Rep. Brent Powell

Maddy summaryHB 708 would require app stores to verify users' age categories when accounts are created and link minor accounts (under 18) to parent accounts. It mandates confirmed parental permission before minors can download apps, make purchases, or complete in-app transactions. App stores must share age data with developers, who must verify age and check for consent. The law creates legal remedies for parents harmed by violations and sets standards for age verification through the Office of Consumer Protection. (Note: The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026.)

Maddy summaryHB 1317 would establish a Mississippi Hazard Mitigation Revolving Loan Fund to provide repayable loans for disaster risk reduction projects. It directly affects homeowners, businesses, nonprofits, and communities seeking to reduce flood, storm, or other natural hazard impacts through projects like floodproofing buildings, updating building codes, or improving floodplain management. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) would administer the program, requiring applicants to demonstrate project need and repayment ability. Repaid loans would replenish the fund, creating a self-sustaining program to decrease property damage, insurance costs, and reliance on federal disaster aid.

Maddy summaryHB 1306 creates the "Community Drinking Water Infrastructure Sustainability Act" to establish a statewide grading system for Mississippi's community public water systems (those serving at least 15 year-round connections or 25 regular consumers). It requires the Mississippi State Board of Health to assign annual letter grades ("A" to "F") based on water quality violations, financial health, infrastructure condition, customer satisfaction, and other objective metrics. The board must publish these grades online by 2028, and water systems must notify customers of their grade within 30 days. This directly affects small water systems across Mississippi, promoting transparency and accountability for water safety and service quality.

Maddy summaryThis Mississippi bill (HB 1375) would require medical verification from birth to change the sex designation on a birth certificate. It prohibits corrections unless proven to be an error via birth medical records or a physician's confirmation that the sex recorded at birth was incorrect. The law directly affects residents seeking to update their birth certificate sex marker. It would take effect July 1, 2026, but died in committee before becoming law.

Maddy summaryHB 1717, the Mississippi Medical Judgment Protection Act, requires healthcare providers and facilities using AI to assist in clinical decisions (like diagnoses or treatment plans) to disclose this AI use in patient records and have a licensed clinician review and approve all AI-generated content before it becomes part of the medical record. The bill prohibits automated insurance payment denials without physician or dentist review, mandates annual AI use reports from insurers to the Department of Insurance, and requires tamper-resistant audit logs tracking which clinician reviewed AI outputs. It also bans using AI-only diagnoses for billing without clinician attestation and supporting clinical evidence, ensuring AI supports rather than replaces professional judgment in patient care.

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 1193 prohibits Mississippi public K-12 schools and public postsecondary institutions from maintaining diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices, requiring diversity statements from staff or students, or teaching "divisive concepts" related to race, sex, color, or national origin. The law bans programs favoring individuals based on protected characteristics and mandates annual reports to school boards and the legislature on incidents related to prohibited practices. It directly affects all public schools, colleges, and universities under Mississippi’s State Board of Education, Community College Board, and higher education governing bodies. Signed into law by the governor in April 2025, the bill requires institutions to base decisions solely on merit and qualifications.

Maddy summaryHB 1201 creates a 25% income tax credit for developers who rehabilitate blighted, tax-forfeited properties in Mississippi, requiring costs to exceed $50,000 for owner-occupied homes or $100,000 for commercial buildings. The credit applies to eligible properties declared unsafe by local authorities and placed into use as residences or businesses within 36 months. Developers can carry forward unused credit amounts for up to 10 years if the credit exceeds their annual tax liability, or opt for a 75% rebate instead. This law directly affects developers who redevelop qualifying properties, aiming to increase property values and community safety through tax incentives.

Maddy summaryHB 1200, the "Real Property Owners Protection Act," creates a legal framework for property owners to quickly remove unauthorized occupants (defined as "squatters") who remain on property without the owner's consent after being asked to leave. The bill requires owners or their agents to file a sworn affidavit with local law enforcement, triggering a 24-hour deadline for the alleged squatter to vacate or request a hearing. If contested, a hearing must occur within seven days to determine if the occupant is a squatter, using a "preponderance of evidence" standard. The law also clarifies that owners (or their designated agents) exclusively control property rights, rental income, and eviction processes, while imposing penalties for false complaints and specifying procedures for handling abandoned property.

Maddy summaryHB 1284 renames Mississippi's "Native Spirit Law" to the "Native and Craft Spirits Law" and defines "craft distillery" and "craft spirit" for the first time. The bill legalizes the production and sale of craft spirits under the same regulations as native spirits, while allowing both types of distilleries to operate one permanent satellite tasting room in any location that permits alcohol sales (previously limited to within 5 miles of the main facility). It also revises permit requirements, sales rules, and distance restrictions for distilleries, directly affecting Mississippi distilleries producing craft spirits and native spirits. These changes aim to modernize the regulatory framework for small-scale spirit producers in the state.