Rep. John Read

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates approximately $101.5 million from state funds to support the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks for the 2025 fiscal year. The funding covers general operations, specific programs like Project WILD, and authorizes a staff of 580 employees, including 527 permanent positions. It also establishes performance targets for license sales, boat registrations, and wildlife management activities while setting strict rules to prevent salary increases without new funding. Additionally, the legislation provides a $550 annual uniform allowance for conservation officers and requires detailed financial reporting to the Legislature.

Maddy summaryHB 1823 allocates state funds to support K-12 education and related programs in Mississippi for the fiscal year 2025. The bill directs money from both the General Fund and special funds to the State Department of Education to cover operational expenses, student funding formulas, and specific initiatives such as literacy programs, special needs support, and early learning collaboratives. It also authorizes the creation of 453 new positions within the department, including permanent and time-limited roles, while establishing rules to ensure these funds are used for hiring rather than salary increases for existing employees. Additionally, the legislation provides specific appropriations for vocational technical education, grants for school district facilities, and services like vision screening and testing.

Maddy summaryHB 1796 provides funding for the Mississippi State Department of Health for the fiscal year 2025, allocating money from both the State General Fund and various special funds to cover operational expenses. The bill specifies how millions of dollars will be distributed to support specific programs, including trauma care systems, maternal and child health services, tobacco control initiatives, and grants for qualified health centers. It also authorizes the creation of new permanent and time-limited positions within the department while establishing strict rules to ensure salary increases are used only for hiring new essential staff rather than raising pay for current employees.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates approximately $1.44 billion from the state treasury to cover the operating expenses of the Mississippi Department of Transportation for the 2025 fiscal year. The funds are allocated to specific areas including highways, maintenance, debt service, and aeronautics, while also authorizing a permanent workforce of 2,698 employees. Key provisions include strict rules on salary increases, requiring written approval for any position escalations and prohibiting the use of these funds to replace withdrawn federal money. Additionally, the legislation mandates new project planning policies to track construction costs and restricts the construction of new highway segments under ten miles unless specific justifications are recorded and notified to legislative committees.

Maddy summaryHB 1830 provides additional state funding to cover operating expenses for the Secretary of State, the Mississippi Development Authority, and the Office of the Attorney General through June 30, 2025. The bill allocates $14.025 million to the Secretary of State for land improvement grants, $500,000 to the Mississippi Development Authority for small unmanned aircraft system manufacturer grants, and $2.5 million to the Attorney General for expenses related to victims of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. These funds are drawn from the state treasury and distributed according to the Treasurer's Office. Although the bill was signed into law, the Governor partially vetoed it, meaning the funding amounts or allocations may have been modified.

Maddy summaryHB 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.

Maddy summaryHB 1707 clarifies and corrects the names and purposes of various local improvement projects funded by the 2023 Local Improvements Projects Fund and the 2022 IHL Capital Improvements Fund. The bill directs monies from specific county infrastructure funds to the Mississippi Department of Transportation rather than the Department of Finance and Administration. It also mandates that contracts for projects exceeding certain amounts must be awarded through competitive written bids. Additionally, the legislation makes technical adjustments to rules governing American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects.

Maddy summaryHB 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.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the rules for how the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce manages funds related to the state museum and fairgrounds. It requires that money used for building improvements, marketing, and naming rights be spent only after the Legislature approves it, while also establishing special funds to track these monies. The legislation allows the department to lease naming rights for museum and fairground properties for up to 20 years, but such leases must be approved by the Department of Finance and Administration. Additionally, the bill removes the department's ability to automatically increase certain budgets and clarifies procedures for handling donated items and livestock competition awards.

Maddy summaryHB 1787 appropriates approximately $5.5 million in state funds to cover the operating expenses of the Mississippi Public Service Commission for the fiscal year 2025. The bill authorizes the agency to maintain a permanent staff of 51 employees and six time-limited positions while establishing strict rules to prevent salary increases for current workers and ensuring that general funds are not used to replace withdrawn federal money. Additionally, the legislation sets specific performance targets for the commission, such as resolving utility complaints within three days and processing a set number of regulatory cases, and requires the agency to report on its progress toward these goals.