HB 500 makes noncompete clauses in healthcare provider contracts unenforceable in Mississippi. It applies to any contract (including employment or partnership agreements) with a licensed Mississippi healthcare provider that restricts where they can work after leaving a job. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and only voids the noncompete restriction - not other parts of the contract. This directly affects healthcare providers (like doctors and nurses) and their employers across Mississippi.
HB 441 requires Mississippi public schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students, with the state covering costs for meals that would otherwise be at reduced price under federal guidelines. The State Board of Education must annually determine funding needs, establish nutrition standards meeting federal requirements, and set eligibility rules using federal income criteria. Local districts will receive state reimbursement at federal meal rates for eligible meals, and the program encourages using Mississippi-grown food in school meals.
HB 522 authorizes the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) to sell two specific land parcels totaling approximately 32 acres in Lowndes County and Columbus for less than fair market value. The properties include Tract I (28.4373 acres near Columbus) and Tract II (2.1603 acres plus 1.8287 acres in Columbus). Proceeds from the sale must be deposited into the Mississippi Existing Industry Productivity Loan Program Bond Sinking Fund, which supports economic development initiatives. The bill also allows the MDA to correct property description errors and covers related costs like title searches during the sale process.
HB 499 revises Mississippi's eviction process by setting strict time limits: landlords must serve eviction paperwork within 72 hours of filing, and courts must schedule hearings within 14 days. It mandates a 7-day move-out period after a judgment (unless emergency circumstances apply), removes courts' ability to extend this deadline, and requires landlords to provide tenants 7 days' notice to terminate leases if the landlord breaches the agreement. The bill directly affects tenants facing eviction and landlords initiating eviction proceedings, ensuring faster resolution and clearer timelines. Key provisions include requiring service via mail and door posting, and specifying tenant rights to retrieve belongings within 72 hours after removal.
HB 432 directs Mississippi's Department of Human Services to transfer the first $40 million of unspent Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds from the prior fiscal year to the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). This funding will specifically support child care vouchers under the Child Care Payment Program (CCPP) for qualifying low-income families with children. The bill requires this annual transfer using existing unspent TANF resources, expanding access to child care assistance without new state appropriations. It directly affects families eligible for CCPP services by increasing available voucher funding.
This bill allows Mississippi tenants to repair serious housing defects (like broken heating or plumbing) after giving landlords 30 days' written notice, then seek reimbursement for costs within 45 days of submitting receipts. To qualify, tenants must be current on rent and follow other requirements under the law. Reimbursement is capped at standard market rates for repairs, and tenants must notify other residents sharing affected facilities before starting work. Tenants can also apply repair costs directly to future rent payments, but the law explicitly states they cannot claim a lien on the property.
HB 497 amends Mississippi's public purchasing law to exempt state agencies from complying with specific federal procurement rules when federal law already allows such an exemption. This means Mississippi agencies won't need to follow federal requirements for buying goods or services that federal law has already waived, streamlining procurement without altering state procedures. The bill does not change Mississippi's existing bidding thresholds (e.g., $5,000 or $75,000 rules for competitive bids) or state procurement processes. It applies to all state agencies and local governing authorities making public purchases, including for construction, commodities, or services.
HB 498 amends Mississippi law to update procedures for handling personal property on properties declared a public health and safety threat by county boards of supervisors. It requires counties to provide written notice to owners before removing items, post public notices about property receipt, and give owners a specified time to reclaim belongings. If unclaimed, counties may sell the property at auction (with proceeds going to the county treasury) or dispose of it as surplus. This directly affects property owners in counties where such adjudications occur.
HB 529 would have allowed Mississippi pharmacists to dispense the antiparasitic medications albendazole and mebendazole without a prescription, directly affecting patients seeking these treatments and pharmacists providing them. The bill required pharmacists to follow standardized protocols set by the State Board of Pharmacy and granted them legal immunity for reasonable dispensing under these rules. It did not become law, as it died in committee on February 3, 2026, and was never implemented. The proposed change aimed to increase access to these medications for conditions like parasitic infections, but no policy change occurred.
HB 508 is a procedural bill that moves Section 27-65-111 of Mississippi’s sales tax law to a new location in the code to facilitate future amendments. It does not change any existing sales tax exemptions - such as those for hospitals, newspapers, medical supplies, or funeral goods - but simply reorganizes the section where these exemptions are currently listed. The bill’s sole purpose is to make it easier to amend the exemption rules later, without altering who qualifies for exemptions or the specific exemptions themselves. This is purely a technical reorganization of the law’s structure.
HB 530 would increase penalties for drivers who pass a stopped school bus with flashing red lights or an extended stop sign. A first violation would carry a $1,000-$2,000 fine (or up to one year in jail) plus a 60-day license suspension. Subsequent violations within five years would require a $2,000-$3,000 fine (or up to one year in jail) and a one-year license suspension. The bill also specifies that violations causing injury to a child would be prosecuted under a separate law (Section 97-3-7).
HB 536 expands Mississippi's Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters Disability Benefits Trust Fund to cover county road employees and municipal public works employees injured while performing official duties. The bill adds these workers - defined as those maintaining roads and bridges for counties or municipalities - to the list of "covered individuals" currently including law enforcement officers and firefighters. Eligible workers would receive 34% of their regular base salary (for up to 12 payments) for line-of-duty injuries, in addition to workers' compensation benefits but only for the difference between the two amounts. The bill updates definitions to clarify qualifying roles without changing the fund's existing benefit structure or funding mechanisms.
