Rep. Dana McLean

Maddy summaryHB 1215 requires Mississippi school districts to establish Early Learning Collaboratives - councils including public schools, Head Start, private schools, and childcare centers - by the 2030-2031 school year. The bill mandates a phased expansion starting in 2026-2027, ensuring all districts have such collaboratives to coordinate preschool services. These collaboratives must align programs with state learning standards, provide teacher professional development, and manage funding for quality prekindergarten education. The policy directly affects all Mississippi public school districts and preschool children (ages 4) seeking access to coordinated early learning programs.

Maddy summaryHB 1312, the "Purple Angels Law," would require Mississippi to create a public registry of individuals convicted of multiple domestic violence offenses against the same victim (defined as having at least one prior conviction for such an offense). It mandates courts to send offender details to the Department of Public Safety, which would maintain the registry online with basic information like name, date of birth, and photo (excluding Social Security numbers). Offenders would pay a $250 registration fee, with $150 directed to domestic violence prevention services. The registry would automatically remove names after 5-20 years based on prior convictions or permanently for felony repeat offenders, but the bill died in committee in February 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1463 establishes a pilot program to provide Mississippi students in grades 6-12 with free, 24/7 online therapy access through school-based teletherapy services. The bill requires the State Department of Education to award grants to school districts and contract with vendors meeting strict qualifications (e.g., 5+ years in teletherapy, serving 2.5M+ students, 100% licensed clinicians). Key provisions mandate immediate appointment availability, trauma-trained crisis support year-round, no insurance or referral requirements, and real-time data sharing with schools while complying with privacy laws. The bill, which died in committee on February 3, 2026, would have created a dedicated state fund for the program and required a 2027 legislative report on outcomes.

Maddy summaryHB 1464 would have required Mississippi public schools to include domestic violence and dating violence prevention education within their health curriculum. The bill mandated that the State Department of Education, in partnership with the State Department of Health and the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence, provide training and resources to educators for this instruction. The curriculum would cover defining dating violence, recognizing warning signs, promoting healthy relationships, and prevention strategies, with schools required to give students a copy of their dating violence policy. This bill would have directly affected all public school districts in Mississippi by adding specific content to health education classes.

Maddy summaryHB 1549, "Alyssa's Law," requires all public and charter schools in Mississippi to install silent panic alarm systems by the 2025-2026 school year. The bill mandates that schools provide staff with wearable alert devices to immediately contact law enforcement during emergencies and establish coordination protocols with local police. It also creates a state grant program to help school districts cover costs, requires annual reporting on system use and compliance, and protects school security data from public disclosure under certain conditions. The law directly affects every public and charter school in Mississippi, focusing on enhancing emergency response capabilities through technology and training.

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 summaryHB 861 provides legal immunity for individuals who report sexual offenses or seek medical assistance for drug overdoses, protecting them from prosecution for related drug violations. Specifically, it shields people acting in good faith - such as those reporting sexual abuse or requesting help for an overdose - from arrest, charges, or prosecution for drug possession or use under certain conditions. The law also prevents revocation of probation, parole, or pretrial release for incidents covered by this immunity. It applies to anyone seeking medical help for themselves or others experiencing a drug overdose or reporting a sexual offense, as defined in the bill (including violations of Sections 97-3-65, 97-3-95, and others). The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and was signed into law by the governor in April 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 302 requires Mississippi's State Workforce Investment Board to create a separate list of high-value industry certifications for students at community and junior colleges, aligning with existing K-12 certification standards. It mandates the Mississippi Community College Board to pay $600 grants to colleges for each student earning a qualifying certification, subject to available funding. The grants prevent double reimbursement for certifications already earned at secondary or other postsecondary institutions. This directly affects community colleges, their students in career/technical programs, and the Mississippi Community College Board as the grant administrator. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1555 creates the Mississippi Curriculum Alignment Task Force to study and recommend ways to align high school and college curricula across the state. The task force, composed of education and workforce officials plus legislative committee chairs, will examine current curriculum requirements, analyze funding needs, and determine if legal changes are needed to better serve students. It must submit final recommendations to the Legislature by December 1, 2025, after studying secondary and post-secondary education alignment. This bill directly affects Mississippi students, schools, and colleges by initiating a formal review process to improve educational pathways.

Maddy summaryHB 1349 requires the Mississippi Gaming Commission to work with the Department of Human Services to create rules for withholding gambling winnings from individuals with overdue child support payments. This would allow state child support agencies to use money won at Mississippi casinos and gaming venues to pay outstanding child support debts. The bill establishes a new procedure to encumber (hold) these winnings directly for child support payments. It directly affects people who owe child support and win money at gaming facilities, requiring collaboration between the Gaming Commission and DHS to implement the system.