2025 Construction Training Assistance Fund; create and provide funding for.
Summary
HB1471 creates the 2025 Construction Training Assistance Fund and directs a portion of state sales tax revenue to that fund beginning September 15, 2025. The bill amends Section 27-65-75 of the Mississippi Code to divert 6.75% of monthly sales tax revenue collected under Section 27-65-21 into the new special fund, with the remainder continuing to flow to existing statutory recipients and ultimately the General Fund. The act takes effect July 1, 2025.
The bill also requires the Mississippi Office of Workforce Development to establish a grant program to help public community colleges, junior colleges, and K-12 school systems pay for construction-industry-related training for students. Eligible applicants must submit an application describing the training, duration, number of students, costs, and requested funding, and the Office of Workforce Development determines eligibility and issues certificates of participation. The fund is held in the State Treasury, does not lapse at fiscal year-end, and is disbursed by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security to the Office of Workforce Development upon legislative appropriation.
Impact
HB1471 would amend Mississippi’s sales tax distribution statute to create a new dedicated revenue stream for construction workforce training, reducing the amount of sales tax revenue otherwise available for the General Fund and other existing statutory allocations. It also creates a new special fund in the State Treasury and establishes a new grant administration structure involving the Mississippi Office of Workforce Development and the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. Public community colleges, junior colleges, and K-12 school systems would be the primary beneficiaries, with the bill specifically aimed at subsidizing construction-related training costs and student fees.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the available materials. Based on the bill’s structure and caption, the measure appears to be framed as a workforce development and education funding initiative, suggesting a generally supportive policy intent around construction training and career preparation. Because the bill redirects sales tax revenue, it may draw scrutiny from those concerned about revenue diversions or the impact on the General Fund, but that concern is not documented in the provided record.
Contention
The main policy tension in HB1471 is between funding a targeted workforce-training program and preserving sales tax revenue for existing state uses. Potentially affected parties include the General Fund, other recipients of sales tax diversions under Section 27-65-75, and the agencies responsible for administering the new fund and grants. Another point of possible concern is program administration: the Mississippi Office of Workforce Development must determine eligibility, while the Department of Employment Security disburses funds, and community and junior colleges are identified as the primary entities to deliver training. No specific objections or amendments are reflected in the supplied history.