HB 308 requires Mississippi drivers to temporarily hand over their physical driver's license to law enforcement officers upon request for inspection while operating a vehicle. If a driver only has an electronic license on their phone, they must display it on screen but are not required to surrender their mobile device. This applies to all drivers in Mississippi who are asked to show their license during a traffic stop or enforcement action. The bill clarifies existing law to standardize how licenses are presented, with no change to penalties for non-compliance.
HB 350 requires Mississippi school resource officers (SROs) to complete evidence-based Mental Health First Aid training approved by the Department of Mental Health. This applies to all SROs employed by school districts or law enforcement agencies, as part of their initial training and ongoing certification. The bill mandates this training to better equip officers to address student mental health crises and support school safety. It directly affects SROs across Mississippi schools, focusing on practical skills for student interactions rather than new funding or policy changes.
HB 339 would make Mississippi's county election commissioner position nonpartisan by prohibiting candidates from campaigning based on party affiliation and requiring their names to appear on ballots without party labels or in alphabetical order. The bill amends election code sections to ensure candidates are listed as nonpartisan, with no political party references on ballots for this office. It directly affects county election commissioners and voters in Mississippi's election process. The bill was referred to the Apportionment and Elections Committee but died there on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.
HB 315 requires all licensed and non-licensed instructional staff and licensed administrators in Mississippi public schools to complete evidence-based mental health first aid training approved by the state Department of Mental Health before the 2026-2027 school year begins. School boards must develop policies for how often this training is repeated, and the Department of Mental Health will issue certificates of completion that staff can use to meet professional development requirements. The bill directly affects over 100,000 school employees across Mississippi’s public school districts. It establishes a concrete training mandate with a specific deadline and creates a standardized certification system for staff to document compliance.
HB 307 would amend Mississippi law to remove certain embezzlement convictions from the list of crimes excluded from expungement. Specifically, it removes embezzlement from Section 99-19-71(2)(a)(v), which previously barred these convictions from being cleared from public records. This change would allow individuals convicted of the affected embezzlement offenses to petition for expungement after meeting standard requirements, such as completing their sentence and paying fines. The bill aims to provide a clear path for eligible residents to have these non-violent financial crime convictions removed from their records.
HB 360 requires Mississippi school districts to pay noninstructional and hourly school employees their usual wages when schools close due to extreme weather, illness outbreaks, natural disasters, or other reasons that prevent work. Employees must be compensated for the hours they would have worked (based on fixed schedules or 30-day averages), with no pay reduction during closures. The bill, which died in committee on February 3, 2026, would have taken effect July 1, 2026, and directly affects hourly-paid school staff not covered by formal contracts. It does not alter existing pay structures but mandates consistent compensation during mandated closures.
HB 340 requires Mississippi to allocate special education funding as a separate line item in the K-12 education budget starting in fiscal year 2027, rather than bundling it with general school funds. It mandates a specific funding formula based on the number of approved special education teachers (covering their full salary plus employer retirement/social security costs) and student needs identified in Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). School districts must deposit these funds into a dedicated account managed by their special education director (or superintendent if no such role exists) for use on services, equipment, and accommodations for students with disabilities. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and never became law.
HB 319, the Fresh Start Act, prohibits Mississippi licensing authorities from requiring job applicants to disclose certain criminal history, including arrests without conviction, sealed or expunged convictions, nonviolent misdemeanors, or convictions older than three years (with exceptions for serious crimes like sexual assault or murder). It requires agencies to consider evidence of rehabilitation when evaluating license applications and to use a clear standard for denials based on criminal records. The bill also mandates that the process for challenging disqualification be available online and that denials include specific written reasons. This affects individuals seeking occupational licenses in Mississippi who have the prohibited types of criminal history.
HB 299 would amend Mississippi law to allow retired judges from the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, circuit court, chancery court, or county court to perform marriage ceremonies, expanding the current list of authorized officiants. The bill specifically adds "retired judges" to Section 93-1-17, which already permits active judges, ministers, and other officials to solemnize marriages. If enacted, this change would directly affect retired judges seeking to officiate weddings and couples in Mississippi seeking officiants. The bill was introduced but died in committee in February 2026 and would have taken effect July 1, 2026, had it passed.
HB 357 would remove "embezzlement by officers" from Mississippi's list of crimes that cannot be cleared from criminal records, allowing eligible individuals to petition for record clearance. Currently, convictions for this offense remain permanently on public records, but the bill would make them eligible for clearance after meeting standard requirements like paying fines and waiting five years. This change directly affects people convicted of embezzlement committed while serving in official public roles. The bill does not alter expungement rules for other crimes but specifically removes this offense from the non-clearable list.
HB 298 would allow individuals convicted of nonviolent felonies to possess and use firearms or deadly weapons to defend their own home or owned vehicle, provided they can prove residency or ownership of the property. The bill amends Mississippi law to remove firearm restrictions for this specific group, differing from existing rules that ban firearm possession for most felons. It was referred to committee but died there on February 3, 2026, so it never became law. The proposed effective date was July 1, 2026, but the bill did not advance further.
HB 354 requires Mississippi law enforcement officers responding to vehicle accidents that block traffic lanes to provide approaching drivers with reasonable notice of the accident and delay. Specifically, officers must give notification within 1,295 feet (one-quarter mile) of the crash site using one of three methods: positioning an officer with activated lights at the required distance, placing visible signage every 500 feet, or activating digital highway signs. The requirement does not apply if officers determine notice is impossible or impractical under the circumstances. The bill, if enacted, would take effect July 1, 2026, and applies to all law enforcement agencies handling such accident scenes.
