HB 353 amends Mississippi law to require a minimum of 12 continuous months of residency in Mississippi for out-of-state students to qualify for in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities. It also establishes that students who graduated from a Mississippi high school (completing their final year in-state) automatically qualify for in-state tuition without needing the 12-month residency. The bill directly affects students applying to Mississippi's public higher education institutions who previously did not meet residency requirements. The legislation died in committee in February 2026 and did not become law.
HB 328 authorizes Mississippi's Department of Archives and History (MDAH) to approve exemptions from standard repair and renovation requirements for state-owned properties over 20 years old with historical, cultural, or architectural significance. It requires repairs to maintain original architectural integrity using replica materials if original materials are unavailable, and mandates written MDAH approval for properties designated as both Mississippi Landmarks and National Historic Landmarks. The bill also establishes additional rules for these dual-designation properties, including compliance with federal preservation standards and submission of detailed preservation plans. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.
HB 311 amends Mississippi law to remove a requirement that Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) must consult with or collaborate with a physician anesthesiologist throughout every stage of a patient's anesthesia care. The bill specifically changes Section 73-15-20 to clarify that CRNAs are not obligated to work with physician anesthesiologists during the entire anesthetic period, including pre-operative, intraoperative, and post-operative phases. It also states that physicians or dentists working with CRNAs do not need to have their own separate collaborative relationship with a physician anesthesiologist. This change directly affects CRNAs, their supervising physicians/dentists, and healthcare facilities in Mississippi where CRNAs provide anesthesia services.
HB 306 would have prohibited public and charter schools in Mississippi from using corporal punishment (defined as physical force for discipline). It required school staff who violated this ban to be personally liable for civil damages if students suffered harm. The bill also specified that school districts would not be responsible for legal costs if staff acted outside their duties. However, the bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and never became law.
HB 313 would allow Mississippi to grant provisional medical licenses to international physicians sponsored by in-state healthcare providers (like hospitals or clinics) or to physicians licensed in specific countries (including Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and others). These provisional licenses would automatically convert to full licenses after three years of active practice in Mississippi, provided they maintain U.S. immigration status, pass the USMLE exam, and meet other standard requirements. The bill aims to address physician shortages, particularly in rural and primary care areas, by reducing redundant training barriers while maintaining all existing medical competency standards. However, the bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.
HB 309, the "No Patient Left Alone Act," would require Mississippi health care facilities to allow minor patients to have a parent/guardian present and adult patients to designate a spouse, family member, or caregiver for in-person visits during care. Facilities could restrict visits only for medical reasons, safety concerns, disruptive behavior, or policy violations, but could not require patients to waive these rights or terminate them during emergencies. The bill mandates facilities to post Department of Health-developed informational materials online and authorizes fines up to $10,000 per day for violations. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and never became law.
HB 356 would have created the Mississippi School Risk Management Task Force to study and improve risk management in schools. The task force would assess school district needs, review emergency plans (including for disasters like floods and tornadoes), recommend best practices (such as annual disaster drills), and identify resource gaps like FEMA grant opportunities. It would directly affect school districts, administrators, and emergency management agencies across Mississippi. The bill required the task force to report annual recommendations to the legislature but died in committee on February 3, 2026, without becoming law.
HB 320 would allow Tunica County entities (like the Health Care Authority or Board of Supervisors) to apply for a Certificate of Need (CON) to build a new acute care hospital, provided they prove its feasibility. The State Department of Health would be required to issue the CON for this specific project, bypassing standard CON review for new hospital construction in Tunica County. This bill specifically targets hospital development needs in Tunica County and does not affect other healthcare facilities or services. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.
HB 322 would have consolidated all 15 public community and junior colleges in Mississippi under a single governing body, the Mississippi Community College Board. The bill proposed creating a 12-member board appointed by the governor (with Senate approval), serving six-year terms starting January 2027, with specific staggered terms. Key provisions included granting the board authority to manage funds (including a new student loan reserve fund), appoint a commissioner, oversee workforce programs, and lease campus property for housing/facilities. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.
HB 310, if enacted, would require all public school students in Mississippi to recite the national Pledge of Allegiance ("I pledge allegiance to the flag...") at the start of each school day's academic instruction. The bill also mandates that schools display the U.S. flag on school grounds and in classrooms, and teach flag etiquette in fifth-grade social studies. Students or teachers who object to reciting the pledge would be permitted to opt out without penalty. The bill, which died in committee in February 2026, would have taken effect on July 1, 2026, applying to all public schools in the state.
SB 2020 would require Mississippi counties to keep any money paid above the taxes owed when selling land at tax sales, depositing it into the county general fund. Landowners who lose property to tax sale would be prohibited from requesting this excess money back, even if they later redeem the property. The bill, which died in committee in February 2026, aimed to change how counties handle overbids in tax sales but did not become law. It directly affects landowners facing tax sale proceedings and counties managing tax sale proceeds.
SB 2021 would have authorized Mississippi's Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to create rules governing the placement of large solar panel installations. This bill directly affected solar energy developers and installers by requiring them to comply with MDEQ's future regulations on where such installations could be located. The key provision (added to Section 49-2-9 of the Mississippi Code) granted MDEQ explicit authority to regulate large solar panel placement, though the bill did not specify the exact rules or environmental concerns it would address. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and never became law.
