Bill > HB427

This bill establishes the Mississippi Transit Corporation, a state government entity responsible for providing safe, reliable, and cost-effective bus, rail, and light rail transit services across the state. The corporation will be overseen by a seventeen-member Board of Directors, including legislative leaders, the Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, representatives from specific cities, and a public transit user, with most members requiring experience in public transit or related fields. The board will hold public meetings, establish policies for the corporation's management, ethics, and personnel, and members will serve without compensation but be reimbursed for expenses. The corporation is granted broad powers, including the ability to sue and be sued, enter into contracts, acquire and dispose of property, set fares, issue bonds, and levy a regional transit tax. It also outlines procedures for public hearings on service changes or fare increases, requires annual audits by the State Auditor and independent firms, and mandates reporting to the Governor and Legislature. Additionally, this bill amends existing law to ensure the State Auditor is authorized to conduct audits of the new Mississippi Transit Corporation.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2026/pdf/history/HB/HB0427.xml