40
(i) To assist the Mississippi Gulf Coast 41
Coliseum with the Coliseum Expansion............ $ 5,476,000.00 42
(j) To assist Jackson County Economic 43
Development Foundation for the Bollinger 44
S. B. No. 3071 *SS26/A417SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/A417SG
PAGE 3

Shipyards with Bollinger Mississippi 45
Shipbuilding Bulkhead Rehabilitation............ $ 5,000,000.00 46
(k) To assist the Memorial Hospital 47
Foundation with Memorial Multispecialty 48
Center Construction............................. $ 3,000,000.00 49
(l) To assist the Stone County Board 50
of Supervisors with the Inda Industrial Park 51
Land/Sewer Project.............................. $ 2,548,000.00 52
(m) To assist the City of Waveland with 53
Waterfront Improvements......................... $ 750,000.00 54
(n) To assist the Harrison County Sheriff's 55
Department with Law Enforcement Training Academy 56
Improvements Phase II........................... $ 3,500,000.00 57
(o) To assist the Singing River Health 58
System with Healthcare Academy Expansion 59
Initiative Phase II............................. $ 675,000.00 60
(p) To assist Long Beach Harbor with Long 61
Beach Harbor Complex Restoration................ $ 1,500,000.00 62
(q) To assist Hancock County Port and 63
Harbor Commission with Stennis International 64
Airport Site 1 Hangar Development............... $ 2,000,000.00 65
(r) To assist William Carey University with 66
Tradition Campus Student Housing................ $ 1,500,000.00 67
(s) To assist the Mississippi Songwriters 68
Alliance with the design of Exhibits and 69
S. B. No. 3071 *SS26/A417SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/A417SG
PAGE 4

Improvements to the Mississippi Songwriters 70
Performing Arts Center.......................... $ 1,000,000.00 71
SECTION 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 72
necessary, is reappropriated out of any money in the Gulf Coast 73
Restoration Fund not otherwise appropriated for the Mississippi 74
Development Authority for the purpose of reauthorizing the 75
expenditure of Gulf Coast Restoration Fund, as authorized in 76
Senate Bill No. 2047, 2025 First Extraordinary Session, for the 77
fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027...... 78
......................................... $ 30,898,945.00. 79
Notwithstanding the amount reappropriated under this section, 80
the amount that may be expended under the authority of this 81
section shall not exceed the unexpended balance of the funds 82
remaining as of June 30, 2026, from the amount authorized for the 83
previous fiscal year. In addition, this reappropriation shall not 84
change the purpose for which the funds were originally authorized. 85
Of the funds reappropriated in this section the following 86
sums are provided for projects: 87
(a) To assist the City of Diamondhead with a 88
Commercial District Transformation Project.......... $ 1,479,246.00 89
(b) To assist the City of Moss Point with 90
the Moss Point-Point of Connection Road............. $ 200,000.00 91
(c) To assist the City of Long Beach with 92
the Long Beach Harbor Complex Restoration........... $ 3,500,000.00 93
(d) To assist the Pascagoula Redevelopment 94
S. B. No. 3071 *SS26/A417SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/A417SG
PAGE 5

Authority with the City of Pascagoula Rail Line 95
Development Plan.................................... $ 1,500,000.00 96
(e) To assist the Pearl River County Board of 97
Supervisors with the Pearl River County Industrial 98
Park Infrastructure and Site Development............ $ 1,091,552.00 99
(f) To assist the Hancock County Port and 100
Harbor Commission with the Technology Park and Site 101
Development at Stennis Airport Phase................ $ 1,633,756.00 102
(g) To assist Mississippi State University 103
Research and Technology Corporation with Continued 104
Development of the Mississippi Cyber Center 105
Project............................................. $ 912,165.00 106
(h) To assist the City of Gulfport with the 107
Daniel Boulevard Extension and Connector Road 108
between Highway 49 and Canal Road................... $ 4,600,000.00 109
(i) To assist the City of Lucedale with 110
the Lucedale Municipal Park Stage................... $ 191,769.00 111
(j) To assist the City of Moss Point with 112
the Highway 63/Escatawpa Natural Gas Pipeline 113
Installation........................................ $ 1,750,000.00 114
(k) To assist the Moss Point Redevelopment 115
Authority with the Moss Point Downtown 116
Revitalization...................................... $ 930,500.00 117
(l) To assist the George County Board of 118
Supervisors with a Grain Elevator/River Road 119
S. B. No. 3071 *SS26/A417SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/A417SG
PAGE 6

