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MississippiSB 30532026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

Appropriation; IHL - General support.

Sponsored By: Hopson

Signed by Governor

Appropriations EAppropriations AAppropriations

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

17 provisions identified: 13 benefits, 3 costs, 1 mixed.

Major funding to run state universities

For FY 2027 (July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027), the state funds public universities with $379,154,701 from the State General Fund, $1,310,271,056 from federal, student fees, and other special funds, and $72,873,070 from the Education Enhancement Fund. The Board of Trustees allocates this money to the eight universities for operations and support. Small interest fund payments of $80,396 also go to named schools.

Raises for professors and adjuncts

For FY 2027, the state sets aside $12,013,848 to cover what equals a $2,000 raise for professors and adjunct professors at the eight state universities. Each university leader decides how to implement the raise. Not every instructor is guaranteed the increase.

Campus buildings and repairs get funds

The law provides $40,000,000 in FY 2027 for university construction, repairs, and renovations. Up to $6,500,000 may fix roads, parking, drainage, and structure at the IHL Education and Research Center in Jackson. The rest is split: half by each school’s building square footage, and half by average in‑person enrollment for Fall 2025 and Spring 2026. It also reauthorizes earlier capital funds for specific projects at Ole Miss, MUW, Alcorn, Jackson State, Delta State, and USM.

Fair funding for off-campus classes

Off‑campus centers must get at least 65% of the on‑campus cost per full‑time student. Centers run by more than one school split funds by each center’s share of students. Schools cannot pass along indirect or overhead costs from on‑campus activities—only direct costs. The Board must also use special funds first to pay for student remediation.

No state-paid utilities in employee housing

Beginning July 1, 2026, the state cannot use these funds to pay utilities for state-furnished single-family or multifamily housing. Dorms are excluded. Agencies must add meters where they cannot tell the actual cost. Employees in these homes now pay bills like electricity, gas, cable, and phone.

No overspending; annual deficit reports required

State universities cannot spend beyond their approved budgets. Officers who let schools run up debts can be held personally responsible. Each year, the IHL Board reports to lawmakers on every school’s compliance with the ban on deficit spending.

Opioid training and data at universities

The state provides $1,400,000 from the Opioid Settlement Fund in FY 2027. Mississippi State University gets $700,000 for training on overdose‑reversal drugs and treatment options. The University of Mississippi gets $700,000 to build a statewide data repository and dashboard on opioid and polysubstance use.

Support for child therapy and early help

The law funds children’s therapy and early intervention work. USM’s Children’s Center gets $900,000. The DuBard School gets $1,100,000, plus $200,000 reauthorized for early intervention work. The T.K. Martin Center gets $600,000 for an early intervention study and $50,000 reauthorized. These funds back services and research; families do not get cash directly.

Ayers endowment support for three universities

The law provides $1,500,000 from Ayers Endowment interest in FY 2027: Alcorn State $424,500; Jackson State $651,000; Mississippi Valley State $424,500. The funds must be used for the endowment’s stated purposes.

Model rural PreK–6 school funded

The state reauthorizes $1,325,190 from the Education Enhancement Fund for FY 2027 to help design, build, run, and maintain a model rural school. It serves PreK–6 students from Bolivar County in partnership with the Cleveland School District. Spending is limited to the unspent balance as of June 30, 2026.

Regional and cultural campus programs funded

The law funds several campus programs in FY 2027. MSU’s Meridian Branch gets $900,000. Delta State’s Commercial Aviation gets $800,000, and its Delta Music Institute gets $300,000. The Delta Center for Culture and Learning gets $100,000, and Alcorn’s Southwest Mississippi Center for Culture and Learning gets $266,750. Ole Miss’s Declaration of Independence Center gets $1,000,000 and must support research, civic education, named fellows, and courses like a Freedom Studies minor under its mission and governance plan.

Scholarships and teacher programs get funding

The law funds student and teacher programs in FY 2027. The Governor’s School gets $145,000 and must accept at least one nominee from every accredited Mississippi high school for a two‑week tuition‑free program. The Washington Center internship scholarships get $90,000. The Teacher Corps gets $349,200. Jackson State’s E‑Learning Center gets $485,000. Delta State’s Workforce and K‑12 Teacher Initiative gets $155,000. Colleges also get $191,610 for geospatial software licenses.

