- For purposes of this section, “state” means the State of Mississippi or any county, district, municipality or other political subdivision thereof.
All lease contracts, leases or leaseholds in existence on or before April 16, 1993, (a) to which the state is a party, (b) which provide that the leased premises and all facilities and replacements thereof are and shall be the property of the state, and (c) which provide a term or period of time for exemption from ad valorem taxation, shall, along with the possessory and leasehold interests as described under and originally created by such lease contract, lease or leasehold, be exempt from all ad valorem taxation for the term or period of time as stated in such lease contracts, leases, or leaseholds meeting the requirements of subparts (a) and (b) above, which were entered into prior to July 1, 1984, and which do not contain an express term or period for exemption from ad valorem taxation, shall be exempt from all ad valorem taxation for the term of such lease contracts, leases, or leaseholds, including any option periods which may be exercised by the lessee. Any newly created lease contracts, leases or leaseholds created on or after January 18, 1984, shall not be exempt under this section from ad valorem taxes for school district purposes.
- It is the sense of the Legislature that the provisions of Section 112, Mississippi Constitution of 1890, allowing the Legislature to exempt, by general laws, particular species of property from taxation, in whole or in part, authorize the enactment of this section. Further, the provisions of this section shall not be construed as the surrender or abridgement by the state of the power to tax the property which is the subject of the contracts, leases or leaseholds referred to in subsection (1) of this section. This section affirms the power of the state to grant such an exemption when it is in the best interests of the state to do so.
- The provisions of this section shall not apply to:
- A leasehold interest in property belonging to the Pearl River Water Supply District; or
- Any civil action filed before April 16, 1993.
