Rep. Stephanie Foster

Maddy summaryHB 664, the Mississippi Firearms Parental Amnesty Act, would create legal immunity for parents or legal guardians who voluntarily turn in firearms owned or controlled by a minor under 18 to law enforcement. It protects them from civil or criminal liability for the firearm’s prior possession or use, regardless of whether it was involved in a crime. Parents could surrender firearms at police stations or request an officer to collect them, without needing to provide ID, photos, or fingerprints, and no payment would be required. The bill also amends related firearm storage and surrender laws (Section 45-9-53) to align with this provision. The bill died in committee in 2026 and never became law.

Maddy summaryHB 694 would require most new driver's license applicants in Mississippi to pass a road test demonstrating safe vehicle operation in real traffic conditions, instead of only taking a written test. The bill affects new drivers applying for their first license (including teens and adults), with alternatives available like completing a state-approved driver education course or having a parent/guardian certify 50 hours of supervised driving. The road test must be conducted in a vehicle meeting safety standards (e.g., working lights, brakes), administered by the Commissioner of Public Safety. This change, scheduled to take effect July 1, 2026, aims to ensure applicants can safely operate a vehicle in traffic.

Maddy summaryHB 704, the Mississippi Doxxing Prevention Act, would prohibit intentionally sharing personal information like home addresses, phone numbers, or emails of law enforcement officers, government employees, jurors, witnesses, and criminal informants with the intent to harass, threaten, or facilitate a crime against them or their close relations. It would also amend public records laws to keep this information confidential, preventing it from being publicly accessible. Violations would be misdemeanors for first offenses (up to $2,000 fines or six months in jail) and felonies for repeat offenses (up to $10,000 fines or five years in prison), with harsher penalties if violence is involved. The bill aims to protect these individuals from harassment by making doxxing a criminal offense with specific, enforceable penalties.

Maddy summaryHB 703 requires Mississippi state agencies to reserve at least 5% of annual commodity purchases for businesses owned by veterans and people with disabilities, expanding an existing requirement that previously applied only to minority-owned businesses. This law amends public purchasing regulations to explicitly include veteran- and disability-owned businesses as eligible for set-aside contracts, while maintaining existing bidding rules (e.g., lowest bid must be accepted unless 2% higher than a qualified minority bid). The policy affects all state agencies purchasing goods, ensuring these businesses can compete for a portion of procurement contracts. The bill does not change the 20% maximum set-aside cap for minority businesses or alter the process for awarding contracts.

Maddy summaryHB 1130, the Trauma-Informed Student Assessment Exemption Act, would allow Mississippi students to temporarily skip state-mandated high-stakes tests after experiencing qualifying trauma or loss events, such as the death of a family member, serious illness, or natural disaster displacement. During the exemption period (minimum 30 days), students would not face negative impacts on graduation eligibility, scholarships, or access to advanced programs. Schools would use alternative progress measures like teacher evaluations or portfolios instead of test scores, and would not be penalized for granting exemptions. The bill requires schools to notify parents within five days of exemption decisions and mandates annual reports to the legislature on usage without disclosing student identities.

Maddy summaryHB 1121 authorizes Jackson State University to build a new standalone football stadium (separate from the current Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium site) and creates the "Jackson State University Stadium Construction Fund." The bill requires the university to raise at least $10 million in private or nonstate funds within five years before state funds can cover remaining construction costs, with naming rights and advertising revenue funding the stadium through the new fund. It also transitions ownership of the Veterans Memorial Stadium property to the university, assigns demolition costs to the University of Mississippi Medical Center (not state funds), and dissolves the existing stadium commission upon completion. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and has not advanced further.

Maddy summaryHB 1284 proposed merging three pairs of Mississippi community college districts to reduce the total from 15 to 12 districts, effective July 1, 2027. It would have consolidated Coahoma Community College into Mississippi Delta Community College (as the "Coahoma Campus" with offices in Clarksdale), Meridian Community College into East Mississippi Community College (as the "Meridian Campus" with offices in Scooba), and Southwest Mississippi Community College into Copiah-Lincoln Community College (as the "Summit Campus" with offices in Wesson). The bill specified new governing board structures, required retention of all campuses (only administrative offices would consolidate), and mandated the Mississippi Community College Board to oversee the process. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 1624 would transfer administration of Mississippi National Guard SEAP scholarships from the National Guard to the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid. The bill requires the National Guard to certify scholarship recipients and their institutions to the financial aid office, which would then pay institutions directly. Starting in 2027, the legislature would appropriate funds to cover the office’s costs for managing these scholarships instead of the National Guard. The bill affects Mississippi National Guard members receiving SEAP scholarships and the state’s public universities. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 222 would have raised the spending cap for repair and renovation projects at Mississippi's public community colleges and four-year universities from its previous limit to $10 million per project. It specifically increased funding authority for these institutions to cover facility repairs, utility infrastructure, HVAC systems, and equipment replacement. The bill, which died in committee on February 3, 2026, aimed to provide more financial flexibility for maintaining college facilities but did not become law. It directly affected community/junior colleges and institutions of higher learning by expanding their eligible project funding.

Maddy summaryHB 970 allows Mississippi municipalities and counties to declare property with a riparian owner (adjacent to waterways) a public health and safety hazard if unclean. If deemed a "menace" after a hearing with notice to the owner, local governments can clean the property - removing debris, abandoned structures, or hazardous water obstructions - and charge the owner fees or penalties up to $1,500 or 50% of cleaning costs. These costs become a civil debt or property assessment, and authorities may re-enter the property up to six times yearly for maintenance without additional hearings. The law directly affects riparian property owners who fail to maintain their land.