The Mississippi House of Representatives and Senate had a productive week churning through bills as the deadline for original floor action on general bills and constitutional amendments in their respective chambers was on Thursday, March 14. Appropriations bills in both chambers have been filed throughout this week as the Legislature prepares to begin the early stages of crafting a state budget. After Thursday’s legislative deadline, nearly 40 bills died on the calendar between both the House and Senate. Currently, 1,176 bills are still alive and will continue to be worked on by both chambers as deadlines approach in a few weeks.
On Monday, the Mississippi House of Representatives took up multiple bills of note. House Bill 1229, authored by House Education Committee Chairman Rob Roberson (R-Starkville), passed the House overwhelmingly with 118 yeas, 0 nays, and 4 absent or not voting. HB 1229 would extend the repealer of the Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Act from 2024 to 2027. On Wednesday, the House passed HB 1683, authored by Representative Jansen Owen (R-Poplarville), which would revise the Charter School Act of 2013 to expand opportunity for establishment of charter schools. HB 1683 passed with an amendment that would give certain charter school employees an annual salary supplement of $6,000. The Senate also passed significant education legislation in Senate Bill 2689, authored by Senator Dennis Debar (R-Leakesville), to discontinue end-of-course subject area testing in public high schools for 11th and 12th grades. In place of the end-of-course subject area test, testing would be nationally recognized college readiness and career readiness exams such as the ACT and the ACT WorkKeys Assessment.
On Wednesday, the Senate, with 44 yeas and 8 nays, passed out their Medicaid technical bill, SB 2823, authored by Sen. Kevin Blackwell (R-Southaven). Also this week, the Senate passed multiple bills aimed at prescription drugs. SB 2145, the Defending Affordable Drug Costs Act, prohibits insurance companies, pharmacy benefit managers, and other third-party payors and drug manufacturers and distributors from engaging in certain discriminatory actions to entities participating in the federal 340B drug discount program. SB 2733 would create the Mississippi Wholesale Prescription Drug Program and provide that the Division of Medicaid shall establish the program to provide prescription drugs available outside the United States to consumers in the state at a lower cost. Both SB 2145 and SB 2733 are authored by Sen. Brice Wiggins (R-Pascagoula). The House passed their own 340B protection bill, HB 728, with 83 yeas and 31 nays. Notably, the Senate killed their Medicaid expansion bill this week and announced they would make their plan known when they amend the expansion bill that came over from the House.
The Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) dominated discussions leading into this year’s legislative session. This week, the House passed an amended HB 1590, authored by Rep. Hank Zuber (R-Ocean Springs), by 85 yeas and 34 nays. HB 1590 would reconstitute the PERS Board of Trustees and rescind the scheduled employer’s contribution rate previously approved by the PERS Board. Under HB 1590, the new PERS Board of Trustees would consist of the State Treasurer, the Commissioner of Revenue, four appointees by the Governor, three appointees of the Lieutenant Governor, one retired member of PERS receiving allowance from the system, and one member in the PERS system that has at least 10 years of creditable service. This has generated an enormous amount of opposition from PERS members, and the Legislature is hearing from constituents. This was the opening salvo in what will be a long and complicated discussion throughout the rest of the Session.
Senate appropriations bills have been introduced this week, with committee and floor action expected next week. The House also started the annual appropriations process by passing the first action of all the bills that originated in that chamber. On Thursday, they passed their initial version of the Mississippi Department of Transportation budget in HB 1826. Within the initial version, following funds were included: $250 million to the Capacity Project Fund, $40 million to the Infrastructure Match Fund, $60 million to the Emergency Road and Bridge Fund, $20 million to the Strategic Multi-Modal Investments Fund, and $5.6 million in the Local Improvements Projects Fund. Another transportation bill to note that passed this week is SB 2645, authored by Sen. Jenifer Branning (R-Philadelphia). SB 2645 would update certain publication and bid award requirements, revise the requirements for design-build projects for the Mississippi Transportation Commission, and would allow the Mississippi Transportation Commission to utilize federally approved alternative contracting methods.
Bills of note that died (in several cases, there is an active version coming from the opposite chamber):
- SB 2691: Open enrollment; allow school district transfer if transferee board accepts, guarantee for active-duty military children.
- SB 2686: The Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Act; extend repealer.
- SB 2487: Short-line railroads; authorize towns to acquire, restore, construct, own, operate and dispose of.
- SB 2735: Medicaid reimbursement, services, beneficiaries, hospital assessment and premium tax; bring forward sections.
- HB 1449: The “Mississippi Student Freedom Act”; create to establish Magnolia Scholarship Accounts for certain eligible students.
- HB 1612: Pharmacy benefit managers; revise provisions relating to.
Upcoming deadlines in March:
- Monday, March 25: Deadline for making requests for appropriation and revenue bills to be drafted.
- Wednesday, March 27: Deadline for original floor action on appropriation and revenue bills originating in own house.
- Thursday, March 28: Deadline for reconsideration and passage of appropriation and revenue bills originating in own house.
- Friday, March 29: Deadline to dispose of motions to reconsider appropriation and revenue bills originating in own house.