Rep. Donnie Scoggin

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 97, a proposed Mississippi bill, would allow Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts to present to students about their programs with principal approval and parent notification, requiring schools to provide written notice to parents at least three days in advance. It also mandates that public schools provide parents (or eligible students) with information about local water safety courses and swimming lessons that lead to certification, including free or low-cost options, starting in the 2025-2026 school year. The bill defines "water safety" as education to prevent drowning and reduce water-related injuries. It affects public schools, parents, and Scouts organizations by establishing specific procedures for student presentations and information sharing. The bill died in committee in February 2025 and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 98 modifies Mississippi's nursing law to reduce supervision requirements for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). It exempts APRNs from needing a collaborative relationship with a physician after completing 3,600 practice hours, and exempts certified registered nurse anesthetists after 8,000 hours. The bill also updates the Mississippi Board of Nursing to include a certified nurse anesthetist member and adds APRNs to disciplinary action provisions. These changes aim to increase APRNs' independent practice authority while maintaining patient safety standards.

Maddy summaryHB 1246, the "REFOCUS Act," establishes a Mississippi University System Efficiency Task Force to examine public university enrollment, graduation rates, and financial efficiency amid projected demographic shifts and enrollment declines. The bill requires public universities and community colleges to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices and report to governing boards on fair treatment of students, faculty, and staff based solely on merit, qualifications, and academic performance. The task force must develop recommendations for legislative action by December 2025, focusing on policy changes to improve efficiency and retention of Mississippi graduates. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and never advanced to a vote.

Maddy summaryHB 1247 transitions Mississippi's Dyslexia Education Forgivable Loan Program into a loan repayment program administered by the Mississippi Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board. It provides up to $6,000 annually for three years to licensed dyslexia therapists who hold a master's degree in dyslexia therapy from an approved school, work full-time in Mississippi public/charter schools or approved nonpublic schools, and have qualifying educational loans not in default. Eligibility requires Mississippi residency, a current educator's license with dyslexia therapy designation, and full-time employment meeting specific state criteria. The program operates on a first-come, first-served basis with a cap of 20 participants per year.

Maddy summaryHB 814 modifies Mississippi's Higher Education Legislative Plan Grant Program. It removes the requirement for high school counselors to certify students' completion of core curriculum courses, simplifying the application process. The bill also revises financial eligibility rules by adjusting the income threshold for Pell grant eligibility: it sets a base annual income limit of $42,500 for families of three or fewer, plus an additional $5,000 per extra family member. These changes aim to make the grant program more accessible to students from larger or higher-income families while maintaining the requirement that applicants must qualify for federal Pell grants.

Maddy summaryHB 813 would allow certified registered nurse practitioners (CRNPs) in Mississippi to practice to the full extent of their training when providing care to Medicaid patients, without requiring a collaborative agreement with a physician. To qualify, CRNPs must have at least 10,000 hours of documented clinical practice (with no more than 25% through telehealth) and pass a review by the Mississippi Board of Nursing assessing patient outcomes, professional conduct, and peer evaluations. Approved CRNPs would become Medicaid providers eligible for direct reimbursement for services to Medicaid recipients. The bill updates licensing laws to align with these changes and requires the Board to develop a formal application process.

Maddy summaryHB 627 revises the authority of Mississippi's Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board to administer forgivable loan programs while eliminating seven specific, unfunded programs. It repeals the State Medical Forgivable Loan Program, State Dental Forgivable Loan Program, Out-of-State Graduate/Professional School Program, Health Care Professions Program, Family Protection Specialist Social Worker Program, and Speech-Language Pathologists Program. The bill updates the board's rules for future forgivable loan programs but removes these targeted initiatives, which directly affected students pursuing healthcare and social work careers in Mississippi. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and was never enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 4 clarifies that proprietary schools offering nonvocational, personal improvement, or cultural courses (like arts or hobby classes) do not need to register with Mississippi's Commission on Proprietary Schools. The bill amends existing law to explicitly exempt these schools from registration requirements, provided they do not market courses as leading to income. This change directly affects proprietary schools offering nonvocational instruction, removing a potential administrative burden. The bill died in committee in February 2025 and never became law.

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.