Rep. Kevin Felsher

Maddy summaryThis bill is a House Concurrent Resolution that formally recognizes and congratulates Ship Island Excursions on its 100th anniversary. The resolution honors the Skrmetta family business, which has provided ferry service to Ship Island since 1926 and has transported over 1.2 million visitors over the past century. The document outlines the company's history, its role as a community supporter through discounted tickets and donations, and its current operations from Gulfport. No new laws or funding are created; the measure serves solely as an official commendation from the Mississippi Legislature.

Maddy summaryHB 1577 clarifies that making a willful false report of child abuse (when unsupported by credible evidence and intentionally submitted as false) is a crime punishable by up to $5,000 in fines, one year in jail, or both. It requires individuals convicted of such false reports to pay restitution to the Department of Child Protection Services and law enforcement for investigation costs. The bill also specifies that reasonably relying on credible evidence or information serves as a defense against false reporting claims. This directly affects people who file false child abuse reports and the state agencies handling such cases.

Maddy summaryHB 1404 creates a new criminal offense called "fraudulent utility conversion" in Mississippi, making it illegal for landlords to pocket tenant payments for utilities without paying the provider, causing service interruptions. Landlords convicted face penalties ranging from up to six months in jail and $1,000 fines for under $1,000 in unpaid utilities, to up to 20 years in prison and $50,000 fines for amounts over $25,000. The bill also explicitly adds utility payments to a landlord’s legal duties under existing law (Section 89-8-23) and requires courts to order landlords to reimburse tenants for unpaid utility fees plus related costs like medical or food expenses. This directly affects landlords who fail to pay utilities and tenants who lose service due to this failure, effective July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a House Resolution that formally recognizes and congratulates the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Men's Golf Team for winning the NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship. The resolution highlights the team's achievements, including multiple national titles and individual awards won by players and the head coach. It also acknowledges the team's academic success and directs copies of the resolution to college officials and the press. This is a commemorative measure with no policy changes or funding implications.

Maddy summaryHB 1117, the "Creating Transparency and Accountability in Dental Services Act," requires dental insurance companies (dental carriers) to calculate and annually report their dental loss ratio (DLR) - the percentage of premium dollars spent directly on patient dental care versus administrative costs. Dental carriers must file these reports by June 30 each year, detailing how much was spent on clinical services, unpaid claims, and recovered payments, while excluding overhead like staff salaries or network development. The Commissioner of Insurance will make these reports publicly accessible on the department's website by December 1 each year and submit aggregated data to the Insurance Committees. This applies to all dental health plans sold in Mississippi but excludes Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program, and other state-sponsored plans.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits health insurance plans from requiring patients with advanced, metastatic cancer to try other medications first (step therapy) before covering FDA-approved treatments for their condition. It applies specifically to drugs that align with clinical guidelines and evidence-based medicine, directly affecting patients diagnosed with cancer that has spread and their healthcare providers. The law establishes a process for doctors to request immediate coverage overrides if step therapy delays care, requiring insurers to approve such requests based on medical evidence within 30 days (extendable by 7 days). It ensures faster access to critical treatments without unnecessary delays for patients with advanced cancer.

Maddy summaryHB 565, known as "Jill's Law," requires all health insurance plans in Mississippi - including Medicaid and the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan - to cover biomarker testing for diagnosis, treatment, or monitoring of diseases when supported by medical evidence. This includes tests backed by FDA approvals, clinical guidelines, or consensus statements, effective for plans renewed or entered after July 1, 2026. Plans must provide clear written justifications for denied claims, update coverage policies publicly within 60 days of enactment, and allow appeals for coverage disputes. The law applies to all health benefit plans and aims to ensure timely access to evidence-based testing without requiring multiple biopsies.

Maddy summaryHB 1402 designates a one-mile segment of Mississippi Highway 537 in Yazoo County as the "Colonel Donnell Berry Memorial Highway" to honor Colonel Donnell Berry. The Mississippi Department of Transportation will install and maintain signage along this highway segment. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2026. This is a commemorative designation with no policy or funding changes.

Maddy summaryHB 1532, the "Mississippi Business Filing Fraud Prevention Act," establishes a process to address fraudulent business filings, directly affecting business entities (like corporations, partnerships, and LLCs) and individuals involved in filing records. It requires a "complainant" (a person connected to the business or filing) to submit a verified declaration to the Secretary of State's Office alleging unauthorized changes to business records or identity theft in filings. The Office then notifies the "filer" to respond within 30 days; failure to respond results in the filing being deemed fraudulent and a final order issued. If the filer responds, the Office reviews evidence, may request additional information, and issues a final determination on fraud.

Maddy summaryHB 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.