HB 155 would allow Mississippi public school districts to hire licensed social workers and psychologists to support student services. Districts meeting the requirement of at least one professional per 1,000 enrolled students would qualify for a 50% state reimbursement of their salaries. The State Department of Education would process these reimbursements after districts submit applications and verify eligibility. The bill was scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026, but it died in committee in February 2026.
HB 166, titled "Health Careers Academy," would have created a six-week nonresidential summer program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center for Mississippi public school students in grades 9-12. The program required participants to maintain a 2.25 GPA, have teacher recommendations, and meet other criteria, while including ACT preparation, health-related hands-on activities, CPR certification, and interactions with medical professionals. It mandated nondiscriminatory selection, full-day instruction, and research projects, with funding provided through a new trust fund. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and was never enacted.
HB 33 would have allowed first-time Mississippi voters to register online using a secure state website, provided they have a current Mississippi driver's license or photo ID. The bill required the online system to verify applicants' ID numbers, names, birth dates, and citizenship against Mississippi Department of Public Safety records before submission. It would have applied directly to first-time voters meeting these ID requirements, replacing paper registration forms for this group. The bill also updated related election laws to align with this online registration process. (Note: The bill died in committee in February 2026.)
HB 91 would require students under 18 who wish to drop out of school to first take the ACT test. If they score below 21 (or 18 if attending a school rated "D" or "F"), they must continue attending school until age 18. Parents could face penalties for their child's unexcused absences during this period. The bill amends Mississippi's compulsory school attendance law to include this ACT requirement and enforcement mechanism. However, the bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.
HB 51 would have allowed Mississippi vehicle owners to purchase a special license tag supporting Eagle Home School, Inc., requiring a $30 annual fee. The fee would have been distributed as $24 to the school, $1 to the Mississippi Burn Care Fund, $2 to highway maintenance, and $1 to another state fund. This bill applied only to owners who paid the fee and displayed the tag alongside their regular license plate. It died in committee in February 2026 and never became law.
This bill requires Mississippi election officials to remove blank spaces for write-in votes on ballots and instead print supplementary ballots if a candidate dies, resigns, withdraws, or is removed after ballots are printed but before an election. It mandates that supplementary ballots must match the format of regular ballots and include the new candidate's name alongside other contenders in that race. Absentee voters who already cast ballots before the supplementary ballot is ready must be notified and offered options to return to the clerk's office or receive the ballot by mail. The change does not apply to nonpartisan judicial elections.
HB 191 would provide state funding for social workers in Mississippi public schools located in districts with the highest crime and violence rates, as determined by state records. School districts identified under this bill would receive funds to hire licensed social workers who must spend at least 75% of their time directly supporting students. The bill also establishes a state-run video conferencing program where 10 social workers employed by the Department of Human Services would connect remotely with schools via video, particularly when local staff are unavailable. School counselors would coordinate these virtual sessions, which must maintain strict confidentiality, and the program requires social workers to meet specific licensing and time allocation standards. (HB 191, passed in 2026 but died in committee)
HB 15 clarifies that Mississippi's Secretary of State must approve all leases for land on public trust tidelands (coastal areas under state control), including those used for gaming operations. It requires separate leases for tideland properties, specifies 30-year terms for new gaming leases (with options to convert older leases), and confirms the Secretary of State holds exclusive authority over these lands unless the legislature explicitly transfers it. The bill directly affects state agencies managing tidelands and gaming license holders operating on coastal properties, ensuring consistent lease processes and clarifying that gaming leases must follow specific state approval procedures.
HB 146 requires Mississippi's Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) to use clear, standardized guidelines based on widely accepted medical standards when determining if care is medically necessary. This directly affects Medicaid patients by preventing MCOs from denying care that professional guidelines would approve. The bill prohibits MCOs from adding extra criteria that would lead to denials of appropriate, necessary care. It mandates that all MCO utilization decisions align strictly with these specified guidelines, overseen by the Division of Medicaid.
HB 10 revises Mississippi's Foreign Land Ownership Act to transfer oversight of the law from the Attorney General to the Mississippi Department of Agriculture. It requires nonresident aliens owning agricultural or forest land to dispose of such property within 1-2 years (depending on how they acquired it) or face penalties. Violations trigger fines starting at $100,000 for the first offense, with property subject to judicial forfeiture after fines go unpaid. The bill also clarifies definitions and disclosure requirements related to foreign land ownership. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and was not enacted.
HB 11 prohibits Mississippi courts from applying Sharia law in divorce and child custody cases. The bill makes contracts or court rulings involving marriage or parent-child relationships void if they rely on Sharia law that violates constitutional rights. It specifically targets foreign legal systems like Sharia in family court decisions, requiring courts to disregard such provisions. The bill died in committee in early 2026 and never became law.
HB 7 adds two full-time criminal investigators to the 22nd Circuit Court District in Mississippi, increasing its total to three investigators. This change directly affects the district attorney of the 22nd Circuit Court District, granting them authority to appoint these additional staff members. The bill amends Mississippi Code Section 25-31-10 to specify this staffing adjustment, without altering salary limits or other existing provisions. The change takes effect July 1, 2026, though the bill died in committee before passing.
