State Fire Academy; rename certain facilities located on the premises of.
Summary
HB 1167 is a naming-and-honors bill that renames several facilities at the Mississippi State Fire Academy in Pearl and one building at the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission in Jackson. Specifically, it designates the State Fire Academy’s education building and auditorium, administration building, fire station, and apparatus building with the names of Hon. Mary Ann Stevens, Commissioner George Dale, Reggie Bell, and Bill Warren, respectively. It also renames the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission Building as the Liles Williams Workers’ Compensation Building.
The bill requires the Department of Finance and Administration, working with the Mississippi Department of Insurance and the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission where applicable, to install exterior signage and place plaques inside each building describing the honorees’ backgrounds, accomplishments, and service to the state. It authorizes the department to spend appropriated funds as needed to carry out the renaming and signage requirements. The act takes effect July 1, 2025.
Impact
HB 1167 does not change regulatory policy or create new substantive duties for the public; instead, it amends the official names of specified state-owned facilities and directs state agencies to update signage and install commemorative plaques. Its practical effect is limited to state property administration, facility identification, and the expenditure of public funds for signage and plaques. It affects the Department of Finance and Administration, the Mississippi Department of Insurance, and the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, as well as the named facilities at the State Fire Academy and the Workers’ Compensation Commission building.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the House unanimously 118-0 and the Senate unanimously 51-0, indicating strong bipartisan approval and little to no opposition. The absence of committee transcript discussion also suggests the measure was treated as a routine honorary naming bill.
Contention
No notable substantive contention is reflected in the available record. Because the bill is primarily ceremonial, any potential concerns would likely have centered on the use of state funds for plaques and signage or the selection of honorees, but the unanimous votes suggest those issues did not generate visible opposition. The bill’s supporters appear to have been the sponsors and members favoring recognition of the named public servants, while no recorded opponents are identified.