House Bill 141 Summary

• Establishes the Mississippi Transit Corporation as an independent state agency within the Department of Transportation to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective bus, rail, and light rail transit services.

• Creates a 17-member board of directors including the Speaker of the House, Lieutenant Governor, executive directors, and appointees from the mayors of Canton, Clinton, Jackson, Madison, Meridian, and Vicksburg, plus one transit rider representative.

• Grants the corporation broad powers to operate transit services, set fares, lease property, issue bonds and notes, establish operating divisions, and levy a regional transit tax within its service area.

• Requires the corporation to hold at least two public hearings in affected counties before substantially curtailing service or abandoning routes, and at least ten hearings distributed statewide before implementing fare increases.

• Mandates annual audits by the State Auditor at least once every 72 months, annual budget reporting to the legislature by May 1, and biennial independent studies of financial management best practices with required adoption unless the board votes 7-2 against adoption.