Mississippi HB 1453: Small Business and Grocer Investment Act; extend repealer on.

Bill Text

H. B. No. 1453 *HR26/R1952* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: Ways and Means
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2025

By: Representatives Shanks, Jackson (11th)

HOUSE BILL NO. 1453

AN ACT TO REENACT SECTIONS 57-10-701 THROUGH 57-10-709, 1
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH CREATE THE SMALL BUSINESS AND 2
GROCER INVESTMENT ACT; TO AMEND SECTION 57-10-711, MISSISSIPPI 3
CODE OF 1972, TO EXTEND THE DATE OF THE REPEALER ON THE SECTIONS 4
OF LAW THAT CREATE THE SMALL BUSINESS AND GROCER INVESTMENT ACT; 5
TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 27-71-5, 27-71-7, 27-71-15, 27-71-29, 6
67-1-41, 67-1-45, 67-1-51, 67-1-53, 67-1-55, 67-1-57, 67-1-73, 7
97-31-47 AND 97-31-49, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH RELATE TO 8
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND 9
FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 10
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 11
SECTION 1. Section 57-10-701, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 12
reenacted as follows: 13
57-10-701. This article shall be known as the "Small 14
Business and Grocer Investment Act." 15
SECTION 2. Section 57-10-703, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 16
reenacted as follows: 17
57-10-703. The Legislature finds the following: 18
(a) Developing quality retail food outlets creates 19
jobs, expands markets for Mississippi farmers, and supports 20
economic vitality in underserved communities. 21

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(b) Increasing access to retail food outlets that sell 22
fresh fruits, vegetables and other healthy food is an important 23
strategy for fighting the obesity epidemic and improving health. 24
Studies have shown that people with better access to supermarkets 25
and fresh produce tend to have healthier diets and lower levels of 26
obesity. 27
(c) The program established under this article is 28
intended to provide a dedicated source of financing for healthy 29
food retailers operating in underserved communities in 30
Mississippi, in both urban and rural areas; to increase access to 31
affordable healthy food so as to improve diets and health; to 32
promote the sale and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, 33
in natural and/or frozen form, particularly those that are 34
Mississippi grown; and to support expanded economic opportunities 35
in low-income and rural communities. 36
SECTION 3. Section 57-10-705, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 37
reenacted as follows: 38
57-10-705. As used in this article: 39
(a) "Agency" means the Mississippi Development 40
Authority. 41
(b) "Funding" means grants, loans, or a combination of 42
grants and loans. 43
(c) "Healthy food retailers" means retailers that sell 44
quality fresh fruits and vegetables, in natural and/or frozen 45

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form, including, but not limited to, supermarkets, grocery stores, 46
convenience stores and farmers' markets. 47
(d) "Program" means technical assistance and a 48
public-private partnership established in the state by the 49
Mississippi Development Authority to identify and/or provide a 50
dedicated source of funding and other financing for food retailers 51
that increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables, in natural 52
and/or frozen form, and other affordable healthy food for 53
Mississippi residents overseen by the Mississippi Development 54
Authority. 55
(e) "Underserved community" means a geographic area 56
that has limited access to healthy food retailers, or an area that 57
is otherwise determined to have serious healthy food access 58
limitations, that is located in a county that has been designated 59
by the Department of Revenue as a Tier Two or Tier Three area 60
under the provisions of Section 57-73-21(1). 61
SECTION 4. Section 57-10-707, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 62
reenacted as follows: 63
57-10-707. (1) To the extent funds are available, the 64
Mississippi Development Authority, in cooperation with public and 65
private sector partners, is authorized to establish a program 66
modeled on comparable initiatives throughout the nation that 67
provides grants and loans and/or promotes access to healthy food 68
retailers that increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables, in 69

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natural and/or frozen form, and other affordable healthy food in 70
underserved communities. 71
(2) The agency may contract with one or more qualified 72
nonprofit organizations or community development financial 73
institutions to administer the program described in this article 74
through a public-private partnership, to raise matching funds, 75
market the program statewide, evaluate applicants, make award 76
decisions, underwrite loans and monitor compliance and impact. 77
The agency and its partners shall coordinate with complementary 78
nutrition assistance and education programs. 79
(3) Any funding provided under the program shall be provided 80
on a competitive, one-time basis as appropriate for