Rep. Fabian Nelson

Maddy summaryHR 37 is a ceremonial resolution passed by the Mississippi House of Representatives to commend Briana McElroy, a Jackson, Mississippi native and Lionsgate's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Digital Marketing, for her career achievements. The resolution highlights her work leading digital campaigns for major films like *John Wick: Chapter 4* and *The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes*, as well as her 8 Clio Awards and prior roles at Warner Bros. and Twitter. It does not create new laws or affect policy - it is solely a symbolic gesture of recognition adopted by the House and delivered to McElroy.

Maddy summaryHB 857 expands Mississippi's literacy program to support students in grades 4 through 8 by requiring evidence-based reading instruction and interventions. It mandates annual universal reading screenings for all students in these grades, professional development for teachers focused on the "science of reading" (including phonics and decoding), and prohibits the use of "three-cueing systems" for teaching word reading. The bill also creates a system to identify "Middle Literacy Support Schools" based on reading data and requires the state education department to develop a structured literacy course for grades 6-8. Schools must provide targeted interventions for struggling readers, and the department must submit annual implementation reports to the legislature.

Maddy summaryHB 1050 revises Mississippi law to criminalize the *intentional transmission* of certain infectious diseases (non-airborne, with serious health consequences) rather than mere exposure. It specifically targets transmission to corrections employees, visitors, or other inmates in jails/prisons, with penalties including up to one year in jail or a $1,000 fine. Key defenses include if the victim knew of the disease status beforehand, transmission didn’t occur, or the defendant used scientifically proven prevention methods (like condoms or treatment). The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and never became law.

Maddy summaryHB 842 automatically restores voting rights for individuals convicted of certain felonies once they complete all sentencing requirements, including fines, probation, or incarceration. It directly affects people convicted of vote fraud, crimes listed in Mississippi’s 1890 Constitution (Section 241), or other offenses deemed disenfranchising under Attorney General interpretations. The bill amends election laws to require automatic restoration of voting rights through the Statewide Elections Management System, eliminating the need for manual applications or court petitions. This change ensures eligible voters are reinstated without additional steps after fulfilling their sentence. The bill died in committee in February 2025 and was not enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 575 requires Mississippi school districts with 25% or more students receiving free lunch in the prior year to apply to the USDA for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). This would make all meals free for every student at those schools or districts, regardless of family income, without individual income checks. The bill mandates submitting student eligibility data by April 1 and a full application by June 30 each year. It directly affects qualifying school districts and aims to simplify access to free meals under federal nutrition programs.

Maddy summaryHB 838 would remove hypodermic syringes from Mississippi's legal definition of "paraphernalia" under the Uniform Controlled Substances Law. This change would prevent medical syringes (used for legitimate purposes like insulin administration) from being classified as illegal drug paraphernalia. The bill amended Section 41-29-105 of Mississippi law to explicitly exclude syringes from the definition. However, the bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and did not become law.

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 839 would revise Mississippi's towing laws to apply nonconsensual towing rules equally to both private and commercial vehicles. It redefines key terms (like "motor vehicle" and "towing") to remove the previous commercial vehicle focus, creates a new "Vehicle Towing Advisory Committee" with members from towing companies, trucking associations, and police, and sets statewide maximum rates for towing and storage fees. The bill aimed to standardize fees and oversight for all vehicles towed without owner permission, including those on private property. This bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 840 would have revised Mississippi's landlord-tenant law to clarify when tenants can repair rental property defects and seek reimbursement. It required tenants to provide landlords 30 days' written notice of a material defect, stay current on rent, and submit receipts for repairs costing no more than usual market rates. Tenants could also offset repair costs against future rent and must notify other tenants sharing facilities before repairs. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and never became law.

Maddy summaryHB 1475 allows county sheriffs operating jails or regional facilities housing state inmates to create work programs where inmates assist the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT). Inmates must be at least three years from release, cannot have recent sex crimes or violent felony convictions, and MDOT handles transportation while sheriffs manage security. The bill requires the state Department of Corrections to pay facilities $34 daily per participating inmate (increasing the prior rate from $32.71), effective until July 1, 2029. This directly affects county correctional facilities, MDOT, and state inmates eligible for work programs.