Maddy summaryHB 224 would expand Mississippi's Medicaid program to cover adults under 65 with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level (FPL) and children under 19 with family incomes between 133% and 200% FPL, aligning with federal Affordable Care Act and CHIP standards. The bill repeals existing Mississippi Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) rules (Sections 41-86-1 and 41-86-5 through 41-86-15) and modifies Medicaid eligibility categories to include these new groups. It directly affects low-income Mississippi residents who currently fall outside existing Medicaid coverage due to income thresholds. The policy change would extend health coverage to approximately 100,000 additional Mississippians, per federal guidelines. This bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHB 225 would require Mississippi public schools to administer drug tests to students in grades 6-12 who exceed allowable absences under the state's compulsory attendance law (Section 37-13-91). School districts must adopt policies by the 2026-2027 school year, mandating parents cover test costs and requiring county health departments to conduct tests. Positive results would trigger mental health referrals, while students could present proof of prescription medication as an affirmative defense. All test results must be kept confidential and separate from student records, with policies needing to detail parental notification, test refusal consequences, and available support services.
Maddy summaryHB 218 establishes a two-year pilot program at Coahoma Community College and Jones County Junior College to serve low-income youth who have dropped out of high school. The program provides integrated education (including high school equivalency courses) and construction training, with 50% of time spent on classroom instruction and 50% on hands-on housing rehabilitation projects for low-income households and special needs populations. Colleges must secure federal grant funding from the U.S. Department of Labor, with Mississippi’s Department of Human Services providing 25% matching funds. The program requires annual reporting to the legislature by 2029 to assess its effectiveness in improving participants’ economic self-sufficiency and community impact.
Maddy summaryHB 209 proposes creating a 17-member Children's Resource Commission to coordinate Mississippi's child-focused services across state agencies. The commission would map all federal and state funding and programs supporting children (from birth to adulthood), identify overlaps or gaps in services, and assess program effectiveness. It requires agencies providing child services to submit annual lists of their programs, which the commission would compile with help from Mississippi State University's Stennis Institute. The commission must report yearly to the governor and legislature by December 1, detailing findings and recommendations for improving service efficiency.
Maddy summaryHB 355, the "Donald J. Trump Early Voting Act," would have required Mississippi to implement a standardized 14-day early voting period for all elections (including primaries, general, runoff, special, and municipal elections), beginning 14 days before election day and ending at 5:00 p.m. on the Saturday before. It would have mandated that early voting occur at county registrar offices during regular business hours, with additional locations required based on population (one per 30,000 county voters), and required public notice of voting hours in three locations eight days prior. The bill would have directly affected Mississippi voters by expanding early voting access and election officials by imposing new operational requirements. The bill died in committee in February 2026 and did not become law.
Maddy summaryHB 426 limits fees for confirming ownership of Mississippi state-forfeited tax lands. It states that fees and costs for the patent confirmation process - including application fees - cannot exceed the purchase price paid by the buyer. This directly affects individuals or entities purchasing land that the state reclaimed due to unpaid taxes. The bill amends Mississippi Code sections 29-1-33, 29-1-37, and 29-1-95 to enforce this fee cap, ensuring buyers aren’t charged extra beyond their land purchase amount.
Maddy summaryHB 663 reestablishes Mississippi's Health Care Trust Fund, directing the transfer of $1 billion from the Capital Expense Fund to create a new principal balance. The bill requires the fund's principal to remain untouched ("inviolable") and mandates that only investment earnings (not the principal) be used for healthcare purposes. It aims to restore the original 1999 vision of a growing, perpetual healthcare funding source from tobacco settlement payments. The fund would be managed separately, with earnings exclusively allocated for healthcare programs under legislative appropriation.
Maddy summaryHB 661 requires seafood and crawfish businesses (like restaurants, retailers, and processors) to clearly label products as "domestic" or "imported" based on their country of origin. It allows any person to file complaints with Mississippi's Agriculture and Marine Resources departments about mislabeling, which the agencies must then investigate. Businesses violating the labeling rules face fines starting at $500 for first offenses, increasing to $5,000 for third violations. The bill aims to ensure consumers receive accurate information about seafood origins through enforceable labeling standards and accessible complaint mechanisms.
Maddy summaryHB 662 would create a multidisciplinary Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Panel under Mississippi's State Department of Health. The panel would review fetal deaths and infant deaths under one year old, requiring health agencies, hospitals, and medical providers to share confidential data for annual reports to legislative committees. These reports would detail mortality statistics, causes, demographics, and recommendations for reducing infant deaths, while protecting all panel information from public disclosure under open records or meetings laws. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and was never enacted.
Maddy summaryHB 1575 would have allowed Mississippi congregate meal programs (which serve hot meals to older adults in group settings) to deliver hot meals to eligible older adults in their homes, provided they live within 10 miles of the program site. This would have directly benefited older adults unable to attend group meals, including those with mobility challenges or living in rural areas. Programs receiving Senior Nutrition Program funds could choose to provide meals via direct delivery or through caregivers, but were not required to do so. The bill died in committee in February 2026 and never became law.