Rep. Grace Butler-Washington

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 1281, "Alyssa's Law," requires all Mississippi public and charter schools to install silent panic alarm systems by the 2025-2026 school year. The law mandates that schools provide wearable panic devices to all staff for immediate emergency contact with law enforcement, integrate systems with existing safety protocols, and establish memorandums of understanding with local police. It also exempts security data from public records disclosure while requiring annual compliance reports to the state education department. To support implementation, the bill creates a state grant program funded by annual legislative appropriations to help school districts cover costs.

Maddy summaryHB 1631, titled the "Comprehensive Reproductive Health and Education Act," would create a state program for high school students aged 16 and older in Mississippi. The bill requires school districts to opt in, providing medically accurate, evidence-based education on reproductive anatomy, contraception, STD/STI prevention, and healthy relationships - delivered by certified medical professionals or advocates with parental consent via a "permission slip." It mandates inclusive curriculum design, access to local health resources, and annual program reviews to assess effectiveness. The bill would take effect July 1, 2025, but died in committee in February 2025 and did not advance.

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 summaryHB 1224 would have changed the property classification of Alcorn State University's president's residence from commercial to residential. This would have allowed licensed residential builders (not restricted by typical height or size limits for residential projects) to perform construction or capital improvements on the property. The bill amended Mississippi Code Sections 73-59-1 and 73-59-19 to enable this change. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and was never enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 1283 establishes the Mississippi Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Practices, a seven-member body composed of the Attorney General, Highway Safety Patrol Director, and association presidents representing police chiefs, constables, campus officers, and sheriffs. The commission develops operational standards, oversees training programs, provides technical support to law enforcement agencies, and conducts annual compliance reviews. Members serve without pay but receive expense reimbursement, and the commission must meet quarterly while reporting annually to the Governor and Legislature. This bill directly affects all Mississippi law enforcement agencies by creating a new oversight body for standard-setting and compliance.

Maddy summaryHB 1048 would require each Mississippi school district to employ at least one school resource officer (SRO) who is designated as a peace officer on all school properties. It also mandates that any person in an SRO or similar role with peace officer powers must complete a minimum level of law enforcement training within two years of starting the job, or they cannot exercise those powers. The bill includes additional provisions about radio broadcasting and interlocal agreements with law enforcement, but the core requirements focus on SRO staffing and training standards.

Maddy summaryHB 590 would include school resource officers (SROs) in Mississippi's law enforcement death benefits program. The bill amends the legal definition of "law enforcement officer" to explicitly cover SROs who die while performing their duties. This change would make SROs eligible for the $100,000 death benefit payment to survivors, which currently applies to other sworn law enforcement officers. The policy change extends existing benefits to SROs without altering the benefit amount or eligibility criteria.