STEM, tech transfer, and jobs funding

The law backs university‑driven jobs and research. Four universities split $2,000,000 for economic development, reorganization, and relocation ($500,000 each). Research universities get $1,000,000 from the Education Enhancement Fund for tech transfer and entrepreneur programs, including work tied to federal research. Alcorn State gets $1,500,000 for STEM programs. The Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg gets $850,000 for science and technology work.

Purchases favor Industries for the Blind

When two or more bids are equal on price, quality, and service, the state chooses Mississippi Industries for the Blind. The same preference applies when buying without competitive bids.

Mississippi Valley State can charge for water and sewer

Beginning July 1, 2026, Mississippi Valley State University may keep serving existing private buildings that already get its water or sewer and charge a flat or metered rate. New private buildings cannot get MVSU water or sewer service.

Research and lobbying limits on university funds

Beginning July 1, 2026, IHL and universities cannot spend these funds on research that kills or destroys a human embryo. Recipients of the targeted funds must also sign, under oath, that they did not use contingency pay contracts to influence laws or executive actions banned by state law. Money is not released to anyone who fails this certification or is found in violation.

New reporting, targets, and spending limits

IHL must meet FY 2027 performance targets (for example, 12,221 undergraduate and 4,592 graduate degrees) and report results in the FY 2028 budget request. The Board must report by July 1, 2026 how FY 2026 funds were distributed, and by December 1, 2026 on enrollment shifts and graduation and retention strategies. Up to $125,000 funds system efficiency projects and can match other funds. Money cannot be spent on purposes not required by law. State General Funds in this act cannot pay for travel outside the U.S.

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Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Hopson

    Affiliation unavailable

Cosponsors

  • Nicole Boyd

    Republican • Senate

  • Albert Butler

    Democratic • Senate

  • DeBar

    Affiliation unavailable

  • Scott DeLano

    Republican • Senate

  • Rita Potts Parks

    Republican • Senate

  • Benjamin Suber

    Republican • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 335 • No: 5

Senate vote • 3/29/2026

Conference Report Adopted

Yes: 50 • No: 0

House vote • 3/29/2026

Conference Report Adopted

Yes: 118 • No: 2

House vote • 3/12/2026

Passed As Amended

Yes: 116 • No: 3

Senate vote • 2/19/2026

Passed

Yes: 51 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Approved by Governor

    4/9/2026legislature

  2. Enrolled Bill Signed

    4/2/2026House

  3. Enrolled Bill Signed

    4/2/2026Senate

  4. Unanimous Consent Granted

    3/29/2026Senate

  5. Conference Report Adopted

    3/29/2026Senate

  6. Conference Report Adopted

    3/29/2026House

  7. Unanimous Consent Granted

    3/29/2026House

  8. Conference Report Filed

    3/27/2026Senate

  9. Conference Report Filed

    3/27/2026House

  10. Conferees Named Oliver,Cockerham,Scoggin

    3/19/2026House

  11. Conferees Named Hopson,Parks,DeLano

    3/19/2026Senate

  12. Decline to Concur/Invite Conf

    3/17/2026Senate

  13. Returned For Concurrence

    3/13/2026House

  14. Passed As Amended

    3/12/2026House

  15. Amended

    3/12/2026House

  16. Title Suff Do Pass As Amended

    3/11/2026House

  17. DR - TSDPAA: AP To A4

    3/11/2026House

  18. DR - TSDPAA: A4 To AP

    3/11/2026House

  19. Referred To Appropriations E;Appropriations A

    2/24/2026House

  20. Transmitted To House

    2/24/2026Senate

  21. Motion to Reconsider Tabled

    2/24/2026Senate

  22. Motion to Reconsider Entered

    2/19/2026Senate

  23. Passed

    2/19/2026Senate

  24. Committee Substitute Adopted

    2/19/2026Senate

  25. Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub

    2/18/2026Senate

Bill Text

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