HB 1793 Summary

• Creates the "Postsecondary Education COVID-19 Mitigation Relief Program" administered by the Department of Finance and Administration to provide up to $100 million in grants to eligible two-year and four-year public and private postsecondary institutions for COVID-19-related expenses incurred between March 1, 2020 and December 30, 2020.

• Establishes specific maximum reimbursement amounts for each institution based on student enrollment, ranging from $340,800 for Blue Mountain College to $11,981,392 for University of Mississippi for four-year institutions, and up to $4,900,064.29 for Hinds Community College for two-year institutions.

• Defines eligible expenses as training, facility sanitization, technology infrastructure, payroll for essential workers, medical supplies, PPE, workforce development infrastructure, and COVID-19 testing and treatment costs.

• Creates the "Independent Schools' COVID-19 Assistance Grant Program" administered by the Mississippi Development Authority with $10 million in funding, providing up to $100,000 maximum per eligible independent school (MAIS members or accredited schools) for the same categories of COVID-19-related expenses.

• Requires all grant recipients to submit itemized expense reports under penalty of perjury and subjects grant use to audit by federal and state auditors, with noncompliant institutions required to return unallowable expenditures.