Rep. Fred Shanks

Maddy summaryHB 1632 extends the deadline for state agencies to implement telework policies from July 1, 2028, to a later date (specified in the bill text). It directly affects Mississippi state employees and agencies authorized to establish telework arrangements under Section 25-1-98. The bill requires agencies to report telework usage annually to the State Personnel Board and oversight committees, including employee names, job titles, and schedules. It also bundles several alcohol beverage tax statutes (like 27-71-5) for potential future review but does not change current tax rates or regulations.

Maddy summaryHB 1315 extends the Mississippi Dementia Care Pilot Program, operated by the Department of Human Services, through 2034 (originally set to end in 2028). The program provides respite care services to family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s or related dementia who are 60+ years old, require home assistance to avoid moving to a facility, and qualify based on income (unable to afford care without jeopardizing basic needs). It maintains a limit of up to 60 participants annually and requires annual reports to the legislature on program spending, participants, income ranges, and effectiveness. The program depends on federal funding and does not create an entitlement to services.

Maddy summaryHB 966 extends the expiration date of an exemption that allows Mississippi's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to bypass Public Procurement Review Board requirements when administering the MCWI Grant Program. The MCWI program provides grants to municipalities, counties, and certain public utilities for water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure projects using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) recovery funds. This extension ensures DEQ can continue managing the grant program without standard procurement oversight for an additional period. The bill does not alter the program's funding, eligibility criteria, or project types.

Maddy summaryHB 1317 reenacts and updates Mississippi's "Patient's Right to Informed Health Care Choices Act," requiring health care practitioners (including doctors, nurses, dentists, and others) to clearly disclose their specific professional credentials (e.g., M.D., D.O., D.N.P.) in all advertisements. The bill prohibits deceptive advertising that misrepresents a provider's training, qualifications, or licensure, covering all promotional materials like websites, brochures, and business cards. It ensures patients receive accurate information to make informed choices about their care, directly affecting health care providers who advertise services and protecting patients from misleading claims. The bill also extends enforcement timelines for related disciplinary actions against violating practitioners.

Maddy summaryHB 1440, the "Mississippi Immigration Enforcement Act of 2025," would have required money transmission businesses (like check cashers or remittance services) to collect a $7.50 fee plus 1.5% of transactions over $500 per transaction. Funds from these fees would have been deposited into a new "Illegal Immigration Enforcement Fund" to support a dedicated unit within Mississippi's Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement agencies participating in a federal immigration program. The bill also would have mandated county detention centers to sign agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by 2026 and provided tax credits to customers who filed tax returns with a Social Security number. 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 summaryThis bill would have prevented Mississippi Medicaid from seeking repayment for benefits from ABLE savings accounts established under state law. It specifically protects funds in these accounts - designed for people with disabilities to save without losing eligibility for benefits - from being used to cover Medicaid costs after the account holder's death. The bill amended state laws to ensure ABLE accounts are exempt from estate recovery rules that typically allow Medicaid to reclaim funds from a beneficiary's estate. This change would directly affect Mississippi residents with disabilities who use ABLE accounts to save for future needs while maintaining eligibility for public assistance.

Maddy summaryHB 1633 reenacts and extends Mississippi's Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit Scholarship Program (originally established in 2023), which provides state funding for high school students (grades 11-12) to take college courses while in high school. The bill extends the program's effective period and specifies that participating institutions (like community colleges and public universities) receive 40% of community college tuition rates per eligible credit hour, with students required to earn at least a C grade for transferable credits. It requires institutions to follow a state-approved procedures manual and mandates student participation in advising about course transferability via the Mississippi Articulation and Transfer Tool (MATT). The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 1028 would amend Mississippi law to allow courts to sentence offenders convicted of statutory rape involving victims under age 13 to surgical castration in addition to other penalties. The bill specifies that castration must be performed by the Mississippi Department of Corrections under medical supervision, only if deemed appropriate by a court-appointed expert within 60 days of sentencing. It requires the procedure to occur within one week before the offender's release from prison and includes penalties for refusing the procedure. This provision applies only to cases where the victim was under 13 at the time of the offense, occurring on or after August 1, 2025. The bill died in committee in February 2025 and was never enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 1030 requires all Mississippi local law enforcement agencies to accept reports of missing persons without refusal for reasons like the person being an adult, the disappearance seeming voluntary, or lack of immediate evidence of foul play. It mandates that agencies collect specific details about the missing person - including photos, physical descriptions, and clothing - and input the case into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NAMUS) within five days if the person remains missing. The bill also permits agencies to voluntarily obtain DNA samples from family members for submission to NAMUS and Mississippi’s DNA systems to aid identification. Additionally, it establishes procedures for prioritizing "high-risk" cases and requires state agencies to notify law enforcement about such cases for faster response.