summary
Introduced
01/16/2026
01/16/2026
In Committee
01/16/2026
01/16/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
02/03/2026
02/03/2026
Introduced Session
2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
An Act To Establish The Mississippi Emergency Drinking Water Network Act To Be Administered By The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency; To State Legislative Findings And Intent; To Establish The Mississippi Emergency Drinking Water Network Grant Program To Increase Drinking Water Security And Water System Resiliency By Equipping Water Systems And First Responders With Equipment And Training To Maintain Water Service To Vital Facilities And The Public During Periods Of Infrastructure Failure; To Provide Definitions For The Terms Used In The Act; To Specify The Purposes For Grant Awards To Mississippi County Emergency Management Agencies; To Authorize The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (mema) To Make Eligible Equipment Purchases Supporting The Mississippi Emergency Drinking Water Network; To Allow Mema To Use A Maximum Of Two Percent Of Funds Appropriated For The Administrative Expenses Of Carrying Out The Provisions Of This Act, To The Extent Permissible Under Federal Law; To Direct Mema To Seek To Minimize Its Administrative Expenses By Establishing Policies And Procedures Mirroring Past Programs Using Federal Covid-19 Relief Funds; To Require Mema To Certify To The Department Of Finance And Administration That Each Expenditure Appropriated To Mema Is In Compliance With United States Department Of The Treasury Criteria Regarding The Use Of Monies From The Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund; To Provide Reporting Requirements To The Governor And The Legislature By October 1 Of Each Year; To Provide That Funds Appropriated To Mema For The Purposes Of This Act Shall Be Available Through December 31, 2026, Or On The Date Of The Arpa Funds Expenditure Deadline Provided By The Federal Government, Whichever Occurs Later; To Provide That Each Grant Recipient Shall Certify, For Any Project For Which A Grant Is Awarded, That If The Project Is Not Completed By December 31, 2026, And The United States Congress Does Not Enact An Extension Of The Deadline On The Availability Of Arpa Funds, Then The Grant Recipient Will Complete The Project Through Other Funds; And For Related Purposes.
AI Summary
This bill, known as the Mississippi Emergency Drinking Water Network Act, establishes a grant program administered by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) to improve drinking water security and resilience across the state. The program aims to equip water systems and first responders with the necessary equipment and training to ensure continued water service to vital facilities and the public during infrastructure failures, particularly in rural and historically underserved communities. Funds, derived from federal ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds, can be used for eligible expenses such as purchasing equipment for water transport by truck, establishing distribution points, and acquiring transfer pump systems. MEMA is authorized to use up to two percent of appropriated funds for administrative costs, with a directive to minimize these expenses by mirroring past programs that utilized federal COVID-19 relief funds. The bill also mandates that MEMA certify all expenditures to the Department of Finance and Administration for compliance with federal guidelines and requires annual reporting to the Governor and Legislature. Funds are available until December 31, 2026, or the federal ARPA expenditure deadline, whichever is later, and grant recipients must commit to completing projects with other funds if the deadline is missed without a federal extension.
Committee Categories
Government Affairs
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Died In Committee (on 02/03/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2026/pdf/history/HB/HB0849.xml |
| BillText | https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/html/HB/0800-0899/HB0849IN.htm |
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