SB 2328 bans intentionally releasing balloons filled with lighter-than-air gases outdoors, except for government scientific/meteorological purposes, recovering hot air balloons, or indoor releases. It imposes a $25 fine per balloon for violations and aims to reduce environmental harm to wildlife. The bill, which died in committee in February 2026, would have taken effect July 1, 2026, if passed. This targets individuals and organizations planning outdoor balloon releases, not general balloon use.
SB 2325 allows Mississippi governors to restore voting rights to individuals convicted of certain felonies (disenfranchising crimes) after they complete their full sentence - including incarceration, probation, and parole - and pay all court-imposed fines. It requires the Mississippi Department of Corrections or sentencing courts to automatically report eligible individuals to the governor and mandates that voter records be updated to reflect restored rights. The bill specifies that an executive order restoring voting rights serves as sufficient proof for voter registration, and it updates election procedures to ensure eligible voters are not denied registration based on past convictions. This affects people with felony convictions who have met the sentence and fine requirements under Mississippi law.
Mississippi's SB 2326 requires all county sheriff departments and municipal police departments to create and implement written policies for police vehicle pursuits by December 31, 2025. These policies must prohibit initiating pursuits for misdemeanor offenses (except carjacking, murder, aggravated assault, or robbery), include specific criteria for starting and ending pursuits based on safety and offense severity, and detail communication protocols for interjurisdictional pursuits. Agencies failing to adopt a compliant policy will lose eligibility for state accreditation, and the Department of Public Safety can notify the Department of Revenue to withhold certain county or municipal funding until compliance is achieved. The bill directly affects local law enforcement agencies across Mississippi and mandates concrete changes to pursuit procedures.
SB 2347 requires candidates for public office in Mississippi to provide a physical residence address instead of a post office box when filing to run. This applies to all candidates seeking state or local office (except certain judicial positions and municipal elections) as part of their qualification documents. The bill amends filing requirements to mandate a verifiable physical address for residency, replacing the previous allowance of PO box numbers. It directly affects candidates who must submit this address when filing petitions or statements with election officials.
HB 1154 requires that the sex designated on a birth certificate must reflect the sex assigned at birth and can only be changed if a verified error is proven through medical records from birth or a statement from the delivering physician. It also mandates that the sex on a driver's license must match the sex shown on the birth certificate, preventing separate updates to the license. This bill directly affects individuals seeking to update their sex marker on official documents by restricting changes to birth certificates and driver's licenses. The law would have required strict verification of a birth error for any sex marker change, making the process more restrictive.
SB 2365 would amend Mississippi law to remove civil immunity for police officers when a lawsuit alleges violations of a person's state constitutional rights during police protection duties. This change explicitly creates an exception to the general immunity rule for police actions, allowing individuals to sue officers and their government employers in such cases. The bill directly affects police officers, local governments, and citizens who claim constitutional rights were violated by law enforcement. The key mechanism is a specific addition to existing immunity statutes, ensuring constitutional rights allegations bypass standard protections for police conduct.
Mississippi's SB 2331 requires law enforcement agencies to obtain a court-issued warrant before using cell site simulators (devices that mimic cell towers to track phones or collect data). The bill allows warrantless use only if officers determine an immediate threat to life or safety from terrorism, with strict time limits (24 hours) and data deletion rules. It prohibits collecting or keeping data from non-target devices, requiring such information to be deleted within 48 hours. This law directly affects all Mississippi state and local law enforcement agencies using these tracking devices.
HB 1158 would require a judicial probable cause hearing to determine if an arrest is necessary before law enforcement can detain someone, directly affecting law enforcement officers and individuals subject to arrest. The bill amends Mississippi law to mandate this hearing for all arrests (except during active crimes or immediate threats), replacing current practices where officers could make arrests without prior judicial review. Exceptions would still apply for arrests during ongoing offenses or when a warrant is already issued. The bill died in committee in February 2026 and never took effect.
SB 2361 would expand Mississippi's jury pool by requiring prospective jurors to have both a current Mississippi driver's license and proof of filing state income taxes for at least one of the previous two tax years. This adds two new qualifications to existing requirements like age and literacy, directly affecting citizens who meet these criteria but previously might not have qualified. The bill updates jury commission procedures to maintain a master list of eligible citizens based solely on these two financial and identification requirements. If passed, the law would have taken effect July 1, 2026.
SB 2354, the "Artificial Intelligence Fraud and Accountability Act," creates legal remedies for individuals or businesses harmed by fraud involving AI systems like deepfakes, voice cloning, or deceptive chatbots. It allows victims to sue for $500 per violation (or actual damages), seek punitive damages for willful violations, and request court injunctions to stop ongoing fraud. Developers or users of AI systems intentionally used for fraud could face joint liability for resulting harms. The bill, which died in committee in February 2026, would have taken effect July 1, 2026, if enacted.
SB 2329, the "Mississippi Glacier (ICE) Act," creates a state grant program within Mississippi's Department of Public Safety to fund local law enforcement agencies participating in the federal 287(g) immigration enforcement program. The grants cover costs like detention bed subletting, equipment, travel, and training related to federal immigration enforcement, but cannot duplicate other federal or state funding. Eligible agencies must have a formal partnership agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the 287(g) program. The program will be funded through a dedicated state treasury account and administered by the Department of Public Safety, with grants awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
SB 2351 is a procedural bill that reorganizes existing Mississippi Code sections related to licensing for child welfare services. It moves specific provisions (like those governing foster homes, child-placing agencies, and residential child-care facilities) to a new location in the code for potential future amendments. The bill does not change current licensing rules but consolidates related sections under one part of the code. It directly affects foster homes, child-placing agencies, and residential child-care facilities that require state licensing. The bill died in committee in February 2026 and never became law.
