HB 649, the "Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act," would have provided college tuition awards to Mississippi public safety personnel (including police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics) with at least six years of service, covering up to 100% of resident tuition costs at public institutions or the equivalent at private schools. It would also have allowed legal dependents of personnel with ten years of service to receive awards, contingent on agreeing to remain in Mississippi for five years after graduation and providing annual tax proof. The program required applicants to exhaust other federal/state financial aid first (acting as a "last dollar" scholarship) and established a state fund prioritizing current personnel over dependents if funding was limited. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and never became law.
HB 648 would allow U.S. Coast Guard Health Services Technicians who have completed their military training and two years of direct patient care experience to take Mississippi's Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) exam. This bill specifically adds Coast Guard Health Services Technicians to the list of military personnel eligible for LPN licensure under existing rules. It does not change other requirements like education or exams, but removes a barrier for these technicians seeking to work as LPNs in Mississippi. The bill was referred to committee but died there in February 2026.
HB 663 reestablishes Mississippi's Health Care Trust Fund, directing the transfer of $1 billion from the Capital Expense Fund to create a new principal balance. The bill requires the fund's principal to remain untouched ("inviolable") and mandates that only investment earnings (not the principal) be used for healthcare purposes. It aims to restore the original 1999 vision of a growing, perpetual healthcare funding source from tobacco settlement payments. The fund would be managed separately, with earnings exclusively allocated for healthcare programs under legislative appropriation.
HB 661 requires seafood and crawfish businesses (like restaurants, retailers, and processors) to clearly label products as "domestic" or "imported" based on their country of origin. It allows any person to file complaints with Mississippi's Agriculture and Marine Resources departments about mislabeling, which the agencies must then investigate. Businesses violating the labeling rules face fines starting at $500 for first offenses, increasing to $5,000 for third violations. The bill aims to ensure consumers receive accurate information about seafood origins through enforceable labeling standards and accessible complaint mechanisms.
HB 642 requires Mississippi public school districts to submit annual reports starting in 2027 detailing all federal education funds they receive or expect to receive, including programs like Title I, IDEA, and ESSER. It mandates that districts obtain legislative approval from the Appropriations Committees before spending these funds, with exceptions only if federal law explicitly preempts state requirements. Noncompliance would trigger penalties such as withholding state education funds, and the State Auditor would conduct audits to ensure adherence to the law.
HB 643 required all Mississippi public and charter school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments by January 1, 2027, on an 11x14 inch framed poster with the text in large font. It mandated that the display include a historical context statement about the Ten Commandments' role in American education. The bill also directed the State Department of Education to identify free resources for schools to comply. This legislation died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.
HB 646 would allow U.S. Coast Guard Health Services Technicians to qualify for a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) license by taking the state exam, after completing their Coast Guard training and two years of direct patient care experience. This expands an existing provision that already covers other military medics (like Army Combat Medics and Navy Corpsmen) but specifically adds Coast Guard Health Services Technicians to the list of eligible applicants. The bill does not change exam requirements or create new pathways - it simply extends current military licensure eligibility to this specific Coast Guard role. The proposal died in committee on February 3, 2026, and was never enacted.
HB 645 would have prohibited the administration of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in Mississippi until the State Department of Health completes a safety study and determines the benefits outweigh the risks. The bill required the Health Department to conduct a specific study (including a self-controlled case series) within one year and provide recommendations on vaccine benefits versus risks. Only after this study concluded the vaccines were safe could their use continue in the state. The bill was referred to the Public Health and Human Services committee but died there on February 3, 2026, and never became law.
HB 662 would create a multidisciplinary Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Panel under Mississippi's State Department of Health. The panel would review fetal deaths and infant deaths under one year old, requiring health agencies, hospitals, and medical providers to share confidential data for annual reports to legislative committees. These reports would detail mortality statistics, causes, demographics, and recommendations for reducing infant deaths, while protecting all panel information from public disclosure under open records or meetings laws. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and was never enacted.
HB 659 would allow Mississippi public school districts and charter schools to hire or accept chaplains as volunteers to provide student support services, without requiring chaplains to hold teaching certifications. Schools employing chaplains must conduct criminal background checks and prohibit individuals required to register as sex offenders from serving. The bill also mandates that school boards adopt chaplain policies by December 2026, requires schools to fund chaplain-related safety programs, and integrates chaplains into state crisis response teams under amended education codes. This bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and has not advanced.
HB 650 creates a scholarship program to help recruit and retain paramedics in Mississippi by covering full tuition, fees, books, uniforms, and national certification exam costs for qualified applicants. It targets certified EMTs pursuing accredited paramedic training who agree to work in Mississippi for at least three years after graduation. The program, managed by the Office of Workforce Development with the Department of Employment Security handling funds, allows up to 5% of allocated money for administrative costs. This bill directly affects EMTs seeking paramedic certification and aims to strengthen Mississippi's emergency medical services workforce through financial support and service commitments.
HB 665 would allow individuals convicted of nonviolent felonies to legally possess and use firearms or specified knives (like bowie knives or switchblades) solely for defending their residence. It directly affects people with nonviolent felony convictions who currently face firearm restrictions under Mississippi law. The bill requires applicants to prove they reside in the home where the weapon is kept, and it would override existing prohibitions for this specific home-defense use. The bill died in committee in February 2026 and would have taken effect July 1, 2026, if passed.
