SB 2822 Summary

• Establishes the Mississippi Municipality and County Water Infrastructure (MCWI) Grant Program administered by the Department of Environmental Quality using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) coronavirus recovery funds for water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure projects.

• Provides grants to municipalities, counties, and public utilities on a one-to-one matching basis with Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, with a two-to-one match available for municipalities receiving less than $1,000,000 in total allocations (capped at $50,000,000 total for two-to-one matches).

• Authorizes multiple rounds of grant awards with at least 20% of funds allocated to each of three project categories (drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater), and exempts DEQ from Administrative Procedures Law and Public Procurement Review Board oversight for grant administration and professional services contracts through June 30, 2026.

• Prohibits public utilities from denying water service to medical marijuana licensees solely based on that status.

• Sunsets all MCWI grant program provisions on January 1, 2027, with funds available through December 31, 2026 or the federal ARPA expenditure deadline, whichever is later.