AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 57-39-21, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO EXTEND THE DATE OF THE REPEALER ON THE STATUTE REQUIRING CERTAIN STANDARDS THAT PROMOTE EFFICIENT ENERGY USE TO BE IMPLEMENTED DURING THE DESIGN, DIRECTION, CONSTRUCTION AND ALTERATION OF CERTAIN BUILDINGS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
House Bill 1771 extends the sunset date on Mississippi’s building energy efficiency standards law. The bill amends Section 57-39-21 of the Mississippi Code to keep in place the requirement that the Mississippi Development Authority, in consultation with professional groups, maintain energy code standards for building construction, energy management systems, cogeneration systems, and passive solar design concepts. Those standards are intended to promote efficient energy use in the design, direction, construction, and alteration of covered buildings.
The practical change made by the bill is narrow: it moves the repealer date for the statute from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2029. The bill does not change the underlying standards, the list of exempt buildings, or the existing enforcement structure. Local governing authorities remain responsible for administration and enforcement, while state-owned buildings continue to be handled by the Department of Finance and Administration’s Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real Property Management. The act would take effect July 1, 2026.
The bill’s impact on state law is to preserve Mississippi’s current energy code framework for an additional three years. That means the state would continue applying standards based on ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2016 to covered buildings, including many public, commercial, and institutional structures, while keeping the existing exemptions for low-energy-use buildings, mobile homes, certain private noncommercial structures, and federal property. Local governments would also retain authority to adopt enforcement rules, penalties, and inspection fees up to $150.
Because the available record includes no committee transcript or recorded votes, there is no documented debate or formal vote history to indicate strong support or opposition. Based on the bill’s content, the measure appears to be a routine extension of an existing policy rather than a major policy shift. Any contention would likely center on the broader policy question of whether Mississippi should continue mandating energy-efficiency standards for buildings and leaving enforcement to local governments, but that issue is not reflected in the provided legislative history.
Overall, HB1771 is a continuation bill that keeps Mississippi’s building energy-efficiency requirements alive through 2029 without altering their substance. It primarily affects builders, developers, local code officials, and owners of covered public and commercial buildings by maintaining the current compliance and enforcement regime.
HB1771 amends Section 57-39-21 of the Mississippi Code to extend the statute’s repealer date from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2029. As a result, the state’s building energy code requirements remain in force for covered buildings, including standards for construction, alteration, energy management systems, cogeneration, and passive solar design. The bill preserves the existing enforcement structure, under which local governing authorities administer and enforce the standards and state-owned buildings are overseen by the Department of Finance and Administration. It also leaves intact the current exemptions and the authority to charge inspection fees up to $150.
The available legislative record suggests a neutral to routine sentiment around the bill. There are no committee transcripts, recorded votes, or other discussion materials showing opposition or controversy. The measure appears to be a straightforward extension of an existing law rather than a new policy initiative, which often indicates limited debate and broad procedural acceptance. Based on the text alone, the bill seems aimed at continuity in energy-efficiency regulation rather than a substantive policy change.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. If any disagreement exists, it would likely involve the policy merits of continuing mandatory energy-efficiency standards for buildings, the role of local governments in enforcement, and the compliance burden on builders, property owners, and public entities. However, the bill text itself is limited to extending the sunset date, and the record provided does not identify any lawmakers, stakeholders, or organizations taking opposing positions.