Appropriation; Fair and Coliseum Commission - Livestock shows.

S. B. No. 3092 *SS15/A435.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~ A1/2
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To: Appropriations
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Hopson, DeBar, DeLano,
Barnett, McLendon, Sparks, Suber

SENATE BILL NO. 3092

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF 1
AGRICULTURE AND COMMERCE FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFRAYING THE EXPENSES 2
OF THE DIXIE NATIONAL LIVESTOCK SHOW; A ROUNDUP FOR JUNIOR 3
EXHIBITORS OF LIVESTOCK AND GOATS; SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS FOR 4
LIVESTOCK PREMIUMS; COUNTY LIVESTOCK SHOWS IN OFFERING AND PAYING 5
PRIZES OR AWARDS TO COMPETITORS IN APPROVED COUNTY LIVESTOCK 6
SHOWS; THE FIVE DISTRICT LIVESTOCK SHOWS; THE FIVE STATE DAIRY 7
SHOWS; THE MISSISSIPPI HIGH SCHOOL RODEO; AND TO PROVIDE HOW SAID 8
MONEY SHALL BE PAID OUT OF THE STATE TREASURY FOR FISCAL YEAR 9
2027. 10
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 11
SECTION 1. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 12
necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury 13
to the credit of the State Department of Agriculture and 14
Commerce's special fund account to the State Department of 15
Agriculture and Commerce for the purposes of defraying the costs 16
of prizes, premiums, judges and other actual and necessary costs 17
of putting on the Dixie National Livestock Show at the State 18
Fairgrounds in Jackson, Mississippi, for the fiscal year beginning 19
July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027......... $ 1,200,000.00. 20
SECTION 2. The following sums, or so much thereof as may be 21
necessary, are appropriated out of any money in the State General 22
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Fund, not otherwise appropriated, to the State Department of 23
Agriculture and Commerce as follows: 24
(a) For the support of annual roundup shows for junior 25
exhibitors of junior steers, junior breeding cattle, beef cattle, 26
dairy cattle, hogs, sheep and goats, for the fiscal year beginning 27
July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027............ $ 64,890.00. 28
(b) To supplement the funds paid by the State 29
Department of Agriculture and Commerce for livestock premiums at 30
the State Fair, all livestock premiums to be paid on the American 31
system of judging (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.) on all classes 32
entered in the senior division for the fiscal year beginning 33
July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027............ $ 22,000.00. 34
(c) For the county livestock shows in offering and 35
paying prizes or awards to competitors in the approved county 36
livestock shows of Mississippi, for the fiscal year beginning July 37
1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027.................. $ 30,000.00. 38
Provided, however, that of the amount herein appropriated in 39
paragraph (c) of this section, not more than Two Thousand Dollars 40
($2,000.00) shall be expended or used in any one (1) county of the 41
state during each fiscal year. Provided, further, that none of 42
the monies herein appropriated in paragraph (c) of this section 43
shall be used in offering or paying prizes or awards for any 44
livestock show that is not held where there are adequate barns, 45
pens, and other facilities available for such a show. 46
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Provided, further, in paragraph (c) of this section that the 47
management of such shows shall be in the hands of a county 48
livestock association, and such association shall guarantee a 49
minimum amount of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) to 50
be used in the paying of prizes, premiums, or awards, and after 51
said county show has been held and premiums paid, twenty-five 52
percent (25%) of the amount, not exceeding Five Hundred Dollars 53
($500.00), shall be paid upon requisition to the State Department 54
of Agriculture and Commerce. 55
Provided, further, in paragraph (c) of this section that in 56
any county which has two (2) shows with proper facilities, and a 57
contiguous county has no such fair and desires to participate in a 58
fair to be held in an adjoining county, each of the two (2) fairs 59
in one (1) county may receive an equal proportion of the funds 60
hereby appropriated, provided, both shows shall not receive an 61
aggregate sum of more than Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00). 62
(d) For the purpose of offering awards and prizes to 63
competitors in the five (5) district livestock shows, for the 64
fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027...... 65
.................................................. $ 65,000.00. 66
(e) For the purpose of offering awards and prizes to 67
competitors in the five (5) state dairy shows as provided in 68
Section 69-5-101 et seq., Mississippi Code of 1972, for the fiscal 69
year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027............. 70
.................................................. $ 8,500.00. 71
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Provided, further, that no part of the money herein 72
appropriated under the provisions of paragraphs (d) and (e) of 73
this section shall be used for any other purpose than to pay 74
premium awards at said shows and state shows and expositions 75
receiving legislative appropriation shall not conflict in dates in 76
order that livestock exhibitors may make the circuit of shows. 77
Provided, further, that none of the above-mentioned funds shall be 78
paid to any district shows unless shows are held prior to roundup. 79
Not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the funds herein 80
appropriated under the provisions of paragraphs (d) and (e) of 81
this section shall be used in awarding prizes or premiums to 4-H 82
