Maddy summaryHB 649, the "Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act," would have provided college tuition awards to Mississippi public safety personnel (including police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics) with at least six years of service, covering up to 100% of resident tuition costs at public institutions or the equivalent at private schools. It would also have allowed legal dependents of personnel with ten years of service to receive awards, contingent on agreeing to remain in Mississippi for five years after graduation and providing annual tax proof. The program required applicants to exhaust other federal/state financial aid first (acting as a "last dollar" scholarship) and established a state fund prioritizing current personnel over dependents if funding was limited. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and never became law.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHB 648 would allow U.S. Coast Guard Health Services Technicians who have completed their military training and two years of direct patient care experience to take Mississippi's Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) exam. This bill specifically adds Coast Guard Health Services Technicians to the list of military personnel eligible for LPN licensure under existing rules. It does not change other requirements like education or exams, but removes a barrier for these technicians seeking to work as LPNs in Mississippi. The bill was referred to committee but died there in February 2026.
Maddy summaryHB 646 would allow U.S. Coast Guard Health Services Technicians to qualify for a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) license by taking the state exam, after completing their Coast Guard training and two years of direct patient care experience. This expands an existing provision that already covers other military medics (like Army Combat Medics and Navy Corpsmen) but specifically adds Coast Guard Health Services Technicians to the list of eligible applicants. The bill does not change exam requirements or create new pathways - it simply extends current military licensure eligibility to this specific Coast Guard role. The proposal died in committee on February 3, 2026, and was never enacted.
Maddy summaryHB 659 would allow Mississippi public school districts and charter schools to hire or accept chaplains as volunteers to provide student support services, without requiring chaplains to hold teaching certifications. Schools employing chaplains must conduct criminal background checks and prohibit individuals required to register as sex offenders from serving. The bill also mandates that school boards adopt chaplain policies by December 2026, requires schools to fund chaplain-related safety programs, and integrates chaplains into state crisis response teams under amended education codes. This bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and has not advanced.
Maddy summaryHB 650 creates a scholarship program to help recruit and retain paramedics in Mississippi by covering full tuition, fees, books, uniforms, and national certification exam costs for qualified applicants. It targets certified EMTs pursuing accredited paramedic training who agree to work in Mississippi for at least three years after graduation. The program, managed by the Office of Workforce Development with the Department of Employment Security handling funds, allows up to 5% of allocated money for administrative costs. This bill directly affects EMTs seeking paramedic certification and aims to strengthen Mississippi's emergency medical services workforce through financial support and service commitments.
Maddy summaryHB 705, titled "Enhanced penalties for use of mask in commission of a crime; authorize," would have required Mississippi courts to add a mandatory 1-2 year prison sentence for anyone convicted of a crime while wearing a facial mask, hood, or other face-covering that concealed their identity. The bill directly affected individuals convicted of crimes committed with facial concealment during sentencing. Key provisions mandated the enhanced penalty be added to the standard sentence for such offenses, with no judicial discretion to reduce it. However, the bill died in committee in February 2026 and never became law.
Maddy summaryHB 678 would have allowed Mississippi public school districts and charter schools to hire or accept volunteer chaplains to provide student support services, subject to background checks and a prohibition on hiring individuals required to register as sex offenders. The bill required schools to fund chaplain-related safety programs, including crisis response teams that must include chaplains, and mandated school boards to adopt policies by December 2026. Key provisions included background checks for chaplains, inclusion of chaplains in school safety training, and requirements for school boards to integrate chaplain services into emergency management plans. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.
Maddy summaryHB 676 requires every vehicle owner in Mississippi to provide proof of minimum liability insurance coverage when registering or renewing a vehicle registration. It establishes an online verification system managed by the Department of Public Safety (replacing the Department of Revenue) to check insurance status instantly during registration. The system overrides physical insurance cards, denies registration for non-compliant vehicles, and mandates insurers to submit policy data every 30 days. This directly affects all vehicle owners and insurers operating in Mississippi, with the system required to be fully operational by 2026.
Maddy summaryHB 675 gives Mississippi law enforcement officers who test positive for drugs in a urine test the right to request a more reliable hair follicle test before facing termination or unpaid suspension. Officers have two business days to contest the initial test result and up to five additional days to get a hair test (paid by the officer initially, but reimbursed if negative). If the hair test is negative, the officer is reinstated immediately and reimbursed for the test cost; if positive, they keep the cost and face disciplinary action. The bill directly affects all full- or part-time law enforcement officers in Mississippi who receive a positive drug test result under current policies.
Maddy summaryHB 689 would require Mississippi's Department of Human Services to set aside $10 million annually from federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant funds to provide marriage counseling, preparation, and support services. It specifically directs these funds to nonprofit organizations serving military families (including active/reserve forces and National Guard) and first responder families (firefighters, EMTs, police, correctional officers, etc.). The bill mandates this funding supplement, not replace, existing support programs. The legislation died in committee in February 2026 and never became law.