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 sponsor noted the bill had previously cleared the House 117–0 before changes in the Senate and returned for final action.

- A change to allow vocational/CTE teachers who work a modified calendar to be paid from existing appropriation streams; the bill contains no new funding and was described as removing an administrative barrier to paying those teachers. Final passage was recorded 119 yeas, 0 nays.

- A change to the state’s approach to construction manager at‑risk project delivery (House Bill substituted for a Senate bill) to allow alternatives to lowest‑bid awarding in certain complex projects; final passage was recorded 116 yeas, 0 nays.

- An economic development incentives bill that removed one section in committee and, as amended on the floor, allows a company to request a secret‑ballot election when recognizing a labor organization; the bill passed 105 yeas, 9 nays.

- A bill aligning titling and taxation for ATVs and UTVs held by retailers; sponsors said the change matches neighboring states and requires titling (not tagging) for these vehicles. That bill passed by a recorded vote of 108 yeas, 4 nays and takes effect for sales on or after July 1 (as explained on the floor).

- A technical bill adding the Department of Archives and History and the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to an existing oversight committee for the state’s electronic government services fund; the concurrence motion carried 113 yeas, 0 nays.

Votes at a glance

- House Bill 953 (electronic government services oversight committee): motion to concur adopted. Vote: 113 yea, 0 nay. Effect: adds Department of Archives and History and Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to committee overseeing electronic government services.

- Senate Bill 2699 (genetic counselor licensure; strike‑all/amendment adopted then final passage): Final passage vote: 118 yea, 0 nay.

- Senate Bill 2426 (Artificial Intelligence Regulation Task Force): Final passage vote: 119 yea, 0 nay. Creates AIR Task Force; dissolves 12/31/2027; seven voting members named in statute; staff and reporting requirements described in bill text.

- Senate Bill 2271 (move Wireless Communications Department to MEMA / MEMA $10,000,000 line of credit): Final passage vote: 117 yea, 0 nay. Transfers the wireless communications office and MEMA’s $10,000,000 line of credit used during disasters.

- Senate Bill 2835 (9‑1‑1 modernization / location triangulation): Final passage vote: 119 yea, 0 nay. Sponsors said the bill will improve caller location services.

- House Bill (substitute for Senate Bill 2860 / construction manager at risk delivery method): Final passage vote: 116 yea, 0 nay. Replaces a low‑bid requirement in some complex projects and preserves limits on single‑firm share of work pending conference discussions.

- Senate Bill 2849 (economic development incentives / labor‑organization secret ballot provisions; strike‑all adopted): Final passage vote: 105 yea, 9 nay. Floor explanation: removed Section 2 in committee; bill addresses requirements for companies receiving incentives when recognizing or requiring employees to waive secret‑ballot rights.

- Senate Bill 2803 (ATV/UTV titling and taxation for retailers): Final passage vote: 108 yea, 4 nay. Effective: titling required for those vehicles going forward (sponsor said July 1 effective date for title requirement).

- Senate Bill 2177 (vocational/CTE payment for modified calendars): Final passage vote: 119 yea, 0 nay. Sponsor: bill does not appropriate money; it allows payment from existing federal/state funds for districts already operating a modified calendar.

What lawmakers said and next steps

Lawmakers who explained bills on the floor described the tourism measure as a transfer of responsibilities, staff and marketing funds now handled by the Mississippi Development Authority to a new Department of Tourism, with the governor appointing the executive director subject to Senate confirmation. Sponsors said roughly $5.8 million (described on the floor as the current transfer figure) would move with the new agency and that marketing revenue streams created in 2019 (a 3% sales tax designation) would follow the tourism program. Sponsors and questioners also discussed projections of additional funding streams and implementation costs (estimates on the floor ranged from several hundred thousand to about $1.3 million in transition‑related expenses).

Floor sponsors framed the AI Task Force bill as a preparatory move to ensure Mississippi’s code sections are ready if federal or national athletic or regulatory actions affect names/rights or if federal courts act — the sponsor used the NIL (name/likeness) bills as a procedural precedent when explaining the purpose of keeping code sections in place for contingency. The AI Task Force sponsor said the panel would review code and recommend revisions.

Several bills were described on the floor as technical fixes or committee‑driven strike‑all replacements; many passed unanimously or with large margins. Most measures now proceed to enrollment and transmittal to the governor or to conference where the House substituted a different version for a Senate file.

Ending

The House concluded its session with routine announcements and adjourned until 3 p.m. the next day. Several bills approved on the floor will require administrative steps for implementation (agency transfers, funding transfers and rulemaking), and sponsors said some items may return to conference for detail work.

(See the “Votes at a glance” list above for bill identifiers, brief descriptions and recorded vote tallies as stated on the House floor.)