Maddy summaryHB 832 allows Mississippi Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) retirees to serve in elected state, district, or local office while receiving their retirement benefits. It amends current law to permit retirees to either waive all salary and receive only their retirement allowance (plus limited expense allowances) or accept up to 25% of their average compensation while still receiving retirement benefits. This directly affects PERS retirees seeking or holding elective office positions, removing previous restrictions that required them to choose between retirement benefits and elected office compensation. The bill requires annual written waivers or elections filed with the employer and retirement system office to implement either option.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHB 1104 requires law enforcement officers to positively verify a driver's identity at the time of a traffic violation when using hand-held automated recording devices (e.g., handheld cameras). This applies to counties and municipalities enforcing traffic laws on public roads, ensuring due process before imposing fines. The bill also clarifies that Mississippi will only recognize out-of-state traffic fines from states participating in the Driver License Compact. These provisions define "manually operated automated recording equipment" and update enforcement rules for traffic violations.
Maddy summaryHB 1309 would require Mississippi public school staff to notify parents or guardians in writing within seven days if a student publicly identifies as a gender different from their sex assigned at birth or uses gender-segregated school programs, activities, or facilities that conflict with their birth sex. The bill prohibits school staff from being disciplined for refusing to use a student's preferred gender or pronoun and mandates that parents must provide written consent before staff can address a student by their preferred pronoun. Confidential discussions with school counselors about gender identity are exempt from the notification requirement. The legislation aims to involve parents early in decisions about their child's gender identity to foster trust and support student well-being, as stated in its legislative intent.
Maddy summaryHB 1311, the T.H.R.I.V.E. Act, would require all Mississippi public elementary and secondary schools to implement mandatory character education courses starting in the 2026-2027 school year, focusing on specific values like respect for family, marriage, work, personal responsibility, patriotism, and moral character. The bill mandates that schools use only state-approved courses and materials (with no district discretion), requires parental opt-out rights without academic penalty, and demands public transparency through notice, material inspection, and annual compliance reports to state leaders. It also permits third-party after-school programs (with parental consent) offering religious, historical, or philosophical justifications for the curriculum, provided they align with the specified values. The legislation explicitly prohibits materials contradicting these values and requires schools to teach enumerated traits, including sexual abstinence outside marriage and fidelity within marriage.
Maddy summaryHB 1542 creates a new criminal offense called "abortion trafficking" in Mississippi, specifically targeting adults who transport unemancipated minors (under 18, not legally independent) across state lines for abortions with parental consent. The law prohibits recruiting, harboring, or transporting such minors for abortion procedures, imposing felony penalties of 2-5 years in prison or $1,000-$10,000 fines upon conviction. It explicitly states parental consent does not serve as a defense against trafficking charges, and it allows the state attorney general to prosecute if local prosecutors refuse. The bill died in committee in February 2026 and never became law.
Maddy summaryMississippi's HB 1541 would ban the mailing or distribution of abortion-inducing medications within the state, targeting any medicine that causes an abortion prohibited under Mississippi law. It directly affects individuals or entities (like pharmacies or mail-order services) that manufacture, sell, mail, or distribute such medications, or advertise their availability. Violators face fines up to $10,000 and up to five years in prison. The bill died in committee in February 2026 and is not currently law.
Maddy summaryThis bill would allow municipal police in Mississippi cities with at least 2,000 residents to use radar speed detection equipment on two-lane federally designated highways within their boundaries, but only if the city has both a public community college and a state-operated program providing services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Currently, radar use by municipal police is restricted to larger cities (over 15,000 population), campus police, or specific highway types. The bill expands eligibility to qualifying smaller cities meeting these two specific conditions. It does not change existing radar restrictions for other locations or highway types.
Maddy summaryHB 1371, the Domestic Violence Transparency Act, would require Mississippi to create a public online registry for individuals convicted of domestic violence two or more times. The registry would include names, aliases, dates of birth, and photographs (but not Social Security numbers or addresses) and would be maintained by the Department of Public Safety. Court clerks would automatically send conviction details to the registry after a conviction or release, and registrants would pay a $150 fee within 30 days. Information would be removed after 5 to 20 years (depending on prior convictions) once all fines and restitution are paid, with disclaimers noting the registry only includes Mississippi state court convictions.
Maddy summaryHB 1312, the "Purple Angels Law," would require Mississippi to create a public registry of individuals convicted of multiple domestic violence offenses against the same victim (defined as having at least one prior conviction for such an offense). It mandates courts to send offender details to the Department of Public Safety, which would maintain the registry online with basic information like name, date of birth, and photo (excluding Social Security numbers). Offenders would pay a $250 registration fee, with $150 directed to domestic violence prevention services. The registry would automatically remove names after 5-20 years based on prior convictions or permanently for felony repeat offenders, but the bill died in committee in February 2026.
Maddy summaryThis bill would add kratom to Mississippi's Schedule III controlled substances under the Uniform Controlled Substances Act. It directly affects individuals who use or sell kratom products in Mississippi, as possession or distribution would become regulated under state law. The key mechanism is reclassifying kratom as a Schedule III substance, placing it alongside drugs like ketamine and certain barbiturates with recognized medical use but potential for abuse. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and is not currently law.