Maddy summaryHB 1193 prohibits Mississippi public K-12 schools and public postsecondary institutions from maintaining diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices, requiring diversity statements from staff or students, or teaching "divisive concepts" related to race, sex, color, or national origin. The law bans programs favoring individuals based on protected characteristics and mandates annual reports to school boards and the legislature on incidents related to prohibited practices. It directly affects all public schools, colleges, and universities under Mississippi’s State Board of Education, Community College Board, and higher education governing bodies. Signed into law by the governor in April 2025, the bill requires institutions to base decisions solely on merit and qualifications.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHB 1878 specifies new rules for calculating property taxes on rural structures like barns and poultry houses in Mississippi. It requires tax assessors to revalue structures appraised before 2025 using older appraisal guidelines and apply a 7% annual depreciation rate thereafter, with a 20% minimum value floor for poultry houses. Commercial poultry operations must also have a 45% economic obsolescence adjustment applied to their structures. These changes directly affect agricultural property owners, particularly those operating poultry farms, by standardizing how these structures are valued for tax purposes starting in 2025.
Maddy summaryHB 1296 revises Mississippi's Plant and Soil Amendment Law to replace the term "amending ingredient" with "beneficial substance" and formally define "plant biostimulant" to align with standards set by the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO). The bill requires that labels for soil amendments and plant biostimulants display specific information, including brand, net weight, purpose statement, usage directions, and ingredient composition. This change directly affects manufacturers and sellers of these agricultural products in Mississippi, who must update their labeling to meet the new requirements. The legislation ensures consistency with industry guidelines without altering the underlying regulatory framework for these products.
Maddy summaryHB 1079 authorizes Mississippi's Department of Corrections to enter into contracts with Forrest County and Wayne County to house state inmates in their correctional facilities. This bill specifically adds these two counties to the list of local governments eligible to contract with the state for inmate housing, building on existing provisions that allow contracts with other counties. The law requires contracted facilities to meet American Correctional Association standards, constitutional requirements, and court orders, without changing existing capacity limits or facility standards. The bill was introduced to expand housing options for state inmates but died on the legislative calendar in March 2025.
Maddy summaryHB 1656, the STRONG Act, would provide tax benefits and health care support for Mississippi National Guard members and their families. It increases income tax exemptions for Guard and Reserve members, creates a $250 annual credit against motor vehicle taxes for service members and their spouses, and establishes a program to reimburse National Guard members for Tricare Reserve Select health insurance premiums. The Adjutant General would administer the program and report its progress to the legislature. The bill passed the legislature in February 2025 but died on calendar before becoming law.
Maddy summaryHB 722 is a funding bill that would have provided $1,000,000 from the state general fund to the Progress Community Water Association in Lamar County for purchasing and installing automated water meters. It directly affects the water association and its customers by covering costs for upgrading their metering system. The bill specified funding for the 2025-2026 fiscal year but died in committee on February 26, 2025, meaning it did not become law. This is a straightforward appropriation with no policy changes beyond the funding allocation.
Maddy summaryHB 1706 allocates $1.5 million from the state general fund to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) for fiscal year 2026. The funding specifically allows MEMA to purchase equipment that pumps or transfers drinkable water to healthcare facilities and other essential institutions during natural disasters that disrupt water systems. This bill directly affects MEMA's emergency response capabilities and ensures critical facilities can maintain water access when local systems fail due to events like floods or storms. The appropriation becomes effective July 1, 2025.
Maddy summaryHB 1225 revises Mississippi's Paramedics Recruitment and Retention Scholarship Program to support EMTs pursuing paramedic certification. The bill provides full funding for tuition, fees, books, uniforms, and National Registry exam costs at accredited paramedic programs. To qualify, applicants must be certified EMTs, commit to working in Mississippi for three years after graduation, and meet additional criteria set by the Office of Workforce Development. The program would be funded through legislative appropriations, with no more than 5% of funds used for administrative costs. This change aims to address paramedic shortages by reducing financial barriers to training.
Maddy summaryHB 1060 requires Mississippi public schools to notify parents or legal guardians in writing within three days if a student identifies at school with a gender, pronoun, or uses facilities that differs from their sex assigned at birth (as listed on their birth certificate or official records). It directly affects public school students in Mississippi, their parents/guardians, and school staff who would need to comply with the notification requirement. Key provisions include mandating written parental notification for gender/identity-related requests, prohibiting school discipline against staff who refuse to use preferred pronouns inconsistent with birth sex, and requiring parental written approval before using a student’s preferred pronoun. The bill, which died in committee on February 4, 2025, would have taken effect July 1, 2025, if enacted.
Maddy summaryThis bill (HB 1212) died in committee on February 4, 2025, and never became law. If enacted, it would have created a 9-member study committee to examine unintended impacts of wind turbines on agriculture, including property rights (e.g., pesticide drift), aquifer safety, and aviation pilot concerns. The bill also included a temporary moratorium on new wind turbine construction permits until July 1, 2026, to allow time for the committee’s study. The committee was required to report findings and recommendations to the legislature by December 1, 2025, but the bill did not advance beyond the committee stage.