Appropriation; Military Department.

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To: Appropriations
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Hopson, Williams, DeLano,
Seymour, Simmons (13th), Tate

SENATE BILL NO. 3096
(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFRAYING 1
THE EXPENSES OF THE MISSISSIPPI NATIONAL GUARD FOR FISCAL YEAR 2
2027. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 4
SECTION 1. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 5
necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State 6
General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of 7
defraying the general expenses of the operation of the Mississippi 8
National Guard for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and 9
ending June 30, 2027........................... $ 13,969,082.00. 10
SECTION 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 11
necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Mississippi National 12
Guard, out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the 13
Camp Shelby Timber Fund No. 3700, as created by Chapter 187, Laws 14
of 1954, as amended; the Army National Guard Programs Fund No. 15
3701; the Camp Shelby Base Operations Fund No. 3705; and the Air 16
National Guard Programs Fund No. 3709, for the purpose of carrying 17
out the provisions of applicable statutes and federal/state 18
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agreements for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending 19
June 30, 2027.................................. $ 248,904,521.00. 20
SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of 21
this act, the following positions are authorized: 22
AUTHORIZED HEADCOUNT: 23
Permanent: 913 24
Time-Limited: 0 25
Any transfers or escalations shall be made in accordance with 26
the terms, conditions, and procedures established by law. 27
No general funds authorized to be expended herein shall be 28
used to replace federal funds and/or other special funds which are 29
being used for salaries authorized under the provisions of this 30
act and which are withdrawn and no longer available. 31
SECTION 4. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of 32
Section 2 of this act, funds in the amount of Five Million Eight 33
Hundred Thousand Dollars ($5,800,000.00) shall be derived from the 34
Education Enhancement Fund deposited pursuant to Sections 27-65-75 35
and 27-67-31, Mississippi Code of 1972, for the purpose of 36
defraying the expenses of the State Educational Assistance 37
Program. 38
SECTION 5. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 39
agency's budget request for Fiscal Year 2028 shall be submitted to 40
the Joint Legislative Budget Committee in a format and level of 41
detail comparable to the format and level of detail provided 42
during the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request process. 43
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SECTION 6. All funds authorized to be expended herein shall 44
be expended and otherwise accounted for in accordance with the 45
provisions of Section 27-104-1 et seq., Mississippi Code of 1972. 46
If not needed for other purposes, the Adjutant General is hereby 47
expressly authorized to invest any part of or all monies herein 48
appropriated out of the Camp Shelby Timber Fund at the highest 49
rate of interest obtainable and credit interest accruing on such 50
investments to the respective fund. Such monies may be invested 51
in any short-term bonds, notes or other direct obligations of the 52
United States of America or the State of Mississippi or any county 53
or municipality of this state, which said county or municipal 54
bonds have been approved by a reputable bonds attorney or have 55
been validated by a decree of the court, and in any event the said 56
bonds, notes or obligations in which such funds are invested shall 57
mature or be redeemable prior to the time the funds so invested 58
will be needed for the refund or refunds herein provided for. 59
SECTION 7. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this 60
act, Two Million Three Hundred Thirty-nine Thousand Six Hundred 61
Fourteen Dollars ($2,339,614.00) shall be provided for the support 62
of the Youth Challenge Program at Camp Shelby. 63
SECTION 8. Of the funds provided under the provisions of 64
this act, Six Hundred Sixty-eight Thousand Three Hundred Fifty-six 65
Dollars ($668,356.00) is provided for the Armed Forces Military 66
Museum located at Camp Shelby. 67
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SECTION 9. Of the funds appropriated to be expended in this 68
act, no General Funds shall be used to reimburse members and 69
personnel of the Mississippi National Guard for the costs 70
associated with attending authorized training. Any expenditure of 71
funds for the purpose of compensation of such personnel and 72
members for per diems and travel expenses shall be expended from 73
any federal funds which are made available to the Mississippi 74
National Guard for ancillary purposes. 75
SECTION 10. Of the funds provided under the provisions of 76
this act, an amount not to exceed Three Hundred Thousand Dollars 77
