Appropriation; Pearl River Valley Water Supply District.
House Bill 11 is an appropriations measure for the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District for fiscal year 2026. It authorizes the expenditure of $23,330,757 in special source funds and sets an authorized headcount of 102 permanent positions and 1 time-limited position. The bill is primarily a budget and spending authorization bill, but it also includes detailed conditions governing how the district may use funds and operate certain programs.
The bill directs funding toward several specific purposes, including $200,000 for overtime, callback, or standby pay; dredging and related work at Ross Barnett Reservoir; a $400,000 study of spillway gates; $1,586,024 in reappropriated capital expense funds for Waterwood Well and dredging; and $4 million for construction of a new office building. It also requires the district to maintain detailed accounting and personnel records, follow state procurement and disbursement rules, and comply with restrictions on replacing lost federal or special funds with general funds.
HB11 also imposes policy conditions tied to the district’s operations. It requires the district to waive traffic control fees for vehicles displaying a REZ tag and to provide event-related preferences and fee waivers for certain fishing tournaments, including the ESPN Bass Masters Classic, the FLW Major Open, and the Catch A Dream Foundation Bass Classic. The bill further directs that, when bids are equal, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind receive preference in procurement, and it requires idle funds to be deposited at interest under specified conditions.
The bill’s impact on state law is limited to appropriations and spending conditions rather than broad substantive law changes. It governs how special funds may be spent by the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District during FY 2026 and reinforces existing state fiscal controls, procurement preferences, and treasury procedures. It also reauthorizes prior capital spending authority without changing the original purpose of those funds.
The overall sentiment appears strongly favorable and routine, consistent with a standard agency appropriation bill. It passed the House 92-10 and the Senate 36-6, indicating broad bipartisan support. The main points of contention are likely the bill’s specific operational directives—especially the mandated fee waivers, event prioritization, and the use of district funds for a new office building and other targeted projects—rather than the underlying appropriation itself.
HB11 authorizes and conditions the use of special funds by the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District for FY 2026, including operating expenses, dredging, infrastructure studies, reappropriated capital projects, and office construction. It does not create a new program or broadly amend the Mississippi Code, but it does impose binding spending conditions, procurement preferences, recordkeeping requirements, and treasury/deposit rules on the district. The bill also reauthorizes previously approved capital expense funds from House Bill 1786 (2024 Regular Session) for continued use on specified projects.
The bill appears to have been viewed as a standard appropriations measure with broad support. It passed both chambers by comfortable margins, suggesting general agreement with funding the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District and its projects. The votes indicate limited opposition, likely focused on the bill’s detailed spending directives and special event-related provisions rather than the overall appropriation.
The most notable areas of potential contention are the bill’s policy riders: mandatory waiver of traffic control fees for REZ-tagged vehicles, preferential treatment and fee waivers for specific fishing tournaments, and the requirement that the Catch A Dream Foundation Bass Classic receive priority scheduling. Some may also question the allocation of $4 million for a new office building and the targeted use of funds for dredging and spillway gate studies. These provisions affect the district, event organizers, and local stakeholders who use or compete for reservoir access and facilities.