DeSoto County Regional Forensics Laboratory; establish as regional facility in the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory system.

HB 1718 establishes the DeSoto County Regional Forensics Laboratory as a new regional facility within Mississippi's existing forensic laboratory system, directly serving DeSoto County law enforcement agencies. The bill requires the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory to coordinate with DeSoto County officials on planning, construction, staffing, and operations, ensuring the lab receives necessary funding, equipment, and staff for continuous service. It references Section 45-1-29 of the Mississippi Code, which mandates separate funding for the forensic system, allows accepting grants, and requires courts to collect a $300 laboratory analysis fee from convicted individuals or participants in pretrial programs where forensic services were used - fees deposited into a dedicated special fund. The bill was referred to committees in early 2026 but died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not advance further.