HB 223 designates a one-mile segment of Mississippi Highway 537 in Jones County (from Lake Como Road to Doris Tanner's Flowers) as the "Sgt. John Howard Tanner Memorial Highway" to commemorate Sergeant John Howard Tanner. The bill requires the Mississippi Department of Transportation to install and maintain appropriate signage along this highway segment. This is a commemorative measure with no policy changes or direct impact on regulations, taxes, or services. It solely honors an individual through a highway naming designation.
HB 1615 adds Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services (MDCPS) social services employees to the list of protected individuals under enhanced sentencing laws. Specifically, it amends Mississippi Code Section 99-19-301 to include MDCPS workers in the Social Services Occupational Group as defined by the agency’s compensation plan. This means crimes like assault or threats committed against these employees would trigger higher penalties under existing law. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, if enacted.
This bill requires the Mississippi Secretary of State to provide sample ballots to county election commissioners at least 60 days before an election, increasing the current requirement of 55 days. The change applies to all elections unless a primary runoff certification deadline makes the 60-day timeline impossible to meet, in which case the Secretary must publish the sample ballot as soon as practicable. The bill directly affects the Mississippi Secretary of State and county election commissioners by adjusting the timeline for distributing sample ballots to voters. This adjustment aims to give election officials more time to prepare and distribute accurate ballot samples before voting occurs.
HB 630 amends Mississippi law to allow qualified county residents (not required to live within a municipality's limits) to serve as poll managers for municipal elections in small municipalities with fewer than 2,000 residents. Currently, poll managers for municipal elections must be residents of the municipality itself, but this bill changes that requirement for towns under 2,000 people. The key provision removes the residency restriction for small municipalities, enabling election officials to appoint qualified county voters as poll managers. This affects municipal election administration in Mississippi's smallest incorporated areas, streamlining staffing for local elections. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 1558 amends Mississippi law to set a specific daily compensation rate of $84 for commissioners of the Tishomingo County Water District, aligning them with existing rates for commissioners of several Hancock County water and sewer districts. The bill establishes that these commissioners will be paid $84 per meeting attended (regular or special) and reimbursed for necessary expenses under existing rules. It does not change the annual limit of 24 meetings for compensation or alter other reimbursement procedures. This is a procedural adjustment to standardize compensation rates for water district commissioners in Tishomingo County.
HB 1719 creates a 11-member study committee to examine prevention strategies for financial fraud and scams, while also focusing on improving investor education. The committee includes key state officials like the Secretary of State, Attorney General, Banking Commissioner, and other department heads, appointed by legislative leaders and agency heads. It will operate until January 1, 2027, gathering data and making recommendations to the legislature. This bill does not enact new laws but directs the committee to study issues affecting consumers and financial systems across Mississippi state agencies.
HB 1117, the "Creating Transparency and Accountability in Dental Services Act," requires dental insurance companies (dental carriers) to calculate and annually report their dental loss ratio (DLR) - the percentage of premium dollars spent directly on patient dental care versus administrative costs. Dental carriers must file these reports by June 30 each year, detailing how much was spent on clinical services, unpaid claims, and recovered payments, while excluding overhead like staff salaries or network development. The Commissioner of Insurance will make these reports publicly accessible on the department's website by December 1 each year and submit aggregated data to the Insurance Committees. This applies to all dental health plans sold in Mississippi but excludes Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program, and other state-sponsored plans.
HB 547 allows Mississippi check cashing businesses and credit availability licensees to pass third-party processing fees for debit/credit card transactions directly to customers. The bill amends existing laws to permit these businesses to charge customers the exact fee they pay to payment processors, provided they give clear pre-transaction notice of the fee amount, its purpose (for card use), and applicable payment methods. This change affects customers using cards at these businesses, as they may now face additional fees for card transactions that were previously absorbed by the businesses. The law does not alter existing fee limits for check cashing services themselves.
HB 1603 removes a specific phrase from Mississippi's trespass law (Section 89-10-5) that previously stated property owners or their designated agents solely control payments from property use. The bill deletes the language: "The right to manage, control or receive payments for any use of real property shall only belong to the owner of the property or a person designated by the owner for such purposes." This is a technical deletion of existing text, not a new policy change, and directly affects how property management rights are referenced in trespass cases. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 1655 changes how the State Aid Engineer's salary is determined under Mississippi law. It amends Section 65-9-9 to require the Governor to set the State Aid Engineer's salary (previously likely set by statute), subject to the State Personnel Board's rules and guidelines. This directly affects the State Aid Engineer position and their assistants within the Office of State Aid Road Construction. The bill does not alter the engineer's qualifications, bond requirements, or other operational details of the office.
HB 1650 requires Mississippi's State Treasurer to annually review public funds receiving interest from pooled investments to identify accounts with no activity beyond interest receipts. If found inactive (excluding funds legally authorized to retain interest), the Treasurer may block future interest allocations and direct the closure or consolidation of those funds. The bill directly affects dormant state funds, accounts, or trusts held within the state treasury that generate interest but aren't used for government operations. It also mandates state agencies to review their funds and report to the Treasurer, who must then share compiled data with legislative offices. The policy aims to streamline inactive state financial accounts without creating new programs or altering investment rules.
SB 3230 authorizes Greenwood Leflore Hospital, a public community hospital in Leflore County, Mississippi, to seek federal bankruptcy protection under Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code to address its debts and financial obligations. The bill specifically allows the hospital’s Board of Commissioners to petition for relief and take necessary actions under this federal process. Chapter 9 provides a bankruptcy framework for public entities like hospitals to reorganize debts without dissolving the organization. This policy change directly affects the hospital’s ability to manage financial distress through a structured legal process.
