Mississippi Code Title 57. Planning, Research and Development § 57-119-9

(1) Applicants who are eligible for assistance under this section include, but are not limited to, local units of government, nongovernmental organizations, institutions of higher learning, community colleges, public schools, ports, airports, public-private partnerships, private for-profit entities, private nonprofit entities and local economic development entities. Projects that are eligible for assistance under this section are projects that have the potential to generate increased economic activity in the region, as described in Section 57-119-11(3).

(2) MDA shall establish criteria, rules, and procedures for accepting and reviewing applications for assistance under this section. MDA, with advice from the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund Advisory Board, shall review, compile and score all timely received applications, and shall present the applications and its recommendations for assistance to individual projects under this section to the Legislature no later than December 1 of the year. The Legislature shall determine individual projects that will be funded under this section by separate line items in an appropriation bill.

(3) Applications for assistance under this section will be received through web portals set up by MDA. MDA shall set criteria for the web portal which may include protection of the confidentiality of any or all of the applications.

(4) The project described in paragraph (m) of Section 18, Chapter 106, Laws of 2020 (Senate Bill No. 2977), to assist George County with a rail connection project, shall not be required to meet the criteria established by the Mississippi Development Authority for the selection and recommendation of projects under this section in order to receive the funds allocated for that project under Chapter 106.