Rep. Carolyn Crawford

Maddy summaryHB 802 would require the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP) to offer a permanent 10% discount on standard state park admission fees to all senior citizens aged 65 and older. This discount applies directly to the base fee and is in addition to any existing promotional discounts for specific parks. The bill does not alter fees for other visitors but creates a new, automatic benefit for seniors at all state parks. It specifically authorizes MDWFP to implement this change without requiring new legislative approval each year.

Maddy summaryHB 1574 prohibits car dealers, manufacturers, and franchisors from sharing customers' contact details or personal information with other companies, except for specific business needs like completing a sale, processing warranties, or handling recalls. It directly affects car dealerships and manufacturers by restricting how they can use or share customer data they collect. The law allows sharing only for legitimate purposes such as validating incentives, evaluating dealer performance, or fulfilling safety obligations, but bans general marketing or data sales to third parties. This is a privacy-focused policy change targeting data practices in the automotive industry.

Maddy summaryHB 803 establishes a grant program to incentivize the installation of universal changing tables (accessible for people with disabilities) in restrooms of public and private/commercial buildings across Mississippi. It provides up to $5,000 per table for eligible entities like state agencies, municipalities, or publicly accessible private facilities, funded through legislative appropriations. The Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services administers the program, prioritizing tables that are height-adjustable, installed in single-occupancy gender-neutral restrooms meeting specific size requirements, and clearly signed. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and was never enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 793 would have prohibited public schools, community colleges, and state universities from requiring students to wear face masks or other coverings over the mouth/nose. It would have allowed parents to permit their children to wear masks and let students choose to wear them voluntarily, with exceptions for safety equipment in lab or occupational courses. The bill, which died in committee on February 4, 2025, was intended to take effect July 1, 2025, but never became law. It directly affected students in Mississippi's public K-12 schools and higher education institutions.

Maddy summaryThis bill would have prevented Mississippi Medicaid from seeking repayment for benefits from ABLE savings accounts established under state law. It specifically protects funds in these accounts - designed for people with disabilities to save without losing eligibility for benefits - from being used to cover Medicaid costs after the account holder's death. The bill amended state laws to ensure ABLE accounts are exempt from estate recovery rules that typically allow Medicaid to reclaim funds from a beneficiary's estate. This change would directly affect Mississippi residents with disabilities who use ABLE accounts to save for future needs while maintaining eligibility for public assistance.

Maddy summaryHB 785 would provide Mississippi public school special education teachers with annual salary supplements based on their teaching setting. Teachers instructing students in an itinerant (traveling between schools) setting would receive $4,000, while those teaching in self-contained classrooms would receive $8,000. The bill amends the state's teacher salary schedule to add these supplements as a separate payment on top of base salaries, directly affecting eligible special education teachers in these specific instructional roles. The legislation does not change base salary rates but adds this targeted financial incentive for teachers working in these high-need environments.

Maddy summaryHB 786 would provide a $2,000 annual salary supplement to Mississippi special education teachers who work in self-contained classrooms and are exposed to students' bodily fluids. This supplement would be added to their base salary as determined by the state's existing teacher salary schedule. The bill specifically targets teachers in self-contained special education settings, where students with special needs are taught in dedicated classroom environments.

Maddy summaryHB 792 amends Mississippi's school attendance law to automatically excuse absences for students with disabilities, as defined by federal law (IDEA and Section 504) and state statute. This means parents and guardians of students with disabilities will no longer face legal penalties for absences related to their child's disability. The bill also requires the State Board of Education to develop rules and support systems to help schools reduce chronic absenteeism, particularly for vulnerable students and in schools with high absence rates.

Maddy summaryHB 945 allows Mississippi state employees who used earned personal or major medical leave to receive their regular pay while on federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave to "buy back" that leave. Specifically, employees can repay their employer the exact amount of net pay they received during their FMLA leave period to restore the used leave time to their balance. This applies only to employees who chose to use their personal/medical leave to be paid during FMLA leave instead of taking unpaid leave. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, but died in committee before becoming law.

Maddy summaryHB 791 requires Mississippi school districts to install audio-capable video surveillance cameras in self-contained classrooms for exceptional students, as well as in gyms, hallways, cafeterias, and exterior building areas. It restricts access to footage to district superintendents, principals, and licensed school personnel, with specific privacy protections for students not involved in incidents under investigation. Districts may contract external companies for monitoring but must follow public bidding procedures, and the cameras eliminate the need for daily security staff or immediate police presence on school premises. The bill also connects to Mississippi’s School Safety Grant Program, which can fund surveillance equipment as part of broader safety plans. (Note: The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025.)