Rep. Zakiya Summers

Maddy summaryHB 595 requires Mississippi's State Department of Education to conduct a two-year study of all public and charter school facilities, assessing safety, structural conditions, space utilization, and modernization needs. The study must be completed by December 2028, with findings reported to the legislature and governor by January 2029. The state will fund the study using $5 million from lottery proceeds - $2.5 million in fiscal year 2027 and $2.5 million in 2028 - with the option to hire a third-party expert for assistance. This bill directly affects all public and charter schools in Mississippi by establishing a process to evaluate and prioritize facility improvements.

Maddy summaryHB 594 (Mississippi Equal Pay for Equal Work Act) bans Mississippi employers from using an applicant's past salary when making hiring decisions or setting initial pay, directly affecting job seekers and employers. The bill defines "wage history" as past pay from current/prior jobs and prohibits employers from asking about it, though applicants may voluntarily share it to support a higher offer. Violations could result in $10,000 in statutory damages per employee, back pay, and attorney fees. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and has not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 593 authorizes online voter registration for first-time voters in Mississippi, requiring applicants to provide a valid Mississippi driver's license or photo ID and submit applications at least 30 days before an election. The bill establishes a secure online process where applicants' information (name, date of birth, ID number) is automatically verified against state records maintained by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. County registrars must review applications within 14 days, approve or reject them based on verification results, and mail written notifications to approved applicants. This bill directly affects first-time voters seeking to register online, streamlining the process while maintaining verification requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 597 would establish a $5 million Mississippi Municipality and County Fire Station Building Fund administered by MEMA to provide grants for renovating or upgrading local fire stations. Municipalities and counties could apply for reimbursements covering 50% of project costs, requiring a local match, with applications evaluated based on community impact, project readiness, and benefits to disadvantaged areas. The fund would be initially funded by $5 million transferred from the Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters Death Benefits Trust Fund. The bill died in committee in February 2026 and never became law.

Maddy summaryHB 596 creates the Mississippi Child Poverty Task Force to analyze and address child poverty in the state. The task force, composed of balanced legislative members, nonprofit representatives, and state agency officials, is required to study poverty’s root causes, evaluate existing efforts, and develop strategies to improve economic opportunities for affected families. It must submit final recommendations to the legislature by July 2027, including potential policy changes. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and was never enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 810 expands Mississippi's literacy program to cover grades 4 through 8, requiring schools to implement evidence-based reading interventions. The bill mandates teacher training in "science of reading" methods (excluding "three-cueing systems"), universal screening three times yearly, and identifies "Middle Literacy Support Schools" using reading data from state assessments. It requires targeted interventions for struggling readers, evidence-based instructional materials, and annual progress reports to the legislature. The law directly affects educators and students in grades 4-8 by establishing structured literacy approaches focused on phonics, decoding, and comprehension.

Maddy summaryMississippi's HB 793 automatically restores voting rights for individuals convicted of vote fraud or specific crimes listed in the state constitution (Section 241) or interpreted as disenfranchising by past Attorney General opinions, once they complete all sentencing requirements like fines or probation. The bill amends multiple election laws to ensure voting rights are restored without requiring additional steps or applications after sentence completion. This directly affects people with prior convictions for these offenses who otherwise meet voter eligibility criteria (e.g., citizenship, residency). The change applies to all convictions, including those from prior court rulings, and updates systems that track voter eligibility. The bill does not alter the initial suspension of voting rights upon conviction.

Maddy summaryHB 789 automatically restores voting and jury duty rights for Mississippi residents convicted of specific offenses once they complete all sentencing requirements. It affects people convicted of vote fraud, crimes listed in Section 241 of the Mississippi Constitution, or other crimes deemed disenfranchising under Attorney General opinions. The bill amends election laws (Section 23-15-11) to automatically reinstate voting rights and updates jury duty rules (Section 13-5-1) to automatically return names to jury master lists upon sentence completion. This eliminates the need for separate applications or manual reinstatement processes. The policy change applies only to those who have fully satisfied court-ordered sentences.

Maddy summaryHB 809 automatically registers eligible Mississippi voters when they apply for, renew, or update a driver's license or state ID card at the Department of Public Safety. The bill requires the Department to collect specific voter registration details (like name, address, and date of birth) during these transactions, but allows applicants to opt out of registration. If not opted out, the Department forwards the information to the Secretary of State, who sends it to the applicant's county registrar to process registration or update existing records. This change eliminates the need for separate voter registration forms while maintaining an opt-out option for applicants.

Maddy summaryHB 808 increases the minimum salary for Mississippi public school teachers and assistant teachers by $7,500 annually, effective for the 2026-2027 school year and beyond. It also mandates a $7,500 salary increase for full-time professors and instructors at state colleges and universities. School districts must maintain local pay supplements and cannot pay assistant teachers below the new state minimum, with funding penalties for non-compliance. The bill directly affects public school teachers, assistant teachers, and higher education faculty in Mississippi.