Rep. Timaka James-Jones

Maddy summaryHB 1116 would automatically clear court records for individuals who were arrested but never convicted, including cases where charges were dismissed, dropped, or the person was found not guilty. It requires courts to expunge these records without requiring a separate petition, directly affecting people with dismissed misdemeanor or non-violent felony cases. Law enforcement agencies would also need to report these expungements to the Mississippi Justice Information Center. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and never became law.

Maddy summaryHB 678, the Mississippi Doxxing Prevention Act, prohibits intentionally sharing restricted personal information (like home addresses, phone numbers, or email) of specific protected individuals with the intent to harass or threaten them. It directly affects law enforcement officers, government employees, jurors, witnesses, and informants (defined as "covered persons") by creating criminal penalties: first offenses are misdemeanors (up to 6 months jail or $2,000 fine), while repeat offenses or cases involving violence become felonies (up to 10 years in prison or $10,000 fine). The bill also amends Mississippi’s public records law to exempt the restricted personal information of these covered persons from public disclosure. The bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee but died there on February 4, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 1061 requires Mississippi Valley State University (MV State), in collaboration with the Mississippi Department of Transportation and Leflore County officials, to conduct a study assessing the feasibility of building an elevated pedestrian crossing or skybridge at the U.S. Highway 82 and Sunflower Road intersection in Itta Bena. The study must evaluate funding sources, cost-benefit analysis, examples from other locations, community benefits, and potential constraints like highway expansion plans. It directly affects MV State students, faculty, staff, and visitors who would use the proposed crossing. The bill mandates a report to the legislature by December 2025 but died in committee on February 4, 2025, meaning no construction or policy change was enacted. This is a procedural study request, not a funding or construction bill.

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 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 1117 would have required Mississippi courts to automatically clear (expunge) court records for certain misdemeanor cases without requiring individuals to file petitions. It specifically applied to cases where a person was arrested but later released, the charges were dismissed or dropped, there was no court disposition, or the person was found not guilty at trial. The bill would have eliminated the current need for people to seek court approval for expungement in these scenarios, affecting individuals with dismissed or non-conviction misdemeanor records. However, the bill did not become law, as it died in committee on February 4, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 732 would allow Mississippi residents to register to vote automatically when applying for, renewing, or updating a driver's license or state ID at the Department of Public Safety. It requires collecting basic personal information (name, address, date of birth, etc.) during these transactions, with an opt-out option for those who decline registration. If not opted out, the Department forwards the information to the Secretary of State for voter registration processing. The bill does not change voter eligibility requirements but streamlines registration through existing DMV interactions. This bill died in committee on February 4, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1047 would establish Mississippi's first state-run paid family and medical leave program, requiring employers to contribute to an insurance fund providing paid leave for qualifying events like childbirth, caring for a seriously ill family member, or the employee's own serious health condition. Eligible employees must meet specific earnings thresholds (e.g., earning at least 26 times the minimum weekly benefit in their base period), with benefits calculated based on their average weekly wage. The program, to be administered by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security starting January 1, 2028, would be funded through state insurance premiums and a dedicated state fund, while prohibiting employer retaliation for leave use.

Maddy summaryHB 870 would automatically restore voting rights for Mississippi residents convicted of specific offenses once they complete all sentencing requirements, including prison time, fines, or probation. It directly affects people convicted of vote fraud, crimes listed in Section 241 of the Mississippi Constitution (historically disenfranchising felonies like murder or rape), or crimes later deemed disenfranchising by Attorney General opinions. The bill changes current law by requiring automatic reinstatement into the voter registration system upon completion of sentencing, rather than requiring individuals to apply for restoration. This would apply to all such convictions, including those from past cases where rights were suspended but sentencing was fully satisfied.

Maddy summaryHB 1234 requires Mississippi's State Board of Education to create a mandatory civics curriculum for all public middle and high schools, to be implemented by the 2026-2027 school year. The curriculum must cover five key areas: foundational U.S. government, civic knowledge, critical thinking skills, citizenship responsibilities (like voting and jury duty), and respectful participation in democracy. It specifically mandates teaching constitutional principles, how citizens engage with government, and skills for informed civic action. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, so it has not become law.