HB 1338 Mississippi House · 2025 Regular Session

Unmarked vehicles; revise requirements for and prohibit impersonation of law enforcement.

HB 1338 requires police departments to follow specific rules when using unmarked vehicles and bans anyone from impersonating a law enforcement officer. The law directly affects law enforcement agencies (by setting vehicle use standards) and the public (by criminalizing deceptive impersonation). Key provisions include mandating clear identification for unmarked police vehicles and prohibiting false claims of authority. The bill was signed into law by the governor in April 2025.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
House Passage
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Mar 2025
Signed into Law
Apr 2025
Introduced Feb 18, 2025 Signed Apr 17, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

As Passed the lower Current version · 5 edits
MODERATE
HB 1338 was expanded from a vehicle marking clarification bill to include significant changes to impersonation laws. The bill now increases penalties for impersonating law enforcement officers and patrolmen, repeals a duplicative impersonation statute, and clarifies which vehicles are exempt from marking requirements.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from solely regulating unmarked state vehicles to also addressing criminal impersonation of law enforcement officers and patrolmen.
ENFORCEMENT

Impersonating a patrolman is now a felony with a minimum three-year imprisonment term, up from a misdemeanor.

Impersonating a law enforcement officer is now a felony with up to three years imprisonment, up from a misdemeanor with up to six months imprisonment.

Section 97-7-43, which provided for impersonating state, county, or municipal officers, was repealed as duplicative.

ELIGIBILITY

Vehicle marking exemptions were clarified to include specific departments and limit the number of unmarked vehicles for various agencies.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirements that unmarked vehicle authorizations apply only to sworn officers performing official duties related to public safety and criminal investigation.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 11, 2025 · House Feb 12, 2025

How they voted

510
Passed
Total votes 51
Mar 11, 2025
D Democratic16
16 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican35
35 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
22
Key actions
11
Committee
8
Amendments
2
Apr 17, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by Governor
executive
Apr 2, 2025
Upper · Passed
Conference Report Adopted
upper
Apr 1, 2025
Lower · Passed
Conference Report Adopted
lower
Mar 31, 2025
Upper · Passed
Conference Report Filed
upper
Mar 11, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed As Amended
upper
Mar 11, 2025
Upper · Passed
Amended
upper
Mar 4, 2025
Upper · Passed
Title Suff Do Pass As Amended
upper
Feb 18, 2025
Committee
Referred To Judiciary, Division B;Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency
upper
Feb 18, 2025
Introduced
Transmitted To Senate
lower
Feb 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed As Amended
lower
Feb 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amended
lower
Feb 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee Substitute Tabled
lower
Jan 23, 2025
Lower · Passed
Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub
lower
Jan 20, 2025
Committee
Referred To Judiciary B
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Jansen Owen
Jansen Owen
RRepublican
MS
106