HB 527 establishes Mississippi's minimum wage at $15.00 per hour for most workers, with tipped employees receiving a base wage of $3.62 per hour (plus tips to reach $15). It requires overtime pay at 1.5x the regular rate for employees earning $455 or less weekly, specifically exempting manual laborers, first responders, and certain other roles from overtime exemptions. The bill also references existing Mississippi Code sections for potential amendments related to wage laws. However, the bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.
HB 487 exempts dentistry and optometry from Mississippi's Universal Recognition of Occupational Licenses Act. This means licensed dentists and optometrists from other states will no longer qualify for streamlined licensure under the existing law, requiring them to meet full Mississippi licensing standards instead. The bill amends Sections 73-50-2, 73-9-24, and 73-19-25 to remove these professions from the scope of the recognition process. It directly affects out-of-state dentists and optometrists seeking to practice in Mississippi without undergoing the state's complete licensing review.
HB 531 amends Mississippi law to change the composition of the Sixteenth Chancery Court District. It removes language requiring local contributions for maintenance (though the bill itself doesn't change funding). The bill updates the district boundaries: until 2027, it includes George, Greene, and Jackson Counties; from 2027-2031, it includes only George and Jackson Counties; and after 2031, it includes only Jackson County. This directly affects the jurisdiction of the Sixteenth Chancery Court and the counties it serves. The bill was introduced but died in committee in February 2026.
HB 454, the "Period of Quiet Reflection Act," requires Mississippi public school classrooms to begin each school day with a maximum 60-second period of silent reflection. Local school governing boards must implement this practice daily, explicitly stating it is not intended as a religious exercise. The bill amends Mississippi Code Section 37-13-8 to mandate this routine for all public school students and staff. The policy takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 464 creates the Mississippi Department of Labor, replacing the existing Department of Employment Security. It transfers all duties, powers, and funds from the old department to the new one, which will operate through five offices: Employment Security, Job Development and Training, Industry Service and Start-up Training, Employee Relations and Job Discrimination, and Disabled Employee Assistance. The bill establishes the Commissioner of Labor as an elected statewide official (starting in 2027), sets their salary, and requires the department to coordinate workforce development, job training programs, and labor-management services. This bill directly affects state workers, employers seeking workforce programs, and Mississippi residents accessing employment and labor services.
House Concurrent Resolution 13 proposes amending Mississippi's 1890 Constitution to require a 10-day early voting period before all elections. The bill mandates that early voting begin 10 days before primary, general, runoff, special, and municipal elections and end at 5:00 p.m. on the Saturday preceding election day, with specific hours for registrar offices. It requires at least one early voting location per 30,000 county voters or 10,000 municipal voters, public notice of voting times, and treats early votes as final with simultaneous announcement alongside election day results. This amendment directly affects all Mississippi voters and election officials by expanding early voting access and standardizing its implementation across the state.
HB 483 requires Mississippi public schools to provide parents of newly enrolled students (or students aged 18+ or in adult education) with information about local water safety courses and swimming lessons that lead to certification. The information must include age-appropriate options, note if courses are free or low-cost, and be delivered electronically or in print. Schools must provide this starting with the 2026-2027 school year. The bill defines "water safety" as education promoting safety around water to reduce injury or drowning risks.
HB 541 would have designated June 19th (Juneteenth) as a legal holiday in Mississippi, adding it to the state's official list of holidays under Section 3-3-7 of the Mississippi Code. This change would have directly affected state employees, public schools, and government offices, requiring them to close on June 19th each year. The bill did not alter existing holiday rules but simply added Juneteenth to the existing calendar of recognized days. The bill died in committee in 2026 and never became law.
HB 438 revises Mississippi's initiative process by removing the requirement that petition sheets must be 8.5 inches wide by 14 inches long. It requires the Secretary of State to provide the petition form on their website and mandates county circuit clerks to submit certified petitions (with verified signatures) to the Secretary of State once the required number of signatures is secured. The bill affects citizens proposing initiatives by simplifying the petition format and submission process, while ensuring clerks verify signatures without charging fees. These changes streamline administrative steps but do not alter signature requirements or initiative content.
HB 416 creates a state-funded Youth Employment Grant Program to help Mississippi municipalities pay for full-time or productive jobs for youth aged 16-24 who are enrolled in school (high school or college) or planning to enroll. Municipalities must submit a detailed employment plan - including at least 10% of work time focused on life skills like communication and leadership - and provide 20% of the grant amount as matching funds to qualify. The program will be administered by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security using a special state treasury fund financed by legislative appropriations, with unspent funds rolling over annually. This initiative directly supports local youth employment opportunities while requiring municipalities to document project details and employment outcomes.
HB 449 expands Mississippi's towing regulations to cover both commercial and private motor vehicles. It revises definitions in existing law to explicitly include "private motor vehicles" (personal cars used for non-business purposes) under the same nonconsensual towing rules previously limited to commercial vehicles. The bill ensures regulations governing towing fees, immobilization devices, and police-initiated towing apply uniformly to all vehicle types. It also renames the "Commercial Vehicle Towing Advisory Committee" to "Vehicle Towing Advisory Committee" while keeping oversight under the Department of Public Safety's Commercial Transportation Enforcement Division. This change directly affects private vehicle owners by extending protections and fee transparency requirements currently applied to commercial vehicles.
HB 539 would allow Mississippi driver's license holders to voluntarily include their blood type on the reverse side of their license, provided they submit medical documentation verifying their blood type at the time of issuance or renewal. This change would directly affect license holders who choose to provide this optional health information. The bill specifies that blood type inclusion would be discretionary - licensees must present medical proof, and it would not be required or automatically included. The measure does not alter existing mandatory license details like name, address, or date of birth. (Note: The bill died in committee in 2026 and was never enacted.)
