Committee advances bill giving DFA central leasing authority for state agencies

The Public Property committee on Jan. 31 reported Senate Bill 2203, a bill that would make the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) the agency charged with negotiating and executing leases for state agencies occupying privately owned space.

Senator Blunt, who presented the measure, said the bill is largely a restatement of existing law with two new sections and stressed that DFA would pursue savings and consolidation "to get the best rate" and to allow smaller agency boards and commissions to share office resources. "Most state agencies are in state buildings," Blunt said. "But there are still agencies, primarily in the Metro Jackson area, that lease privately owned space." He estimated the state spends "roughly $1,000,000 dollars a year in rent in privately owned buildings."

Committee members asked for clarifications about specific code references and exemptions. Senator Seymour raised questions about language near line 1229–1231 referring to "the corporation"; Blunt said much of that text is current law and that he would look up the specific reference. Senator Braun identified the cited line as referencing the Mississippi Home Corp. Blunt also clarified the bill targets agencies operating in Metro Jackson and said universities, community colleges and the military department are exempt from DFA's leasing authority under the proposal.

Without a recorded roll-call tally in the transcript, the committee accepted a motion of "title sufficient, do pass" and the chair announced that Senate Bill 2203 would be referred out of committee.

The committee did not adopt amendments on the record in committee discussion; Blunt said he would provide floor answers to unresolved code questions if the bill reaches the floor. The measure now moves to the next step in the legislative process.