Mississippi House passes Department of Tourism bill, creates AI task force, approves 911 upgrades and several other measures

The Mississippi House of Representatives on an unspecified date approved a series of bills that lawmakers and sponsors described as organizational and technical changes to state government and public services, including creating a stand‑alone Department of Tourism, establishing an Artificial Intelligence Regulation Task Force, and advancing a 9‑1‑1 modernization bill.

The chamber voted to create the Mississippi Department of Tourism, move agency functions and most tourism funding now handled by the Mississippi Development Authority to the new department, and to transfer associated staff and marketing revenue streams. The House approved the tourism reorganization on a recorded vote of 108 yeas and 9 nays.

In separate action the House approved Senate Bill 2,426 to establish an Artificial Intelligence Regulation Task Force (called the AIR Task Force). The task force, as presented on the floor, will have seven voting members named in statute (including legislative appointees and agency directors), may appoint non‑voting members, and is charged with reviewing and proposing code revisions related to AI; it is set to dissolve on Dec. 31, 2027. The House approved that bill 119 yeas, 0 nays.

Lawmakers also approved a bill to move the Wireless Communications Department from the Mississippi Department of Information (name as read on the floor) into the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and transfer MEMA’s $10,000,000 line of credit for disaster response. That measure passed 117 yeas, 0 nays.

The chamber adopted a measure to modernize the State’s 9‑1‑1 system (described on the floor as improving location triangulation and the call‑location process). That bill passed 119 yeas, 0 nays.

Other notable measures approved by the House included:

- Legislation creating licensure for genetic counselors — final passage recorded as 118 yeas, 0 nays. The…