Rep. Greg Haney

Maddy summaryHB 1118 creates the Mississippi Department of Tourism to centralize and enhance the state's tourism promotion efforts, replacing the previous tourism functions under the Mississippi Development Authority. The bill transfers the Tourism Division to the new department by July 1, 2026, and redirects a portion of restaurant and hotel sales tax revenue into the department's advertising fund. It authorizes the department to develop marketing strategies, coordinate with local tourism groups, and establish grant programs for tourism promotion, while repealing several existing tourism-related laws. This reorganization aims to streamline tourism development and marketing across Mississippi's diverse attractions and regions.

Maddy summaryHB 1656, the STRONG Act, would provide tax benefits and health care support for Mississippi National Guard members and their families. It increases income tax exemptions for Guard and Reserve members, creates a $250 annual credit against motor vehicle taxes for service members and their spouses, and establishes a program to reimburse National Guard members for Tricare Reserve Select health insurance premiums. The Adjutant General would administer the program and report its progress to the legislature. The bill passed the legislature in February 2025 but died on calendar before becoming law.

Maddy summaryHB 1216 appropriated $1.5 million from the State General Fund to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (as fiscal agent for the Office of Workforce Development) to fund the Paramedics Recruitment and Retention Scholarship Grant Program. The program was intended to provide scholarships for individuals pursuing paramedic careers, directly benefiting prospective paramedics in Mississippi seeking education and training. The funding would have covered the 2025-2026 fiscal year (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026), with the Department of Employment Security managing the disbursement. The bill died in committee on February 26, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 1067 would require Mississippi public employees convicted of felonies involving $50,000 or more in public funds (committed on or after July 1, 2025) to forfeit retirement benefits from the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), Supplemental Legislative Retirement System (SLRP), or Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol Retirement System (MHSPRS). The bill mandates a separate civil court hearing to determine if the conviction meets the criteria for forfeiture, and benefits are only terminated after all appeals of the conviction are final. If forfeited, the employee loses retirement benefits but receives a refund of their contributions without interest, with the process requiring court orders and Attorney General verification.

Maddy summaryHB 1068 would have changed Mississippi municipal election rules by eliminating ballot printing for candidates running unopposed. If only one qualified candidate filed for an office after the deadline (meeting all eligibility requirements and campaign finance rules), the election commission would declare them elected without opposition, and their name would not appear on the ballot. This applies specifically to municipal general elections where no other candidate qualifies. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and never became law. It directly affected municipalities holding elections with uncontested races.

Maddy summaryHB 678, the Mississippi Doxxing Prevention Act, prohibits intentionally sharing restricted personal information (like home addresses, phone numbers, or email) of specific protected individuals with the intent to harass or threaten them. It directly affects law enforcement officers, government employees, jurors, witnesses, and informants (defined as "covered persons") by creating criminal penalties: first offenses are misdemeanors (up to 6 months jail or $2,000 fine), while repeat offenses or cases involving violence become felonies (up to 10 years in prison or $10,000 fine). The bill also amends Mississippi’s public records law to exempt the restricted personal information of these covered persons from public disclosure. The bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee but died there on February 4, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 1070 would have amended Mississippi law to allow police chiefs and sheriffs to administer oaths, expanding the current list of authorized officials (which includes judges, notaries, and mayors). This change would directly affect law enforcement officers in Mississippi, enabling them to legally swear in documents like affidavits or depositions. The bill specifically added "chief of police" and "sheriff" to Section 11-1-1 of the Mississippi Code. However, the bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and never became law.

Maddy summaryHB 1071 authorizes Mississippi residents to obtain a distinctive license tag for $30 annually, identifying them as supporters of the Louisiana-Mississippi-West Tennessee District of Kiwanis International. The $30 fee is paid at vehicle registration and distributed as $24 to the Kiwanis organization, $1 to the Mississippi Burn Care Fund, $2 to the State Highway Fund, and $1 to a special fund. The tag must be displayed alongside the regular license plate and is renewed annually with vehicle registration. The bill also provides for replacement tags at a $10 fee if lost or stolen.

Maddy summaryHB 1069 would allow Mississippi sheriffs and deputies to use radar speed detection devices on public roads to enforce speed limits specifically within school zones marked by caution blinking lights. It also requires counties to use all fines collected from violations in these school zones to fund school safety initiatives, such as school resource officers or safety training for school staff. The bill aims to strengthen enforcement in school zones while directing penalty revenue directly toward improving school safety. This legislation would apply to all school zones meeting the specified lighting requirements, not just those in incorporated municipalities.

Maddy summaryHB 1060 requires Mississippi public schools to notify parents or legal guardians in writing within three days if a student identifies at school with a gender, pronoun, or uses facilities that differs from their sex assigned at birth (as listed on their birth certificate or official records). It directly affects public school students in Mississippi, their parents/guardians, and school staff who would need to comply with the notification requirement. Key provisions include mandating written parental notification for gender/identity-related requests, prohibiting school discipline against staff who refuse to use preferred pronouns inconsistent with birth sex, and requiring parental written approval before using a student’s preferred pronoun. The bill, which died in committee on February 4, 2025, would have taken effect July 1, 2025, if enacted.