Municipal utility commissions must include customers served outside municipal limits

Municipal utility commissions must have three to seven members, including two customers receiving residential service outside municipal limits. The rules cover municipal utility commissions. Municipalities may instead manage their utilities directly without forming a commission. If the utility serves customers inside and outside municipal limits and more than 20% live outside, each county served outside those limits may appoint one member. County appointments cannot exceed two members total. Counties must appoint members within 60 days after the municipality appoints its initial members. The municipality may fill seats left unfilled after that deadline. The section also requires commissioners to be qualified municipal voters, hold no other municipal office, and meet applicable service and ethics rules. The law took effect July 1, 2026.

Community water system board members must complete at least eight hours of management training within two years of election. The rule covers members elected or reelected after June 30, 1998. Community water systems serve at least 15 year-round service connections or regularly serve at least 25 people year-round. Members who completed training do not have to repeat it when reelected. The remaining board members may remove a member who misses the deadline. The Mississippi State Department of Health may grant exceptions for good cause. The law took effect July 1, 2026. The training deadline runs from the board member's election.

Each community water system board member must complete at least eight hours of management training within two years after the system receives a D or F rating. This rule covers community water system boards whose systems receive a D or F rating from the Mississippi State Department of Health under HB 1632 of 2026. Members must complete this training even if they trained before the poor rating. The remaining board members may remove a member who misses the deadline. The Mississippi State Department of Health may grant exceptions for good cause. The law took effect July 1, 2026. The two-year deadline runs from receipt of the D or F rating.