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House adopts multiple conference reports, approves ARPA reporting changes and several transfer measures
Summary
On its final day, the House approved multiple conference reports and bills including changes to ARPA reporting and sweeps to a MDOT maintenance fund, a Gulf Coast restoration match change, a multi-section transfer bill, and several other conference reports. Most of the measures passed with lopsided or unanimous votes.
The Mississippi House of Representatives adopted a series of conference reports and bills on the final day of the 2025 regular session, approving measures affecting Gulf Coast restoration fund matching rules, use and reporting of ARPA funds, multiple intra-state transfers, and other legislative items. Several of the bills passed unanimously or with large majorities.
Key measures recorded in the House journal and floor record included a change to Gulf Coast Restoration Fund matching rules (House Bill 11‑26), language clarifying ARPA reporting and an automatic sweep mechanism into the ARPA MDOT maintenance project fund where subgrantees fail to provide consecutive reports (House Bill 11‑27), and a large transfer and fund-creation conference report (Senate Bill 28‑40) that moved money among capital and trust funds and established several new funds.
House Bill 11‑26 (Gulf Coast Restoration Funds conference report) reduced the local match barrier for municipalities and counties by making the match the lesser of 20% of the award or the value of one mill on all taxable property in the county or municipality (after exemptions), and the House adopted the conference report by roll call, 108 yays to 3 nays. House Bill 11‑27 (ARPA conference report) added language authorizing the state fiscal officer and treasurer to transfer available ARPA funds to the ARPA MDOT maintenance project fund after certain reporting triggers or after availability is determined (noted report triggers include failure to submit two consecutive reports and a determination after 10/05/2024); the House adopted that conference report 117–0. The larger transfer report (Senate Bill 28‑40) included multiple transfers: $13,000,000 from a capital expenses fund to the secretary of state land improvement fund; creation of a Mississippi Veterans Home Improvement Fund with $2,500,000 transferred into it; transfers related to storm housing mission funds and disaster assistance trusts; and approximately $88,000,000 moved from the commercial mobile radio services board to MEMA (with other specific transfers and effective-date notes). The House adopted that report 118–0.
Other conference reports and bills recorded with their House roll-call results: House cloud-storage/IT innovation language (House Bill 14‑91) passed by roll call 119–0; a bill that mandates participating hospitals maintain forensic or related ‘kits’ and not turn away victims (conference report for Senate Bill 20211 as presented on the floor) passed 115–0; a telework policy bill (Senate Bill 22‑89) limiting agency telework to two days per week and creating related study committees passed 116–0.
Floor discussion on specific measures included questions from members about ARPA timing and the sweep triggers, with staff and sponsors confirming obligation and expenditure deadlines in federal ARPA guidance (sponsors said funds must be obligated by 12/31/2024 and expended by 12/31/2026). On the transfer report, members asked about amounts allocated to campus projects and the disposition of leftover storm housing mission funds; sponsors said the mission of the 2023 storm housing program was complete and remaining balances were being moved into disaster assistance trust and hazard mitigation funds.
Votes at a glance
- House Bill 11‑26 (Gulf Coast Restoration Funds conference report): adopted by a vote of 108 yays, 3 nays. - House Bill 11‑27 (ARPA reporting/sweep conference report): passed by a vote of 117 yays, 0 nays. - Senate Bill 28‑40 (transfer/consolidation conference report): adopted by a vote of 118 yays, 0 nays. - House Bill 14‑91 (cloud/IT/innovation language): adopted 119–0. - Senate Bill 20211 (hospital victim kit requirements, conference report): adopted 115–0. - Senate Bill 22‑89 (telework policy and related study): adopted 116–0.
Members asked for clarifications about reporting timelines, how swept ARPA funds would be used (sponsors said the sweep would move funds to the ARPA MDOT maintenance project fund), and how remaining disaster or storm-housing balances would be allocated. Several members pressed for assurances that funds intended for disaster relief would remain accessible to communities if future disaster declarations were made; sponsors pointed to MEMA and FEMA processes for disaster assistance and described how money moved into disaster-assistance funds could be deployed following declarations and assessments.