Rehabilitation...................................... $ 27,019.00 120
(m) To assist the Jackson County Economic 121
Development Foundation with the Sunplex Light 122
Industrial Park Site Improvements and Trent Lott 123
Airport............................................. $ 2,000,000.00 124
(n) To assist the Pearl River County Board 125
of Supervisors with the Pearl River County 126
Technology Park Phase I and Site Development........ $ 1,581,664.00 127
(o) To assist the City of Bay St. Louis 128
with a Downtown ADA Boardwalk....................... $ 1,357,438.00 129
(p) To assist the City of Ocean Springs 130
with Mary C. O'Keefe Cultural Arts Center 131
Renovations and Signage............................. $ 700,000.00 132
(q) To assist the Gulf Hills Resort with the 133
Development of 2,000 feet of Blueway Waterfront 134
with Public Marina Access........................... $ 156,032.00 135
(r) To assist the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of 136
Arts with Completion of the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum 137
Campus.............................................. $ 204,002.00 138
(s) To assist the University of Southern 139
Mississippi with the USM Visualization and 140
Digital Multimedia Center of Excellence............. $ 1,483,802.00 141
(t) To assist Pinchers Seafood with a 142
Working Waterfront.................................. $ 3,600,000.00 143
(u) To assist the City of Ocean Springs with 144
S. B. No. 3071 *SS26/A417SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/A417SG
PAGE 7

Public Works Redevelopment and Relocation........... $ 2,000,000.00 145
SECTION 3. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 146
necessary, is reappropriated out of any money in the Gulf Coast 147
Restoration Fund not otherwise appropriated for the Mississippi 148
Development Authority for the purpose of reauthorizing the 149
expenditure of Gulf Coast Restoration Fund, as authorized in 150
Senate Bill No. 2047, 2025 First Extraordinary Session, for the 151
fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027...... 152
.................................................. $ 23,552,981.00. 153
Notwithstanding the amount reappropriated under this section, 154
the amount that may be expended under the authority of this 155
section shall not exceed the unexpended balance of the funds 156
remaining as of June 30, 2026, from the amount authorized for the 157
previous fiscal year. In addition, this reappropriation shall not 158
change the purpose for which the funds were originally authorized. 159
Of the funds reappropriated in this section the following sums are 160
provided for projects: 161
(a) To assist the Gulfport Redevelopment 162
Commission for the completion of the second and 163
final phase of a mixed-use, downtown redevelopment 164
project, including public use components, so as 165
to leverage public and private investment........... $ 8,000,000.00 166
(b) To assist the City of Pass Christian 167
with the Water Front Redevelopment Plan............. $ 2,375,293.00 168
(c) To assist the Pascagoula Redevelopment 169
S. B. No. 3071 *SS26/A417SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/A417SG
PAGE 8

Authority with the City of Pascagoula Rail Line 170
Development Plan.................................... $ 617,058.00 171
(d) To assist the City of Biloxi with the 172
Popp's Ferry Extension Project...................... $ 2,039,952.00 173
(e) To assist the City of Waveland with 174
the Waveland Marina Phase I......................... $ 2,000,000.00 175
(f) To assist the Ocean Springs 176
Redevelopment Authority or the City of Ocean 177
Springs with Projects............................... $ 2,000,000.00 178
(g) To assist the City of Moss Point with 179
Moss Point's Magnificent Mile 2.0................... $ 2,000,000.00 180
(h) To assist the City of Long Beach with 181
the Long Beach Harbor Complex Restoration........... $ 1,000,000.00 182
(i) To assist the Ocean Springs Collective 183
with Ocean Springs Collective Projects.............. $ 20,678.00 184
(j) To assist the Mississippi Export 185
Railroad with Mississippi Export Projects........... $ 3,500,000.00 186
SECTION 4. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 187
necessary, is reappropriated out of any money in the Gulf Coast 188
Restoration Fund not otherwise appropriated for the Mississippi 189
Development Authority for the purpose of reauthorizing the 190
expenditure of Gulf Coast Restoration Fund, as authorized in 191
Senate Bill No. 2047, 2025 First Extraordinary Session, for the 192
fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027...... 193
.................................................. $ 24,656,979.00. 194
S. B. No. 3071 *SS26/A417SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/A417SG
PAGE 9

Notwithstanding the amount reappropriated under this section, 195
the amount that may be expended under the authority of this 196
section shall not exceed the unexpended balance of the funds 197
remaining as of June 30, 2026, from the amount authorized for the 198
previous fiscal year. In addition, this reappropriation shall not 199
change the purpose for which the funds were originally authorized. 200
Of the funds reappropriated in this section the following 201
sums are provided for projects: 202
(a) To assist the Mississippi State 203
University Research and Technology Corporation 204
with the design and construction of the 205
Mississippi Cyber Center........................... $ 10,678,017.00 206
(b) To assist the University of Southern 207
Mississippi Ocean Enterprise....................... $ 3,406,543.00 208
(c) To assist the Stone County Board of 209
Supervisors with the Piney Wood Pellet Mill 210
road, rail and bypass.............................. $ 2,420,723.00 211
(d) To assist the Gulfport Redevelopment 212
Commission for Phase I of a planned 3-phase 213
project of downtown redevelopment to be used on 214
a public use project so as to leverage public 215
and private investment............................. $ 2,500,000.00 216
(e) To assist the Pascagoula Redevelopment 217
with downtown revitalization project............... $ 1,879,495.00 218
(f) To assist the City of Gulfport with 219
S. B. No. 3071 *SS26/A417SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/A417SG
PAGE 10

