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Read. Follow. Verify.Mississippi House Bill 997 expands rural fire truck acquisition program funding and limits
Last action · February 3, 2026: 02/03 (H) Died In CommitteeSponsor: Larry Byrd
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What This Bill Proposed
House Bill 997 amends the Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Assistance Program to authorize an additional round of fire trucks for counties and municipalities, increasing maximum funding caps and truck allowances across eligibility tiers.
Counties and municipalities become eligible for higher funding maximums and an additional truck allotment, changing local emergency equipment purchasing limits and matching fund obligations.
- The Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Assistance Program was established to help Mississippi counties and municipalities purchase fire apparatus through state grants and local matching funds. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Counties
Counties are eligible to submit requests for an increased number of fire trucks and higher maximum funding amounts under the revised program limits.
Municipalities
Municipalities providing rural fire protection under contract with counties may qualify for fire truck acquisition assistance and must document those contracts.
Department of Insurance
The Department of Insurance administers the program, maintains distribution records, adopts rules, and submits legislative reports.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum total amount a county can receive under the program?
What standards must the purchased fire trucks meet?
What are the local matching fund requirements for counties and municipalities?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died in committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Feb 3, 2026House02/03 (H) Died In Committee
- Jan 16, 2026HouseCommittee01/16 (H) Referred To Insurance;Appropriations A
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Rural Fire Truck Limits
The legislation uniformly increases the maximum number of allowable fire trucks across all prior-acquisition tiers by one additional truck.
Connected Entities
Sources
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 45)
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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