MississippiHB 15712026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

ARPA programs and funds; direct transfer of certain available and unexpended funds on September 30, 2026.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

10 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 4 costs, 3 mixed.

Nurses get help repaying education loans

Eligible Mississippi LPNs and RNs can receive up to $6,000 for each year of full-time work at an in-state skilled nursing home or general acute care hospital. Payments can cover up to three years of qualifying employment. Applicants need a current state license and qualifying education loans; people with state-forgivable loan funds or loans in default or delinquent cannot qualify. Funds are available through September 30, 2026.

Hospitals and providers get care grants

The health department provides hospital grants if the Legislature appropriates money. Awards range from $300,000 to $1 million based on hospital type and size; qualifying small rural hospitals receive an extra $250,000. Hospitals can also receive up to $200,000 per new intensive care bed and $50,000 per negative-pressure bed, for qualifying expenses incurred from March 3, 2021, through December 31, 2024. Local health providers can receive up to $250,000 for care-delivery changes if they took an active role in the community’s COVID-19 response. Funds are available through September 30, 2026; some hospitals and costs are excluded, and bed-reimbursement applications were due December 31, 2023.

State employee health plan gets funding

The law creates a state fund for eligible costs of the State and School Employees’ Life and Health Insurance Plan. The state transfers up to $62,958,012 to that fund by October 15, 2026, after an earlier transfer to the lost-revenue fund. The law does not set a change to premiums, coverage, or individual benefits.

State redirects unused recovery funds

The state transfers up to $162,958,012 from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund to its lost-revenue fund by October 15, 2026. Beginning September 30, 2026, the state also identifies covered available or unspent funds and transfers them back to the recovery fund by October 15; ARPA administration and reporting funds are excluded. After that transfer, the State Fiscal Officer may move any remaining balance to eligible uses at the Governor’s direction, with the goal of spending it by December 31, 2026. For this work, the finance department does not need certain contract approvals from the Public Procurement Review Board; that exemption ends July 1, 2027.

Grants support community water systems

The state funds eligible drinking-water, wastewater, and stormwater projects through grants. The rural water program lists first-round awards up to $2.5 million and second-round awards up to $2 million, while also stating a $2 million total limit per eligible entity. Some previous grant recipients cannot receive later awards, and second-round projects must meet stated funding deadlines. Cities and counties generally match grants one-to-one with local recovery funds; eligible cities that received less than $1 million in those funds may receive a two-to-one match. For the second rural-water round, the health department gives more weight to projects that join nearby systems and adds 10 points when a system joined after January 1, 2018, and before the application.

State funds support road projects

The state transfers up to $100 million to a transportation fund for eligible projects in the Mississippi Transportation Commission’s Three-Year Plan. Available ARPA funds can also move to a transportation maintenance fund if found after October 5, 2024, and before September 30, 2026. A subgrantee’s funds may be moved to maintenance after two missed monthly reports, or after two monthly periods without a reimbursement request. For missed reimbursement requests, the subgrantee must be notified and given until the next report due date to submit.

Grant recipients face project deadlines

Grant funds under two state programs are available through September 30, 2026. If a project is unfinished by then and Congress has not extended the ARPA deadline, recipients must finish it with other funds. The law does not state a total amount for these grants.

Tourism groups face earlier spending deadlines

Destination marketing groups had to commit their funds by December 31, 2024, and spend them by September 30, 2026, instead of December 31, 2026. Before receiving funds, each group must certify that it will use the money only for marketing and follow federal and state ARPA rules.

Environmental grants end sooner

Environmental grant funds are available through September 30, 2026, instead of December 31, 2026. Recipients must use other funds to finish projects left incomplete by that date unless Congress extends the ARPA deadline.

School grants have firm deadlines

Independent school grants had to be committed by December 31, 2024, and spent by September 30, 2026. MAICU college grant funds were available through September 30, 2026. If a project is unfinished by that date and Congress has not extended the ARPA deadline, the school or college must use other funds to finish it. Both sections are repealed July 1, 2027.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

John Read
Republican • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 169 • No: 2

Senate vote • 3/5/2026

Passed

Yes: 52 • No: 0

House vote • 2/5/2026