flood control and/or drainage for the 220
Forest Heights Project............................. $ 1,092,110.00 221
(g) To assist the City of Moss Point with 222
the Interstate 10 Frontage Roads, North and 223
South.............................................. $ 1,752,394.00 224
(h) To assist Pearl River Community College 225
PRCC Aviation Aerospace Academy.................... $ 42,232.00 226
(i) To assist the City of Bay St. Louis 227
with the Court Street Parking facility, expansion 228
and improvements................................... $ 13,208.00 229
(j) To assist the Walter Anderson Museum 230
with Phase 3 and Phase 4........................... $ 565,650.00 231
(k) To assist the City of Lucedale with 232
Ventura Drive Improvements......................... $ 306,607.00 233
SECTION 5. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 234
necessary, is reappropriated out of any money in the Gulf Coast 235
Restoration Fund not otherwise appropriated for the Mississippi 236
Development Authority for the purpose of reauthorizing the 237
expenditure of Gulf Coast Restoration Fund, as authorized in 238
Senate Bill No. 2047, 2025 First Extraordinary Session, for the 239
fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027...... 240
.................................................. $ 12,300,072.00. 241
Notwithstanding the amount reappropriated under this section, 242
the amount that may be expended under the authority of this 243
section shall not exceed the unexpended balance of the funds 244
S. B. No. 3071 *SS26/A417SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/A417SG
PAGE 11

remaining as of June 30, 2026, from the amount authorized for the 245
previous fiscal year. In addition, this reappropriation shall not 246
change the purpose for which the funds were originally authorized. 247
Of the funds reappropriated in this section, the following sums 248
are provided for projects recommended by the department and 249
projects that meet the criteria outlined in Section 57-119-9, 250
Mississippi Code of 1972: 251
(a) To assist the University of Southern 252
Mississippi with the Ocean Enterprise Phase I...... $ 1,444,556.00 253
(b) To assist the Walter Anderson Museum 254
Creative Complex Phase I and begin Phase II........ $ 366,299.00 255
Of the funds reappropriated in this section, the following 256
sums are provided for projects that meet the criteria outlined in 257
Section 57-119-9, Mississippi Code of 1972: 258
(a) To assist the Port of Pascagoula with 259
the North Rail Connector........................... $ 6,600,000.00 260
(b) To assist the Institute for Marine 261
Mammal Studies with Educational Classrooms and 262
Dorms.............................................. $ 2,990,575.00 263
(c) To assist the City of Long Beach 264
with development and revitalization................ $ 410,731.00 265
(d) To assist the City of Long Beach 266
with the Quarles House............................. $ 386,969.00 267
(e) To assist George County with the 268
Mississippi Export Railroad for the Enviva 269
S. B. No. 3071 *SS26/A417SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/A417SG
PAGE 12

Project............................................ $ 100,942.00 270
SECTION 6. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 271
necessary, is reappropriated out of any money in the Gulf Coast 272
Restoration Fund not otherwise appropriated for the Mississippi 273
Development Authority for the purpose of reauthorizing the 274
expenditure of Gulf Coast Restoration Fund, as authorized in 275
Senate Bill No. 2047, 2025 First Extraordinary Session, for the 276
fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027...... 277
.................................................. $ 3,500,000.00. 278
Notwithstanding the amount reappropriated under this section, 279
the amount that may be expended under the authority of this 280
section shall not exceed the unexpended balance of the funds 281
remaining as of June 30, 2026, from the amount authorized for the 282
previous fiscal year. In addition, this reappropriation shall not 283
change the purpose for which the funds were originally authorized. 284
Of the funds reappropriated in this section the following 285
sums are provided for the following programs: 286
(a) For the Mississippi Development Authority 287
and the Air Service Development Incentive 288
Program for the Gulfport/Biloxi International 289
Airport............................................ $ 2,500,000.00 290
(b) For the Mississippi Development 291
Authority and the Quality of Place Incentives 292
Program............................................ $ 1,000,000.00 293
S. B. No. 3071 *SS26/A417SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/A417SG
PAGE 13
ST: Appropriation; Gulf Coast Restoration Funds
to the Mississippi Development Authority.
SECTION 7. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by 294
the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury to the 295
credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in this act, upon 296
warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal 297
Officer shall issue his warrants upon requisitions signed by the 298
proper person, officer or officers, in the manner provided by law. 299
SECTION 8. This act shall take effect and be in force from 300
and after July 1, 2026. 301