Mississippi Community Heritage Preservation Grant Fund; transfer funds and authority from DFA to MDAH.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Josh Harkins

Transfers admin control of the Mississippi Community Heritage Preservation Grant Fund from DFA to MDAH to align with preservation expertise, affecting applicants and oversight.

Died In Committee

#accountability #efficiency #transparency #finance #waysandmeans

Purpose / Intent

SB 2855 would have moved responsibility for the Mississippi Community Heritage Preservation Grant Fund — including control of the fund and the authority to administer related grant programs — from the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH). The stated policy objective is to consolidate stewardship of community heritage preservation grants with the agency that has subject-matter expertise in historic preservation and archives, with the aim of improving program management, accountability, and service to applicants.

Key provisions (as proposed)

Transfer administrative authority over the Mississippi Community Heritage Preservation Grant Fund from DFA to MDAH.

Transfer associated fund balances, records, and (to the extent authorized) personnel or contractual responsibilities needed to administer the grant program.

Provide MDAH authority to establish application criteria, award procedures, reporting requirements, and oversight for grants previously managed by DFA.

Include implementation language directing state agencies to cooperate with the transfer and to effectuate any necessary budgetary or record transfers. (Note: the bill text itself is not provided here; the above summarizes the transfer-focused elements reflected in the bill title and description.)

Who would be affected

Mississippi Department of Archives and History (would gain administration and oversight duties).

Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration (would cede administration of the fund).

Current and prospective grant applicants and recipients (municipalities, local historical societies, preservation nonprofits, and community groups seeking heritage preservation funding).

State oversight bodies and legislators via changes in which agency reports on program performance and spending.

Potential impacts / considerations

Alignment with expertise: consolidating preservation grants under MDAH could improve technical review, project prioritization, and historic preservation outcomes.

Administrative transition: transferring authority requires careful handling of fund balances, ongoing grant contracts, reporting, and staffing to avoid service disruption.

Oversight and transparency: change of administering agency may change reporting formats or oversight relationships (finance, audits, legislative reporting).

Budgetary impact: likely minimal unless accompanied by new appropriations; administrative costs could shift between agencies.

Procedural history & final status

Reported actions (source data show several entries; sequencing inconsistencies noted):
- Introduced / Filed: March 14, 2025 (recorded)
- Various committee referrals and notations recorded between January and April 2025
- Final recorded status: Died In Committee (record shows 2025-03-04)
Because the available action log contains date-order inconsistencies, consult the official Mississippi legislative records for an authoritative procedural timeline. The companion House bill is HB 5628.

If you want, I can look up the full bill text (or HB 5628) to pull exact statutory changes and any implementation language.

Bill