MS HB1133

Requires municipalities seeking to enlarge boundaries to hold separate elections in both the municipality and the territory proposed for annexation if 20% of qualified electors in the annexed territory petition for an election within 60 days of adoption notice.

Elections must be held within 60 days of petition certification with notice published weekly for three consecutive weeks, and annexation requires majority approval from voters in both the municipality and the annexed territory.

Removes municipal annexation disputes from chancery court proceedings, limiting court involvement to only contraction cases where a municipality seeks to reduce its boundaries.

If an annexation election is rejected by majority vote in either area, the municipality cannot propose annexing the same territory for five years.

Repeals previous provisions allowing municipalities to expand boundaries through court petitions and requires the Secretary of State to maintain records of all municipal boundary changes through filed ordinances or court decrees, effective July 1, 2024.