HB 132 requires residents aged 60+ in Mississippi nursing facilities, assisted living centers, personal care homes, or adult foster care facilities to obtain a preneed contract for final disposition services (like funeral or cemetery arrangements) within six months of admission. Existing residents aged 60+ on July 1, 2026, without such a contract must secure one by December 31, 2026. If residents fail to comply, facilities must purchase the contract and add the cost to the resident’s bill. The bill prohibits facilities from denying admission or taking adverse actions against residents solely for not having a preneed contract. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.
HB 193 would have increased the weight given to low-income students in Mississippi's school funding formula from 50% to 51% when calculating base student costs. This change would have directly affected all Mississippi public school districts and charter schools using the state's funding formula, potentially increasing their per-student funding for low-income students. The bill amended Section 37-151-205 to adjust the multiplier applied to the percentage of low-income students in a district's enrollment. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.
HB 69 creates an independent Office of State Hearing Officers to provide an alternative to agency-appointed hearing officers for individuals or businesses with disputes before state agencies. It allows people or entities to choose an independent hearing officer from this new office instead of the agency's own officer, with the office assigning hearing officers on a rotating basis. The bill establishes a two-step appeals process: first to a panel of three independent officers, then to a court for judicial review based on specific legal grounds. This directly affects anyone facing a state agency decision who wants an impartial hearing option, without changing the underlying agency rules or outcomes.
HB 153 establishes the "Early Commitment to College Program" for Mississippi schools rated "F" by the state education board (designated as "College Opportunity Zones"). It requires all 6th-9th graders in these schools, and low-income students (eligible for free/reduced lunch) in other schools, to sign a "Save Me a Spot in College" pledge. Key provisions include a fee waiver for two or more years of public community/junior college or state university attendance upon program completion, annual reporting to the legislature, and collaboration with colleges to support students. The bill aims to increase college readiness and access for students in high-poverty schools, focusing on concrete policy changes like the pledge requirement and fee waiver.
HB 57 requires courts to order defendants convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) that caused a death to pay child support to the victim's children under 18 (or until high school graduation, whichever is later). The court determines monthly payments based on the child’s needs, the parent’s resources, living standards, and other factors like educational requirements. Payments continue even if the defendant is imprisoned, starting within one year of release, and reduce any civil judgment against the defendant. This applies only to DUI convictions resulting in death, not all DUI cases.
HB 163 establishes Mississippi's HOPE Program, administered by the State Department of Education, to help high school dropouts (up to age 21) earn diplomas. It provides grants to school districts based on their proportion of statewide dropouts, requiring districts to develop approved HOPE Plans involving community partners. Programs must include small class sizes (70-100 students), mentorship, flexible scheduling (evening/online/summer classes), dual enrollment with community colleges, and support services like career training. The bill ensures dropouts meet their district's diploma requirements while creating structured pathways to graduation through district-operated or contracted programs.
HB 138 removes a requirement that Mississippi state employees must use one day of accrued personal leave (or take unpaid leave if they have none) before accessing major medical leave for serious health needs. This change directly affects all state employees covered under Mississippi's leave policies, including those with medical conditions requiring extended care. The bill modifies existing rules to allow employees to immediately use major medical leave without first exhausting personal leave days. It does not alter the accrual rates for either leave type or the eligibility criteria for medical leave. The policy change simplifies access to medical leave for employees and their immediate families during health crises.
HB 173 would amend Mississippi law to allow children who turn six on or before December 31 to enroll in first grade at the beginning of the school year in which they turn six. This affects families with children born between January 1 and December 31, enabling them to start first grade in the same year they turn six rather than waiting for the next school year. The bill also updates the definition of "compulsory-school-age child" in the state's school attendance law to include these children, making them subject to mandatory school attendance requirements at that age. The policy change standardizes first-grade enrollment rules for children approaching their sixth birthday.
HB 20 allows physically disabled voters in Mississippi to cast absentee ballots from their vehicles at county registrar offices during regular business hours. The bill requires registrars to provide ballots in the voter’s car, with the voter marking it privately (while other passengers exit for secrecy), sealing it, and submitting it via the standard affidavit process. This directly affects disabled voters who cannot enter registrar offices, modifying existing voting procedures to enable curbside absentee voting without changing ballot requirements or eligibility. The bill amends specific sections of Mississippi’s voting code to implement this access measure.
HB 133 amends Mississippi's Electric Power Association Law to revise election procedures for boards of directors in member-owned electric cooperatives. It changes director terms to all three-year staggered terms until July 2026, then shifts to four-year elections held on the same schedule as public school board elections (first Tuesday after the first Monday in November), with runoff elections three weeks later. The bill also requires directors to be members, mandates 50 member signatures for candidacy (though cooperatives may adopt lower thresholds via bylaws), and clarifies member access to board meetings. This bill directly affects Mississippi's electric power associations and their members, but it died in committee in February 2026 and did not become law.
HB 42 would have required Mississippi's State Department of Health to issue a certificate of need (special approval) for a specific nonprofit in Madison County to add beds to a community living program for developmentally disabled adults at an ICF-IID facility. This bill amended existing law to exempt this single nonprofit from standard certificate of need requirements for expanding beds in such a facility. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, so it did not become law. It directly affected only this Madison County nonprofit and its planned expansion of services for developmentally disabled adults.
HB 142 establishes a licensing and regulatory system for professional midwives in Mississippi community settings. It requires midwives to obtain a license from the newly created State Board of Licensed Midwifery, defines their scope of practice (including pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care), and mandates that health insurance plans covering maternity care must also cover services provided by licensed midwives. The bill explicitly states that midwifery is a distinct profession separate from medicine and prohibits discriminatory language in health coverage plans regarding midwifery. It also creates oversight mechanisms, including mandatory board rules by 2027, confidentiality protections, and criminal penalties for violations.
