Rep. Omeria Scott

Maddy summaryHB 320 amends Mississippi election law to change which body reviews rejected absentee ballots during primary elections. Specifically, it directs county or municipal executive committees (instead of the standard "resolution board") to handle the review of damaged, defective, blank, or overvoted absentee ballots in primary elections. This change applies only to primary elections, while general and special elections will continue using the resolution board for this process. The bill does not alter how ballots are processed or counted, only specifies which local election body manages the review of disputed ballots in primaries. This is a procedural change affecting election officials in primary elections.

Maddy summaryHB 370 allocates state funds to Mississippi school districts with the highest crime, violence, SNAP participation, and unemployment rates to hire licensed social workers. It requires the State Department of Education to identify qualifying districts and mandates that social workers spend at least 75% of their time directly supporting students. The bill also creates a video conferencing program where 10 state-employed social workers will provide services to schools without their own staff, accessible through school counselors. School districts must use funds for full-time social workers meeting specific licensing and time requirements, with the program operational starting July 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 273 creates a two-year pilot program at Coahoma Community College and Jones County Junior College to provide job training and education for low-income youth who have not finished high school. The program requires each college to apply for federal grant funding (with Mississippi’s Department of Human Services providing a 25% match) to support construction training focused on rehabilitating housing for low-income families and special needs populations. Participants will spend half their time in classroom instruction (including leadership development and job skills) and half on hands-on construction work. The bill mandates specific services, including housing rehabilitation, and requires a 2028 report on the program’s effectiveness before the legislature.

Maddy summaryHB 309 requires Mississippi's Department of Human Services (for TANF/SNAP), State Department of Health (for WIC), and Division of Medicaid (for Medicaid/CHIP) to create a video about nutrition and healthy eating. The video must cover proper nutrition, healthy eating habits, obesity prevention, and breastfeeding for WIC recipients. Benefit applicants and recipients can view this video in person at the agency offices where they apply for or receive services. The bill applies directly to these state agencies and the millions of Mississippians who access these assistance programs. It takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 319 increases Mississippi workers' compensation benefits for disability and death cases by raising the maximum weekly payment from 66.67% to 100% of the state's average weekly wage. This change directly affects injured workers receiving disability payments and families eligible for death benefits under current law. The bill amends Sections 71-3-13, 71-3-17, and 71-3-21 to implement the 100% rate and revises Section 71-3-25 to adjust eligibility criteria for death benefit recipients. These provisions ensure higher wage replacement for covered injuries and deaths while maintaining the existing 450-week maximum benefit period.

Maddy summaryHB 195 requires public school districts in Mississippi to implement drug testing for students in grades 6-12 who receive in-school or out-of-school suspensions for disciplinary violations. The bill mandates that schools adopt policies requiring parents to pay for the tests, with results provided within 72 hours of suspension; positive results trigger referrals to mental health services. School boards must create policies covering test locations, cost responsibility, confidentiality, and procedures for challenging results (including presenting prescription medication evidence). The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and was never enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 462 requires all public school students in Mississippi Grade 9 to take a comprehensive Mississippi History course beginning July 1, 2025. The course must cover Mississippi's history from colonial times to the present, with specific emphasis on 19th- and 20th-century political, social, economic, and cultural issues affecting the state's diverse racial and ethnic populations. This policy directly affects all public high school freshmen in Mississippi by mandating a new curriculum requirement. The bill does not specify teaching methods or materials, only the scope and timing of the required instruction.

Maddy summaryMississippi's HB 350 requires all K-12 public schools to teach comprehensive sex education, emphasizing abstinence as the expected norm while mandating medically accurate information. The curriculum must cover HIV/STI prevention, contraception effectiveness, consequences of unintended pregnancy, sexual assault prevention, and healthy relationship skills - all presented as age-appropriate. Parents may opt their child out of the course with written notice, and the bill specifies that instruction must include factual statistics on contraceptive success/failure rates and legal consequences of sexual activity. The law amends state education codes to require school boards to implement this program and ensures nurses provide related health education.

Maddy summaryHB 314 creates the Children's Resource Commission to coordinate and streamline Mississippi's state services for children. The 17-member commission, including representatives from agencies like Human Services, Education, Health, and mental health organizations, must map all state and federal funding for children's health, safety, and education. It will assess program effectiveness, evaluate merging or discontinuing services, and report annually to the governor and legislature by December 1. All state agencies providing child services must submit itemized program lists to the commission each year.

Maddy summaryHB 313 creates Mississippi's College and Career Readiness Planning Program, requiring all public middle and high schools to administer standardized assessments to specific grade levels. Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, eighth graders must take the EXPLORE assessment and tenth graders must take either the PLAN or PSAT. Schools must use these results to guide students' course selection, academic planning, and college readiness skills development, with full integration into student planning by 2027-2028. The program aims to reduce college remediation needs, lower educational costs, and shorten degree completion time by improving high school preparation, with annual reports to education committees on its effectiveness.