This bill establishes a new trust fund to provide death benefits to Mississippi law enforcement officers and firefighters who die or suffer fatal injuries while performing official duties. It increases the base death benefit payment to $150,000 and allows for an additional $25,000 per child, with a maximum total payout of $250,000, while also authorizing up to $15,000 for funeral expenses. The legislation creates a separate fund for training and equipment grants, directing any money remaining in the death benefits trust after maintaining a $4 million minimum balance to support enhanced training or safety gear for covered individuals.
This bill updates the salary schedule for sworn officers in the Mississippi Highway Patrol and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, establishing new pay rates based on rank and years of experience. It creates a detailed pay structure that starts at $54,000 for entry-level positions and increases to over $131,000 for top leadership roles, while also removing the previous "David R. Huggins Act" from state law. The legislation requires the Department of Public Safety to report necessary data to budget officials to fund these salaries and allows the Commissioner to set pay for officers in related divisions like the Capitol Police using the same scale.
This Mississippi law prohibits homeowners' insurance companies from cancelling policies or denying coverage simply because a home's roof is old. The rule applies to all residential insurance policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2024, ensuring that roof age alone cannot be used as a reason to drop coverage. While insurers may still cancel policies for other valid reasons, this bill removes the roof's age as a standalone justification for doing so.
This bill appropriates state funds to cover the operating expenses of the Mississippi Department of Revenue for the fiscal year 2025. The money will support various divisions, including those handling tax exemptions, vehicle registration, alcohol distribution, and tax enforcement, while also reimbursing local governments for tax losses related to home exemptions. Additionally, the legislation authorizes the hiring of 668 permanent employees and sets strict rules on how salary funds can be used, ensuring they are allocated to new hires rather than raises for current staff. The bill also establishes specific performance targets for the department, such as limits on the cost per tax audit and goals for issuing permits for alcohol and medical cannabis.
This bill allows existing package retailer permit holders in Mississippi to own one additional permit under specific conditions. To qualify, the new permit must be for a location in one of the three southernmost counties that is part of a major retail development project with at least $20 million in capital investment. The new location must also be at least 100 miles away from any other permit the owner currently holds. This change aims to expand retail alcohol sales opportunities for large-scale developments in designated southern regions while maintaining distance requirements between stores.
HB 1800 authorizes over $10 billion in funding for Mississippi's Division of Medicaid for the 2025 fiscal year to cover medical assistance for eligible residents and administrative costs. The bill allocates money from the State General Fund, the Medical Care Fund, and special source funds, while also permitting the use of recovered funds to offset audit expenses. Additionally, the legislation sets specific limits on hiring new staff and salary increases, requiring that general funds not be used to replace federal funding or pay for current employees' promotions. The act further mandates that the agency maintain detailed financial records and submit future budget requests with CHIP and home and community-based services separated from the main medical program. Finally, it establishes performance targets for the division, including goals for processing claims within 30 or 90 days and reducing third-party liability costs.
This Mississippi bill authorizes the Harrison County Board of Supervisors to charge an extra fee on people convicted in local courts to help pay for courthouse and jail repairs. The fee is set at $25 for most convictions but $50 for driving under the influence cases, excluding those who are already paying other court costs. The collected money must be used specifically for fixing and renovating the county's justice facilities, and this rule will end on July 1, 2028.
This bill appropriates approximately $38.7 million from state funds to cover the operating expenses of the Mississippi Secretary of State's office for the 2025 fiscal year. The funding supports a specific workforce of 96 permanent and 12 temporary positions while establishing strict rules to prevent salary increases for current employees and requiring written approval for any pay escalations. Additionally, the legislation sets performance targets for elections, business services, and public lands management, and allocates specific amounts for litigation costs, voter system bonds, and land records maintenance.
This bill appropriates approximately $11 million from state funds to cover the operating expenses of the Mississippi Gaming Commission for the 2025 fiscal year. The funding supports a permanent staff of 120 employees and includes specific rules to prevent salary increases for current workers, ensuring that new hires do not displace existing positions. Additionally, the legislation directs $75,000 to the Mississippi Council on Compulsive Gambling and establishes performance targets for regulating riverboat casinos and charitable bingo halls. The bill also mandates that the agency give preference to the Mississippi Industries for the Blind when purchasing goods and services.
HB 1705 directs the Mississippi State Treasurer to transfer millions of dollars from the Capital Expense Fund into various existing special funds, including those for animal disease response, oil and gas emergency plugging, and disaster assistance. The bill also establishes several new special funds in the state treasury to manage money for opioid litigation settlements, forest improvement, volunteer fire department equipment conversion, arts commission initiatives, and public employee retirement system repairs. Additionally, the legislation sets a $10,000 cap on individual grants for hurricane damage mitigation and creates a dedicated fund to administer that program through a third-party contractor. Finally, it adjusts fiscal year 2024 appropriations to transfer funds to successor boards for barber and cosmetology licensing.
The SAFER Act establishes new state laws in Mississippi that require public schools and universities to maintain separate restrooms, changing facilities, and student housing spaces for males and females. Under this legislation, these areas must be designated exclusively for one sex or configured as single-occupant or family-use rooms with secure locks to ensure privacy. The law also restricts entry into these spaces, allowing access only for specific reasons such as assisting young children, responding to emergencies, or performing official government duties. Additionally, the bill defines terms like "female" and "male" based solely on biological sex determined at birth and mandates that social fraternities and sororities on public land adhere to these single-sex housing definitions.
This bill appropriates approximately $220 million to the Mississippi Department of Transportation's Office of State Aid Road Construction for the fiscal year 2025 to fund road maintenance and bridge repair projects. The legislation authorizes the hiring of 54 permanent staff members and establishes strict rules to ensure salary funds are used only for new hires rather than raises or promotions for existing employees. Additionally, the bill sets specific performance targets for the agency, such as completing a certain number of road and bridge projects and maintaining administrative costs at or below 5% of construction spending. It also designates up to $40 million specifically for replacing structurally deficient bridges on the Local System Bridge Program.
