Rep. Rodney Hall

Maddy summaryHB 197 increases the minimum state grant amount for Mississippi's MCOPS program from $10,000 to $40,000 per school resource officer (SRO) position hired by school districts or law enforcement agencies. It also raises the reimbursement for required training at the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers' Training Academy from an unspecified amount to $2,400 per officer. The bill requires local matching funds (50/50) and mandates that SROs spend at least 75% of their time working in schools. This bill, which died in committee on February 4, 2025, would have directly affected school districts and law enforcement agencies seeking to hire or retain SROs.

Maddy summaryHB 1276 reclassifies texting while driving as a nonmoving traffic violation in Mississippi, punishable by a maximum fine of $50 plus a $10 court fee. It directly affects drivers who use hand-held devices to write, send, or read text messages while operating a vehicle, excluding law enforcement, emergency personnel, and hands-free device use. The bill prohibits adding points to a driver's license for this violation and requires law enforcement to record the driver's age, race, and whether a crash occurred when issuing a citation. It takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 819 proposed requiring Mississippi public school districts to adopt a policy granting cost-free admission to school and Mississippi High School Activities Association events for district employees. This would apply to all instructional and noninstructional staff, with the benefit treated as part of their compensation in employment contracts. The policy explicitly prohibits extending this benefit to family members or third parties. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and never became law.

Maddy summaryHB 1271 revises penalties for violations of Mississippi's Employment Protection Act by adding administrative dissolution or revocation of an employer's business license as a potential penalty. The bill authorizes the Department of Employment Security, Department of Revenue, and Secretary of State to create enforcement rules, and allows the Attorney General to pursue civil penalties for violations. It also updates related sections of the law (79-4-14.20, 79-4-15.30, 79-29-821, and 79-29-1021) to align with these changes. This affects all employers in Mississippi required to comply with the act's core provisions, such as using E-Verify for new hires and avoiding discriminatory hiring practices.

Maddy summaryHB 709 would have required Mississippi public and charter school boards to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom by January 2026, using a specific text and format (11x14 inch framed poster with a context statement about historical educational use). The bill mandated that displays include a historical explanation noting the Ten Commandments' role in early American textbooks and education. It also allowed school boards to choose additional historical documents for display and directed the state to provide free resources for compliance. This bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and was never enacted into law.

Maddy summaryHB 1274 increases penalties for theft involving mail, postal keys, and credit cards/checks in Mississippi. It defines mail theft as stealing, damaging mail or mailboxes, or selling stolen mail, and adds similar rules for stealing or forging mail depository keys/locks. Offenders face up to 5 years in prison or $5,000 fines for first offenses (increasing to 10 years/$20,000 for repeat offenses), plus mandatory restitution to victims. The bill directly affects individuals who commit these specific thefts, including those who steal mail, tamper with postal access points, or handle stolen payment instruments like checks. It establishes these as separate offenses alongside existing laws, not replacing them.

Maddy summaryHB 876, the Mississippi Emergency Drinking Water Network Act, creates a grant program administered by MEMA to help counties and rural water systems maintain drinking water access during emergencies. It provides funding for equipment like water transport trucks, transfer systems, and training for water operators and first responders to quickly establish emergency water distribution points. The program, funded by ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds, requires projects to be completed by December 2026 and mandates annual reports to the governor and legislature. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and was never enacted into law.

Maddy summaryHB 1279 creates the Mississippi JROTC Promise Grant Program, providing last-dollar tuition scholarships at Mississippi community colleges for high school graduates who completed at least one credit of JROTC or National Defense Cadet Corps coursework. To qualify, students must be Mississippi residents, have a 2.5 GPA, complete a college preparatory curriculum, and maintain a 2.0 GPA while enrolled full-time. The program covers tuition costs after other gift aid is applied, administered by the Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board, and requires continuous enrollment for up to four semesters. It directly affects JROTC participants pursuing associate degrees at public community colleges in Mississippi.

Maddy summaryHB 196 increases Mississippi's threshold for requiring performance bonds and general liability insurance on public works contracts. It raises the contract value from $25,000 to $75,000 for local government projects (cities/counties) before a performance bond is required, allowing lump-sum payments instead for smaller contracts. For contracts exceeding $75,000 with local governments or $5,000 with the state, contractors must provide $1 million in general liability insurance, and general contractors become liable if subcontractors lack adequate coverage. This bill directly affects contractors bidding on public construction, alteration, or repair work, and public entities like cities, counties, and the state. The bill died in committee in February 2025 and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 1270 removes a prohibition that previously prevented Mississippi constables from receiving fees for making arrests or attending trials related to motor vehicle violations committed on highways within their district. This change directly affects county constables who enforce traffic laws on state highways, allowing them to be compensated for these specific duties. The bill amends Section 19-19-5 of the Mississippi Code to eliminate this restriction, though it does not alter other fee structures or training requirements for constables. The policy change takes effect July 1, 2025.