Mississippi House Bill HB1

Mississippi 2025 1st Special Session

• Introduced: 5/28/25
• Refer: 5/28/25
• Engrossed: 5/28/25
• Refer: 5/29/25
• Enrolled: 5/30/25
• Passed: 6/4/25

Caption

Appropriation; Archives and History, Department of.

Summary

HB1 is the fiscal year 2026 appropriation bill for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. It provides funding from the State General Fund and special funds to cover the department’s operating expenses, including personal services, and sets out detailed spending controls for salaries, vacancy funding, headcount, transfers, and compliance with state personnel and budgeting rules. The bill also authorizes the department to accept grants, donations, and contributions, and requires the agency to maintain detailed accounting and personnel records. In addition to base operating support, the bill directs money to several specific preservation and capital purposes. These include funding for Mississippi Landmark Properties, maintenance and capital development at Beauvoir Shrine, support for the Statewide Oral History Project, repair and renovation of major state historic buildings such as the New Capitol, Old Capitol, Governor’s Mansion, and War Memorial Building, and reauthorization of previously approved capital expense funds for projects including De la Pointe-Krebs House, the Vicksburg Military Park Interpretive Center, and Crigler Park. The act also includes special provisions for Project Poppy and Project Atlas and a preference for Mississippi Industries for the Blind in certain procurement situations.

Impact

HB1 appropriates approximately $26.9 million in new operating funds, plus a $22.75 million reappropriation of prior capital expense funds, for the Department of Archives and History for FY 2026. It reinforces existing statutes governing state budgeting, personnel administration, procurement preferences, and the use of special funds, while directing how certain appropriations must be spent and limiting transfers, escalations, and salary actions. The bill affects the department, the State Personnel Board, the Department of Finance and Administration, and recipients of preservation and capital project funding tied to state historic properties and related initiatives.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have broad legislative support and passed both chambers with comfortable margins, 103-10 in the House and 33-6 in the Senate. The overall tone reflected in the bill text is routine and administrative, focused on funding state historic preservation operations and capital projects rather than major policy change. The strong vote totals suggest general agreement on the need to fund the department and its projects.

Contention

The main points of potential contention are not reflected in committee debate, since no transcripts were provided, but the bill’s structure suggests likely areas of scrutiny: the size and allocation of capital and reappropriated funds, the earmark for Beauvoir Shrine, and the detailed restrictions on personnel and spending. The bill also includes a preference for Mississippi Industries for the Blind and multiple project-specific appropriations, which can draw attention from lawmakers concerned about targeted spending versus broader agency flexibility. Because the measure is an appropriation bill, disagreements would most likely center on funding priorities rather than the department’s core mission.