HB 1120 requires the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) to pay the Town of Walnut Grove $569,212.02 for unpaid utility services provided to the Walnut Grove Correctional Facility from January 2017 through February 2024. The bill mandates payment within 365 days of the law's effective date, directly affecting MDOC and the town's municipal utility. If payment isn't made on time, the Commissioner of Corrections' salary will be withheld until the debt is settled. This is a straightforward payment obligation with a specific enforcement mechanism, not a new policy.
SB 2402 (The Amy Act) eliminates the grace period allowing lobbyists to register with Mississippi's Secretary of State after starting lobbying activities. It requires lobbyists and their clients to register and pay fees *before* engaging in lobbying, rather than after. The bill creates "The Amy Act" under Section 5-8-17, authorizing the Secretary of State to assess daily fines of $50 (up to $500 total) for late registration. This directly affects all lobbyists and their clients who lobby in Mississippi, making timely registration mandatory to avoid penalties.
HB 1694 revises the composition of the Inmate Welfare Fund Committee by adding the chairpersons of the House and Senate Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency Committees as nonvoting members. The committee, which oversees the Inmate Welfare Fund used for inmate welfare programs like benefits and services, now includes these four new nonvoting members (the two Corrections Committee chairs and two Accountability Committee chairs) alongside existing members. The bill does not change the committee's requirement to meet at least quarterly or the fund's existing purpose of using inmate telephone commissions and other revenues.
HB 1692 requires Mississippi's Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) to manage all requests for bids for healthcare services provided to state prison inmates. This shifts procurement responsibility from other departments to the DFA for contracts related to inmate medical care. The bill directly affects how the state procures healthcare services for incarcerated individuals in correctional facilities. It changes the administrative process for these contracts but does not alter healthcare standards or access for inmates.
HB 28 allows Mississippi offenders on probation or parole to earn up to 30 days off their supervision term for every 30 days participating in approved faith-based or faith-based sponsored activities. It directly affects individuals under the state's probation, parole, or intensive supervision programs who complete qualifying faith-based activities. To qualify, offenders must provide monthly verification from a faith organization's leader, and credits will be applied within 30 days of the reporting month. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and adds this pathway to the existing earned-discharge program without changing eligibility for other credit types.
SB 2372 amends Mississippi law to redirect funds from county and municipal filing fees (50 cents per $1 document filed) into the Local Government Records Management Fund. This fund will now specifically support the Department of Archives and History in providing records management, historic preservation, and museum services to counties and municipalities. The bill requires counties and municipalities to use these funds solely for proper records management according to state standards. It does not change the $1 filing fee amount or collection method but clarifies how the monies must be spent. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 1469 prohibits Mississippi enforcement officers from the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks and the Commission on Marine Resources from stopping or boarding a vessel without clear evidence (probable cause) of a violation. It specifically bans stops conducted solely for safety or sanitation inspections, making those inspections secondary offenses rather than primary reasons for stops. The bill directly affects boaters by requiring officers to have specific cause for vessel interactions and changes enforcement procedures under Mississippi's boating laws. This amendment to Section 59-21-127 takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 1260 is a procedural bill that consolidates and updates existing definitions used in Mississippi's public school funding formula. It brings forward multiple sections of Mississippi law (including definitions for terms like "base amount," "low income student," "net enrollment," and "final weighted enrollment") into a single, organized section (37-151-201). The bill does not change funding amounts or policies but clarifies the terminology used to calculate school district funding. This directly affects how school districts and the State Department of Education calculate and distribute state education funds. The summary focuses solely on the bill's procedural purpose of reorganizing existing definitions.
This bill creates a temporary study committee to examine the management and regulation of Mississippi's state-owned coastal lands (tidelands and submerged lands), including how rents are determined and when lands are used rent-free. The committee, composed of legislative members, coastal municipal officials, and private sector representatives (gaming and small business), must study these issues and submit recommendations to the Legislature by December 1, 2026. The committee will dissolve by January 1, 2027, and its work is limited to fact-finding and recommendations - no policy changes are made by the bill itself. It directly affects state agencies managing coastal resources and coastal communities with interests in land use.
SB 2445 requires Mississippi's Department of Mental Health (DMH) to create performance standards for Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) by June 2027 and conduct audits of each CMHC at least once every two years starting in fiscal year 2028. CMHCs that fail an audit enter a six-month probation period; if they fail again, DMH must replace their leadership with contractors until standards are met. The bill also repeals outdated provisions about a "Coordinator of Mental Health Accessibility" position within the Department of Finance and Administration. This directly affects all 18 CMHCs and their regional commissions across Mississippi by establishing new accountability measures for service quality.
HB 735 creates a new category of paid "Special Need Events Marine Patrol Reserve Officers" within Mississippi's Department of Marine Resources. These officers, who must meet specific qualifications (like military service, work experience, or educational background), will be authorized to serve during critical events such as large gatherings or emergencies. The bill amends existing law to allow these reserve officers to receive payment - unlike the current unpaid reserve unit - and specifies they must be approved by the department's executive director. This change directly affects eligible volunteers who meet the criteria and the department's ability to deploy trained personnel for urgent marine resource protection needs.
HB 1310, the "Mississippi Open to Religion Act," requires public school districts and nonsectarian public charter schools to adopt policies enabling daily, voluntary prayer and Bible/religious text reading sessions for students and staff. These sessions must include written parental/student consent forms acknowledging choice, waiving legal claims (including Establishment Clause challenges), and prohibiting participation without consent. The bill mandates safeguards like no public address system broadcasts, no substitution of instructional time, and physical separation from non-consenting individuals, with schools able to schedule sessions before school or in fully consented areas. It clarifies the policy doesn’t restrict individual prayer outside designated times or conflict with existing religious expression protections under state law or the First Amendment. The Attorney General would provide legal defense and model consent forms for compliant schools.
