In the seventh and eighth weeks of the 2026 legislative session, the Mississippi Senate adopted the Senate appropriations bills for a proposed $7.89 billion total state support for the fiscal year 2027 budget.
That includes $18 million for the Military Department, of which $3.3 million will be allotted to Senate Bill 2018, the Mississippi National Guard Tricare Premium Reimbursement Program, that would provide free health insurance coverage for eligible members of the Mississippi National Guard.
Other proposed budgets include:
» $20.9 million for Department of Workforce Development
» $24.8 million for Veterans Affairs Board, which includes $18.9 million for the relocation of the Jackson Nursing Home to Rankin County
» $9.9 million for Department of Agriculture and Commerce
The House will next review the measures.
House Bill 515 establishes communication guidelines for radiologist assistants, including, “a radiologist assistant may only communicate their initial observations to the radiologist.”
House Bill 814 authorizes the Mississippi Department of Health to increase food establishment annual permit fees, private water supply approval fees and onsite wastewater program fees by a certain percentage during the next three fiscal years.
Senate Bill 3104, a deficit bill that sends additional money to cover various agencies’ expenses in the current fiscal year, passed.
Also passed were:
» Senate Bill 2867, which revises income tax credits for employers providing dependent child care or child care stipends
» Senate Bill 3109, which exempts from state and local ad valorem taxes those who lease, manage and provide improvements to state park lands like LeFleur’s Bluff State Park in Jackson
» Senate Bill 2868, which creates an income tax credit for certain small employers offering employees an individual coverage health reimbursement arrangement, (ICHRA) in lieu of a traditional employer provided health insurance plan. A qualified employer could claim a tax credit of $400 per employee in the first year under certain conditions.
» Senate Bill 3111, which exempts wine brokers from taxes, markups and other fees when donating up to 10 cases of wine to nonprofits
» Senate Bill 3228, which increases the aggregate amount of income tax credits from $1 million to $2.5 million and extends the program repeal date from Dec. 31, 2027, to Dec. 31, 2030, for certain employers sponsoring employee skills training
» House Bill 1723, which defines artificial intelligence