($300,000.00) is provided for the Sonny Montgomery Center for 78
America's Veterans at Mississippi State University. 79
SECTION 11. Of the funds provided in Sections 1 and 2 of 80
this act, Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) is provided for the 81
purchase of uniforms for the Youth Challenge Program staff. 82
SECTION 12. The Adjutant General of Mississippi is hereby 83
authorized to transfer any part of appropriated funds, including 84
general funds or capital expense funds, to special funds within 85
the Mississippi Military Department, to facilitate federal grant 86
matching requirements. Prior written notification of transfer 87
shall be provided to the Legislative Budget Office and the 88
Department of Finance and Administration. The Military Department 89
shall provide an annual report of all transfers to the Chairmen of 90
the Appropriations Committees and the Legislative Budget Office by 91
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October 1 each year, summarizing the status of projects funded by 92
transfers to special funds over the prior fiscal years. 93
SECTION 13. It is the intention of the Legislature that 94
whenever two (2) or more bids are received by this agency for the 95
purchase of commodities or equipment, and whenever all things 96
stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, 97
quality and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind 98
shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to 99
the Mississippi Industries for the Blind whenever purchases are 100
made without competitive bids. 101
SECTION 14. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 102
funds herein appropriated shall be expended in compliance with 103
Section 27-104-25, Mississippi Code of 1972, that no state agency 104
shall incur obligations or indebtedness in excess of its 105
appropriation and that the responsible officers, either personally 106
or upon their official bonds, shall be held responsible for 107
actions contrary to this provision. 108
SECTION 15. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1, Four 109
Million Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($4,400,00.00) is provided 110
for the Tricare Premium Reimbursement Program as created in SB 111
2018, 2026 Regular Session. If these funds are not fully 112
expended, they shall lapse back to the General Fund and will not 113
be subject to transfer to other programs. In accordance with SB 114
2018, a report on the effectiveness of the program, the number of 115
participants, and the impact on medical readiness shall be 116
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provided to the Lieutenant Governor's Office, the Speaker's 117
Office, the Chairmen of Appropriations in the House and Senate, 118
and the Legislative Budget Office on December 1, 2026. 119
SECTION 16. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions 120
of Section 2, Six Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($650,000.00), or 121
so much thereof, shall be derived out of any money in the State 122
Treasury to the credit of the Capital Expense Fund, as created in 123
Section 27-103-303, Mississippi Code of 1972, and allocated in a 124
manner as determined by the State Treasurer. These funds are 125
provided for the purchase of land within and adjacent to the Camp 126
Shelby training area for the purpose of expanding the training 127
area and security of the Camp Shelby buffer zone. If these funds 128
are not fully expended, they shall lapse back to the Capital 129
Expense Fund and will not be subject to transfer to other 130
programs. 131
SECTION 17. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 132
necessary, is reappropriated out of any money in the Capital 133
Expense Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the Military 134
Department for the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of 135
Capital Expense Funds for renovations, repairs, general operating 136
upgrades and additions at the Youth Challenge Academies 137
facilities, as authorized in Senate Bill No. 2034, 2025 First 138
Extraordinary Session, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, 139
and ending June 30, 2027....................... $ 1,912,701.00. 140
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ST: Appropriation; Military Department.
Notwithstanding the amount reappropriated under the 141
provisions of this section, in no event shall the amount expended 142
exceed the unexpended balances as of June 30, 2026. In addition, 143
this reappropriation shall not change the purpose for which the 144
funds were originally authorized. 145
SECTION 18. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by 146
the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury to the 147
credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in this act, upon 148
warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal 149
Officer shall issue his warrants upon requisitions signed by the 150
proper person, officer or officers, in the manner provided by law. 151
SECTION 19. This act shall take effect and be in force from 152
and after July 1, 2026. 153