Rep. Kabir Karriem

Maddy summaryHB 706 would expand Mississippi's Medicaid program to cover non-pregnant adults under 65 with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level, a group currently excluded under state law. This provision aligns with the federal Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion requirements and would directly affect low-income working adults who do not qualify for existing Medicaid categories like pregnancy or disability coverage. The bill modifies Mississippi Code § 43-13-115 to add this new eligibility category while maintaining other existing Medicaid criteria. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and never became law.

Maddy summaryHB 705 establishes a state grant program to help Mississippi cities, towns, and villages fund youth employment (ages 16-24) for students or those pursuing education. Municipalities must submit employment plans including on-the-job training (with 10% time for life skills) and provide 20% matching funds to qualify for grants. The bill creates a dedicated state fund for these grants, with unspent funds rolling over annually. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 741 would authorize an additional victim assistance coordinator position specifically for Mississippi's 16th Circuit Court District (covering counties like Hinds and Rankin), bringing the total to two coordinators per district. The bill outlines that the coordinator’s role is to help victims, guardians, or relatives navigate legal rights under state law, with salaries capped at criminal investigator levels and funded jointly by the district’s counties. This bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and would not have taken effect until July 1, 2025. It directly affects victims within the 16th Circuit’s jurisdiction by expanding support resources.

Maddy summaryHB 1592 would have established a formal process for removing Mississippi school board members for specific reasons, including malfeasance, neglect of duties (like chronic absenteeism exceeding 50% of meetings), breach of public trust, or abuse of authority. It required school boards to formally recommend removal to local governing authorities, who would then hold hearings and require a majority vote for removal. The bill also amended state law to prevent school boards from raising property taxes (ad valorem) by more than 2% annually without voter approval via referendum. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 740 would establish Mississippi's minimum wage at $15.00 per hour for most workers, while allowing employers to pay tipped employees a base rate of $3.62 per hour (with tips making up the difference to reach $15 total). It requires overtime pay at 1.5 times the regular rate for employees earning $455 per week or less, and specifically prohibits exemptions for manual laborers, first responders, and other specified workers regardless of salary. This bill directly affects hourly workers across retail, hospitality, healthcare, and public safety sectors by raising the baseline wage and expanding overtime coverage. The legislation would replace Mississippi's current minimum wage, which is below $15, and update overtime rules to align with federal standards for covered workers.

Maddy summaryHB 595, the Fresh Start Act, removes blanket disqualifications for people with criminal records seeking licensed professions in Mississippi. It requires licensing boards to evaluate each case based on specific factors (crime nature, time passed, relevance to the job, and rehabilitation evidence) rather than vague terms like "moral turpitude." Applicants can petition boards for determinations (with a $25 fee), and boards must provide written explanations for denials, including the right to a hearing. The bill mandates that licensing boards comply with these rules within 120 days of July 1, 2025, and supersedes conflicting state laws.

Maddy summaryHB 704 would have amended Mississippi's state holiday law to exclusively recognize Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday on the third Monday of January, while removing Robert E. Lee's birthday and Confederate Memorial Day as legal holidays. The bill specifically removed the "last Monday of April" entry for Confederate Memorial Day and replaced it with Dr. King's birthday as the sole January holiday, affecting state operations and public school schedules. It did not create new paid holidays but restructured existing ones, with other observances like Elvis Presley Day remaining non-holiday recognitions. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and never became law.

Maddy summaryHB 667, which died in committee on February 4, 2025, proposed requiring Mississippi's State Board of Education to develop two new curricula for public high schools. It would have mandated a civics curriculum focused on U.S. citizenship skills for all high schools, to be implemented by the 2026-2027 school year. Additionally, it would have updated the home economics curriculum to include mandatory instruction on responsible parenting, family living skills, child development, nutrition, and health. The bill directly affected all Mississippi public high school students and school districts. As it died in committee, these changes were never enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 663 authorizes the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) to sell two specific parcels of land in Lowndes County and Columbus for below market value. The bill specifies that proceeds from these sales must be deposited into the Existing Industry Productivity Loan Program Bond Sinking Fund. It also allows the MDA to correct any errors in the legal descriptions of the properties. This is a procedural change to facilitate the disposition of existing state-owned property without requiring full market-value sales.

Maddy summaryHB 666 would require Mississippi's State Board of Education to create a new high school curriculum on African-American Studies and racial diversity for all public high school students (grades 9-12). The curriculum must cover specific historical topics like slavery, the Civil Rights Movement, Reconstruction, and the Harlem Renaissance, while connecting historical events to contemporary issues. It aims to highlight African American contributions to U.S. history and culture, integrating these topics into American history education. The bill was referred to committee in January 2025 but died there on February 4, 2025, meaning it did not become law and the proposed changes will not take effect as planned (July 1, 2025).