Dept. of Ag and Commerce; authorize to issue subpoenas and apply to circuit courts for administrative inspections and search warrants.

HB 1071 would authorize Mississippi's Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce to issue subpoenas for department hearings and require witnesses to appear or produce documents, with enforcement through circuit courts. It also allows the Bureau of Plant Industry to seek court-issued administrative inspection and search warrants when denied access to regulated facilities (like farms or agribusinesses), detailing how warrants must be obtained, executed, and documented. The bill specifies that warrants require probable cause showing a public interest in enforcement, must be served during business hours, and include strict procedures for seizing property and documenting inventory. This bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and would have directly affected licensed agricultural entities subject to the Bureau’s oversight.