Club members and Smith-Hughes School members and other boys and 83
girls having entries in said shows. 84
All funds herein appropriated under the provisions of 85
paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section for the five (5) district 86
livestock shows and the five (5) fall state dairy shows shall be 87
distributed in such manner that the livestock exhibitors will each 88
draw equal premium awards for comparable grades and placings at 89
each of the said five (5) district spring shows and the five (5) 90
fall state shows. The management of each district spring show and 91
each state fall show shall submit to the State Department of 92
Agriculture and Commerce, within fifteen (15) days after the close 93
of each said show, a full report on the number of exhibitors at 94
each said show, with the grades and placings of the different 95
classes of livestock exhibited. 96
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The State Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, together 97
with a committee of three (3) to be named by the President of the 98
Mississippi Livestock Council from that organization, shall 99
summarize and prepare a unified list of awards for like classes in 100
all spring district livestock shows and fall state dairy shows 101
receiving state premium money, as authorized in paragraphs (d) and 102
(e) of this section. The State Commissioner of Agriculture and 103
Commerce shall approve and present a requisition to the State 104
Fiscal Officer for the payment of the amount of funds in 105
paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section due each show and said 106
State Fiscal Officer shall issue his warrant thereon, and it shall 107
be paid by the State Treasurer. 108
Provided, however, as a condition of expenditure of the funds 109
appropriated in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section, that the 110
board of directors of any district livestock show may, in its 111
discretion, choose to hold its show in the fall instead of the 112
spring. If district shows are held in both spring and fall, then 113
all funds herein appropriated for the five (5) district livestock 114
shows shall be distributed in such a manner that the spring 115
livestock exhibitors will each draw equal premium awards for 116
comparable grades and placings at each district spring show, and 117
the fall livestock exhibitors will each draw equal premium awards 118
for comparable grades and placings at each district fall show. 119
(f) For promotion and expenses of the winners of the 120
Mississippi High School Rodeo for attending the national finals, 121
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for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending 122
June 30, 2027..................................... $ 14,150.00. 123
(g) For promotion and expenses of the winners of the 124
Mississippi Junior High School Rodeo for attending the national 125
finals, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending 126
June 30, 2027..................................... $ 12,000.00. 127
(h) For the support of the Southern Cutting Futurity 128
Championship, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and 129
ending June 30, 2027.............................. $ 50,000.00. 130
SECTION 3. Of the funds in Section 2 of this act, any funds 131
that are remaining at the end of the fiscal year may be 132
transferred between the different show awards and prize monies, 133
with the exception that no county show in Section 2(c) of this act 134
shall receive more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00). 135
SECTION 4. It is the intention of the Legislature that 136
whenever two (2) or more bids are received by this agency for the 137
purchase of commodities or equipment, and whenever all things 138
stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, 139
quality and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind 140
shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to 141
the Mississippi Industries for the Blind whenever purchases are 142
made without competitive bids. 143
SECTION 5. The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and 144
Commerce is authorized to accept and expend any grant, donation, 145
or contribution from any individual, public, or private 146
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ST: Appropriation; Fair and Coliseum Commission
- Livestock shows.
organization, or government entity for purposes of defraying the 147
operational costs of the department. Such grants, donations, or 148
contributions shall be received and expended under the rules and 149
regulations of the Department of Finance and Administration in a 150
manner consistent with the escalation of federal funds not to 151
exceed One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00). 152
The Commissioner of Agriculture shall notify, in writing, the 153
Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 154
the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Chairman 155
of the House Appropriations A Committee, and the Legislative 156
Budget Office of any escalation. The written notification shall 157
include the justification for the escalation of funds, the amount, 158
and how the funds will be used. This written notification shall 159
be sent on or before the fifteenth day of the month prior to the 160
effective date of the escalation. 161
SECTION 6. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by 162
the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury to the 163
credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in this act, upon 164
warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal 165
Officer shall issue his warrants upon requisitions signed by the 166
proper person, officer or officers in the manner provided by law. 167
SECTION 7. This act shall take effect and be in force from 168
and after July 1, 2026. 169