Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Defense Research and Development Program in Mississippi to provide loan assistance for seed and early-stage capital to small and medium-sized businesses with high growth potential. The program specifically targets businesses conducting research and development activities in partnership with the Mississippi Military Department, Mississippi National Guard, or state universities and colleges. A special fund will be created in the State Treasury to hold and manage these loan monies, with funds disbursed by the Mississippi Military Department based on legislative appropriation. Businesses interested in participating must submit applications detailing their purposes, requested amounts, and other relevant information to the department. The program will begin operations on July 1, 2026.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHB 1579 would change Mississippi's retirement rules for law enforcement officers hired on or after March 1, 2026. It would allow these officers to receive a retirement allowance after completing 20 years of service, regardless of their age. This modifies existing retirement system provisions (specifically Sections 25-11-103, 109, 111, 112, 114, 115, 117, 123, and 147) to shorten the required service period for eligibility. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and is not currently law.
Maddy summaryHB 1542 creates a new criminal offense called "abortion trafficking" in Mississippi, specifically targeting adults who transport unemancipated minors (under 18, not legally independent) across state lines for abortions with parental consent. The law prohibits recruiting, harboring, or transporting such minors for abortion procedures, imposing felony penalties of 2-5 years in prison or $1,000-$10,000 fines upon conviction. It explicitly states parental consent does not serve as a defense against trafficking charges, and it allows the state attorney general to prosecute if local prosecutors refuse. The bill died in committee in February 2026 and never became law.
Maddy summaryMississippi's HB 1541 would ban the mailing or distribution of abortion-inducing medications within the state, targeting any medicine that causes an abortion prohibited under Mississippi law. It directly affects individuals or entities (like pharmacies or mail-order services) that manufacture, sell, mail, or distribute such medications, or advertise their availability. Violators face fines up to $10,000 and up to five years in prison. The bill died in committee in February 2026 and is not currently law.
Maddy summaryHB 1718 establishes the DeSoto County Regional Forensics Laboratory as a new regional facility within Mississippi's existing forensic laboratory system, directly serving DeSoto County law enforcement agencies. The bill requires the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory to coordinate with DeSoto County officials on planning, construction, staffing, and operations, ensuring the lab receives necessary funding, equipment, and staff for continuous service. It references Section 45-1-29 of the Mississippi Code, which mandates separate funding for the forensic system, allows accepting grants, and requires courts to collect a $300 laboratory analysis fee from convicted individuals or participants in pretrial programs where forensic services were used - fees deposited into a dedicated special fund. The bill was referred to committees in early 2026 but died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not advance further.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a grant program to help Mississippi municipalities and counties repair, renovate, and improve veterans parks they operate or maintain. Local governments must apply to the Department of Finance and Administration and prove they have already set aside matching funds from local, private, or other sources to receive assistance. The program will be funded through a new special state treasury account called the Municipalities and Counties Veterans Parks Fund, which can only be used for these park improvements after legislative appropriation. The Department of Finance and Administration will manage the program and create rules to oversee how grants are distributed.
Maddy summaryHB 1100, the "Mississippi Teachers' Bill of Rights," would require teachers to create annual classroom management plans and grant teachers immediate authority to remove students for disruptive, threatening, or dangerous conduct (like persistent refusal to follow directions or verbal outbursts) without prior administrative approval. It mandates schools to notify parents about removal authority, establish clear timelines for plan approvals, and ensure removed students are placed under supervised administrative control - not suspended - while requiring written documentation and behavioral support plans for repeated removals. The bill directly affects Mississippi teachers, students, and school administrators by clarifying classroom management procedures, prohibiting principal interference with teacher removal decisions, and protecting teachers from retaliation for using these rights. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and was never enacted.
Maddy summaryThis bill lacks sufficient detail in the provided context to generate a substantive summary. The title indicates it concerns designating highway segments as memorials, but the bill text is incomplete (only showing "Adopted" and procedural amendments), and no specific roads, memorial conditions, or affected parties are described. Without the actual provisions, key mechanisms or who would be directly affected cannot be identified. Procedural memorial bills typically name roads after individuals or events, but this bill's specific content is unavailable here.
Maddy summaryHB 1308 establishes a new criminal offense for "grooming of a child" in Mississippi, making it illegal for anyone over 21 to engage in a pattern of communication or conduct (including via electronic devices) intended to prepare a child under 16 for sexual exploitation, human trafficking, or sexual servitude. The bill sets penalties ranging from 2 to 20 years in prison and fines up to $30,000, with harsher sentences for offenders in positions of trust (like teachers or coaches) or for repeat offenses. Fines collected will fund a Victims of Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation Fund, and the law explicitly states that prosecution is possible even if no actual sexual exploitation occurs.
Maddy summaryHB 1895 (DeSoto County; authorize sheriff to use radar on county roads) would have allowed DeSoto County's Board of Supervisors to purchase radar speed detection equipment for the sheriff's department. This equipment could be used to enforce speed limits on county roads and state highways outside incorporated city limits. Any fines collected from speeding violations detected by this radar would be required to fund school resource officers in DeSoto County public schools. The bill died in committee on April 3, 2025, and did not become law.