HB 389 requires Mississippi schools to accept a parent's or guardian's current Mississippi automobile registration as proof of residency when enrolling students whose families are on active military duty. It specifically applies to military-connected students whose parents are stationed at or transferring to a military installation in Mississippi. If a parent does not own a vehicle, they must submit a signed affidavit affirming the student's residence at the enrolled school district's address. Schools may also request additional documents like utility bills or lease agreements for verification. The bill does not change enrollment rules for non-military students.
HB 1383 requires Mississippi counties and taxing units to send property owners a notice by July 15 each year. The notice must show last year's property tax amount (before exemptions), last year's tax rate, next year's projected tax amount (if the rate stays the same), and the difference between the two. This directly affects homeowners and business property owners who pay ad valorem taxes, providing clearer transparency about tax changes before they take effect. The bill does not change tax rates but mandates specific information to help taxpayers understand potential cost differences.
HB 1460 amends an existing appropriation to allow Prentiss County to redirect $450,000 originally designated for bridge replacement and road repairs on County Roads 1471, 1475, and 1481 in Supervisors District 5 to another road project. The bill modifies Section 28 of Chapter 549, Laws of 2023 (as amended), which previously specified these exact road improvements. This is a technical adjustment to fund allocation, not a new program or policy change. The bill does not alter the funding amount or affect other allocations listed in the same section.
HB 1510 restates the existing staffing allowance for the Seventh Circuit Court District public defender's office, confirming they may appoint three full-time assistant public defenders. This applies to both the Seventh Circuit Court District and the Capitol Complex Improvement District (CCID) Inferior Court. The bill maintains the current staffing level (not increasing it, as the title suggests) and specifies that assistants' compensation must match existing rates, subject to available legislative funding. It directly affects the Seventh Circuit public defender's office and its staff in those jurisdictions. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 1205 removes a requirement that parents sign a confidentiality pledge before mediation begins for disputes about special education services under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). This change aligns Mississippi's state law with federal policy, directly affecting students with disabilities and their families who use mediation to resolve disagreements about educational evaluations, placements, or services. The bill modifies Section 37-23-141 to eliminate the pre-mediation signature step while keeping other mediation rules intact, such as voluntary participation, confidentiality during sessions, and state-funded costs. The change aims to streamline the process without altering the core mediation structure.
HB 1206 clarifies that teachers and assistant teachers working in prekindergarten or early childhood education programs within state-chartered schools (authorized by the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board) are exempt from standard teaching qualification requirements. This exemption specifically applies to programs not granted by the Mississippi State Department of Education (SDE), meaning staff in these charter school programs do not need bachelor's or associate's degrees in early childhood education or related certifications. The bill does not change existing requirements for staff in SDE-funded programs but explicitly confirms the exemption for charter school employees in non-SDE programs. It takes effect July 1, 2026.
SB 2538 modifies Mississippi's health care Certificate of Need (CON) law by requiring parties who request a hearing on a CON application and lose the hearing to pay all related attorney, consultant, and other fees within 90 days of the hearing officer's decision. The bill also mandates that the party initiating a hearing must provide upfront security (e.g., a deposit) to cover potential costs, with the State Department of Health determining the security amount. This directly affects health care providers, opponents of new facilities, or other "affected persons" who request hearings but do not prevail. The law eliminates judicial review of hearing outcomes, making the State Department of Health's decisions final.
HB 1468 amends Mississippi's public records law to explicitly exempt "protected personally identifiable information" (PII) from disclosure requirements. It defines protected PII as sensitive details like Social Security numbers, home addresses, driver's license numbers, medical records, and financial account information. The bill directly affects public bodies (including law enforcement agencies and courts) that handle personal records, requiring them to withhold this specific information from public records requests. Key provisions clarify that such information - previously subject to disclosure under the Public Records Act - will now be exempt, while maintaining access to basic incident reports. This creates a clear legal standard for protecting high-risk personal data without altering access to non-sensitive public records.
HB 1035, the Mississippi Future Innovators Act, requires all Mississippi public high school students to earn one credit in a computer science course or a career and technical education (CTE) course with embedded computer science before graduation, starting with the 2029-2030 ninth-grade class. The bill mandates that these courses include instruction on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), covering what AI is, how it works, and its societal impact. Students can fulfill this requirement through either a dedicated computer science course or a CTE course approved by the State Board of Education, without increasing the total number of state-required graduation credits. This policy directly affects all Mississippi public high school students and aims to integrate foundational computer science knowledge into graduation requirements.
HB 351 designates June 3 as "Bobbie Gentry Day" in Mississippi to honor the singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry, born in Woodland, Mississippi, who gained international fame in the 1960s with hits like "Ode to Billie Joe." The bill amends Mississippi Code Section 3-3-7 to add this day as a commemorative observance, alongside existing days like Elvis Presley Day and Hernando de Soto Day. It specifies that June 3 will be a day of recognition and observation but explicitly states it is not a legal holiday, meaning it does not affect government operations, business closures, or work schedules. The bill has no regulatory or financial impact and serves solely as a symbolic tribute to Gentry's cultural contributions.
HB 1486 changes Mississippi's tax lien collection rules. It sets a 3-year limit for the Department of Revenue to collect on tax liens enrolled on or after July 1, 2026, and requires collection actions to stop by July 1, 2029, for liens existing as of that date. The bill defines "doubtful claims" as tax debts where collection is ineffective, and establishes that such claims can be settled: taxpayers pay 50% of the debt if the lien has been active 3-10 years, or the full amount is waived after 10 years. This directly affects taxpayers with unresolved tax debts and modifies how the state handles old tax liabilities.
HB 1442 allows Mississippi airport authorities, municipalities, and other government entities that own or operate airports to contract with private companies for financing, building, operating, or maintaining airport facilities - similar to how toll roads or bridges are handled under existing law. This bill exempts these airport contracts from standard state procurement bidding rules (Section 31-7-13), which typically require competitive bidding for purchases over $75,000. The law specifically amends Section 31-7-13 to clarify this exemption and states that these contracting powers supplement, rather than replace, existing airport authority powers under Section 61-3-15. The bill directly affects local governments and airport operators seeking to use private partnerships for airport projects.
