This bill increases the minimum salary for Mississippi public school teachers and assistant teachers starting in the 2026-2027 school year, establishing specific pay scales based on experience and license type (e.g., $43,500 for entry-level teachers with certain licenses). It requires school districts to maintain or increase local supplements and not pay assistant teachers below the state minimum salary, with potential funding reductions for violations. Additionally, the bill mandates a $2,000 annual salary increase for all full-time faculty at Mississippi's state colleges and universities.
SB 2118 requires Mississippi county sheriffs to include specific details about people awaiting trial in their jail dockets, such as full name, age, race, sex, arresting agency, charges, bond amount, and indictment date. Sheriffs must submit this updated monthly docket to county boards of supervisors via the chancery clerk before each board meeting. The bill directly affects county sheriffs (who must collect and submit the data) and county boards (who must review the dockets). It aims to standardize and increase transparency in pretrial detention records.
HB 476 sets maximum fees that Mississippi healthcare providers can charge for sharing medical records electronically. It limits charges to $30 flat for sending records electronically when they're already digital, or $0.25 per page (capped at $25 total) for converting paper records to electronic format, plus actual costs for media and postage. The bill directly affects patients requesting their own records and third parties authorized by patients to receive records. It amends existing law to establish these electronic fee caps while maintaining separate limits for photocopying. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.
SB 2002 changes Mississippi's student transfer rules by removing the requirement for a student's current school district to approve transfers to another district. Instead, the new district (transferee) must approve or deny a transfer request at its next regular meeting after receiving a parent's written petition, with approvals required by March 15 each year unless "good cause" exists to deny. The bill allows the new district to charge a reasonable fee for accepting a student but clarifies it doesn't affect existing desegregation orders or extracurricular eligibility rules set by the Mississippi High School Activities Association. This directly impacts parents/guardians seeking to move students between districts and school boards handling transfer requests.
This bill requires Mississippi county boards of supervisors to provide adequate and habitable office space for local Child Protection Services (CPS) offices. It clarifies that the space must be safe and functional for staff operations, directly affecting county boards responsible for facility provision. The bill also establishes a lease agreement where CPS pays federal funds for rent (at fair market value), while counties cover maintenance, repairs, utilities, and other operational costs. This ensures CPS offices meet basic infrastructure standards without using federal funds for building improvements.
HB 561 allows alcohol package retailers in Mississippi to also sell lottery tickets. It directly affects businesses holding a "package retailer's permit" under Mississippi's alcohol laws, enabling them to apply as lottery retailers under the Alyce G. Clarke Mississippi Lottery Law. The bill amends eligibility rules to explicitly include these alcohol permit holders as qualified lottery retailers, removing a previous barrier. This change permits these stores to sell lottery tickets alongside their existing alcohol sales, without altering lottery operations or requirements.
SB 2190 increases Mississippi's required minimum balance for the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund from 10% to 15% of the General Fund's annual appropriations. It also raises the maximum amount that can be diverted from unencumbered General Fund cash into the reserve from 10% to 15% of the General Fund's appropriations for the fiscal year. The fund, used to manage cash flow shortages, cover revenue shortfalls (with a $50 million annual cap), and provide immediate disaster assistance, will now require a larger reserve to be maintained.
SB 2191 revises Mississippi law to allow municipalities and counties to use a special fund from use tax revenue for specific infrastructure projects. The fund can cover repairs to roads, bridges, water systems, and sewer infrastructure, as well as debt payments for these projects, but cannot be used for salaries, administrative costs, or personal equipment. Municipalities must meet a minimum spending requirement on eligible projects (based on past spending adjusted for inflation) to receive full funding, with allocations split equally among all municipalities plus portions based on population and past sales tax revenue. Unspent funds carry over to the next fiscal year without lapsing into the general fund.
HB 605 requires Mississippi's Commissioner of Insurance to establish a state-run health insurance exchange by 2026. This exchange would allow residents to compare and purchase health insurance plans through an online portal, using funds from a new "Mississippi Health Insurance State Exchange Trust Fund" (financed by up to 3.5% of insurer fees). The bill directs the transfer of existing risk pool association funds to this trust by June 2026 and authorizes the Commissioner to use the current risk pool association's resources to operate the exchange. It directly affects Mississippi residents seeking health insurance, insurers selling plans through the exchange, and the state's existing risk pool association.
HB 644 requires Mississippi state agencies to include the estimated cost to the state when proposing new rules or significant changes to existing rules. It mandates that agencies provide legislators with copies of rule notices and economic impact statements at no cost, and ensures rules are invalid if agencies fail to comply with these disclosure requirements. The bill directly affects all state agencies drafting new regulations and Mississippi legislators, who gain clearer financial information about proposed rules. This procedural change aims to increase transparency in the rulemaking process by requiring upfront cost disclosures.
HB 660 formalizes salary schedules for Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol (MHP), Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics (MBN), and Commercial Traffic Enforcement Division (CTED) officers within the Department of Public Safety. It establishes specific pay rates based on officer rank and years of experience, such as Troopers earning $54,000 for under 4 years and Captains earning up to $104,500 for over 25 years. The bill directly affects sworn law enforcement officers in these divisions by defining their compensation structure through a detailed salary scale. It does not create new salary increases but codifies existing pay classifications for these state law enforcement roles.
SB 2208 creates a Mississippi Public University System Governance Study Committee to review the state's public university governance structure. The committee will assess issues like accountability, resource efficiency, student outcomes, and governance effectiveness across Mississippi's public institutions of higher learning. It must submit findings and recommendations to the legislature by December 1, 2026, and dissolve on January 1, 2027, or after its final report. This procedural bill directly affects Mississippi's public universities and their governing bodies by mandating a formal review of their operational framework.
