General Fund; FY2026 appropriation to the City of Water Valley for improvements to streets and pavement.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Ben Suber

Would have appropriated FY2026 General Fund money to Water Valley for street and pavement improvements, boosting safety and local construction jobs.

Died In Committee

#appropriations

Purpose

SB 3198 would have authorized an appropriation from the State General Fund in fiscal year (FY) 2026 to the City of Water Valley for improvements to streets and pavement. The bill’s intent was to provide state funding to support local roadway rehabilitation and pavement projects in that municipality.

Key provisions

Appropriation: Directs a General Fund appropriation in FY2026 to the City of Water Valley for the purpose of improving streets and pavement.

Use of funds: Limited to street and pavement improvements (specific projects, scopes, and dollar amounts are not specified in the provided bill text).

Administration: Standard state appropriation mechanism—funds would be disbursed to the city according to the appropriation language and applicable state fiscal controls.

Who would be affected

City of Water Valley: Primary beneficiary; would receive state funds to plan and carry out pavement and street work.

Local residents and businesses: Potential beneficiaries through improved roadway condition, safety, and mobility.

Local contractors and construction workforce: Potential increased contracting and employment opportunities tied to the projects.

State General Fund: Would bear the appropriation cost (amount not specified).

Legislative history and procedural status

Introduced: January 24, 2024 (Senator Wakai, primary sponsor).

Passed First Reading: January 24, 2024.

Referred to Committees: Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs (PSM) and Ways and Means (WAM) on January 29, 2024.

PSM actions:

Public hearing scheduled Feb 9, 2024.
Committee recommended passage with amendments (SD1) on Feb 9, 2024 (vote 5–0).
Report adopted and passed Second Reading as amended (SD1) on Feb 13, 2024; referred to WAM.

Later action:

Referred to Appropriations on February 26, 2025.
Final status: Died In Committee (Feb 26, 2025) — the bill did not advance to final passage or enactment.

Potential impact (had it been enacted)

Short term: Funding would have enabled design, resurfacing, and repair of local streets and pavements, improving condition and potentially reducing vehicle damage and safety risks.

Economic: Local construction activity and related employment could have increased; longer-term savings for the city in roadway maintenance.

Budgetary: The State General Fund would have been reduced by the appropriation amount (not provided).

Notes and limitations

The bill text provided does not specify the appropriation amount, timing beyond FY2026, eligible projects, matching requirements, or reporting/accountability provisions—details that would affect fiscal impact and implementation.

A companion measure is HB 2241; review of that bill may provide additional or differing details.

Because SB 3198 died in committee, no appropriation was enacted under this bill.

Bill