Rep. Bryant Clark

Maddy summaryHB 1235, if passed, would have required Mississippi’s State Board of Education to mandate vocational/technical courses and character education for all middle and high school students, plus students in alternative school programs, by the 2025-2026 school year. It also directed the development of a home economics curriculum covering life skills like cooking, budgeting, child development, and home management for secondary students. The bill aimed to integrate these practical skills into existing courses without specifying exact grade levels for implementation. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 434 designates June 19 as "Juneteenth Freedom Day" in Mississippi to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States (specifically the June 19, 1865, announcement in Galveston, Texas). The bill amends Mississippi Code Section 3-3-7 to include this day as a non-holiday commemoration, meaning it will not be observed as a legal holiday or incur state expenses. It joins other designated days like Elvis Day and Hernando de Soto Day, which are recognized for educational and historical purposes without requiring state offices to close. This change affects all Mississippi residents by formally acknowledging Juneteenth as a day for reflection on freedom and justice, consistent with existing state commemorative practices.

Maddy summaryHB 359, the "Mississippi Tobacco Minimum Legal Sale Age of 21 Act," would prohibit the sale or distribution of all tobacco products (including e-cigarettes) to anyone under 21. It requires retailers to verify customers' ages using government-issued ID (except for those 30+), post clear signage about the age restriction, and face penalties for violations. The bill aims to reduce youth tobacco access, citing findings that 95% of adult smokers start before 21 and that raising the age could decrease smoking prevalence. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and was not enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 440 establishes a pilot program to test a trimester school calendar (dividing the school year into three 75-day terms with 15-day breaks) in up to 12 Mississippi public school districts. Participating districts must follow a minimum 225-day school year, implement a new core curriculum for grades 4-12 covering language arts, math, social studies, science, and foreign language, and receive increased state funding. The State Board of Education must select districts to represent diverse sizes, locations, and demographics - including at least one per congressional district - and report results to legislators by January 2028 on whether to adopt the trimester model statewide. This bill directly affects participating school districts and their students in grades 4-12 through mandated calendar and curriculum changes.

Maddy summaryHB 533 requires the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to remove all depictions of the Confederate flag from the rotunda of the Mississippi State Capitol building by July 1, 2025. The bill amends a law that previously prohibited moving or altering historical items on public property, explicitly allowing this removal. It directly affects the state agency responsible for Capitol maintenance, not the public or other historical displays. The key provision is the amendment to Section 55-15-81, which now permits the removal of this specific flag depiction without requiring additional legislative authorization.

Maddy summaryHB 547 creates Mississippi's first state-funded universal prekindergarten program, providing free pre-K access to all 4-year-olds on a voluntary basis. The bill requires public funding for at least 10 hours per week over 35 weeks annually, allowing parents to choose between their local public school district or a qualified private provider. To qualify, private providers must meet strict standards including NAEYC accreditation, teacher qualifications, early literacy curriculum, and 15 hours of annual staff training. School districts must pay tuition to chosen providers (public or private) upon parent request, while jointly administering the program with the State Board of Education and Early Childhood Division.

Maddy summaryHB 590 would include school resource officers (SROs) in Mississippi's law enforcement death benefits program. The bill amends the legal definition of "law enforcement officer" to explicitly cover SROs who die while performing their duties. This change would make SROs eligible for the $100,000 death benefit payment to survivors, which currently applies to other sworn law enforcement officers. The policy change extends existing benefits to SROs without altering the benefit amount or eligibility criteria.

Maddy summaryHB 428 creates a new legal right for Mississippi employees to sue in state court if they experience sexual harassment that violates federal law, such as unwanted advances or sexual favors. It directly affects employees in Mississippi workplaces who face prohibited conduct, granting them access to civil remedies like monetary damages. The bill prohibits employers from requiring employees to waive this right through employment contracts or agreements. This law will take effect on July 1, 2025, establishing a state-level remedy for workplace sexual harassment.

Maddy summaryHB 1082 would have increased the daily payment for Yazoo-Mississippi Delta Levee Board commissioners from $67 to $200 per day for work related to their duties, with a limit of 36 days per fiscal year. This change would directly affect the board members (excluding the president) who serve on the levee board responsible for managing flood protection in the Delta region. The bill also maintained existing provisions for mileage and expenses under Section 25-3-41. The bill died in committee in February 2025 and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 540 revises Mississippi's habitual offender sentencing laws for individuals convicted of violent crimes. It mandates maximum prison terms without probation for those with two prior violent felony convictions (Section 99-19-81) and requires life imprisonment with parole eligibility only after 50 years for those with three prior violent felony convictions (Section 99-19-83). The bill also updates inmate classification rules in Section 47-7-3, explicitly stating habitual violent offenders are ineligible for parole under the revised sentencing structure. These changes directly affect Mississippi inmates classified as habitual offenders for violent crimes, altering their parole eligibility and sentence requirements. The policy shifts focus from prior parole eligibility standards to fixed 50-year terms for third-time violent offenders.