Maddy summaryHB 982 suspends retirement benefits for Mississippi Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) and Supplemental Legislative Retirement Plan (SLRP) members convicted of felonies involving misuse of public funds, effective July 1, 2026. Benefits are paused until the member fully repays misused public funds, following a court hearing and confirmation that all appeals of the conviction are final. The bill ensures benefits are only suspended from the retirement system covering the employment period where the crime occurred, and the system cannot be held liable for payments made in good faith reliance on court orders and attorney general notifications. It applies to active members, retirees still employed by the state, and retirees who committed the crime during active service.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHB 980 changes Mississippi's child support calculation method from a percentage-based system to one that uses both parents' combined income. It replaces the previous percentage schedule with specific dollar amounts listed in a table, adjusted for the number of children and total household income. This bill directly affects parents involved in child support cases, as courts will now calculate payments using the new income-sharing formula. The change also incorporates additional court considerations from existing sections of Mississippi law regarding child support adjustments. The law applies to all child support awards and modifications in Mississippi.
Maddy summaryHB 1029 creates the Volunteer Firefighter Certification Act, enabling Mississippi volunteer firefighters who complete national-standard (NFPA 1010) training to receive state-issued Firefighter I and II certifications. The State Fire Academy, working with the State Fire Marshal, will verify training completion and maintain a free registry of certified volunteers. This certification does not change volunteers' employment status or pay but provides professional recognition and reciprocity with career firefighters. The bill aims to improve workforce development and public safety by aligning volunteer qualifications with state standards.
Maddy summaryHB 979 requires Mississippi's Medicaid program to exclude any healthcare provider or organization that performs, refers for, or is connected through ownership, management, or common control with abortion services not permitted under state law. Providers must sign a sworn statement confirming they do not engage in such activities, and the Medicaid division must terminate contracts with non-compliant entities. This directly affects clinics, doctors, and healthcare organizations offering or affiliated with abortion services, potentially ending their Medicaid participation. The law updates Medicaid provider rules to align with state policy prohibiting public funding for abortion-related care.
Maddy summaryHB 1031 would have prohibited Mississippi's social work licensing board from requiring out-of-state licensed social workers (who establish residency in Mississippi) to take a state-specific jurisprudence exam. It directly affects social workers moving to Mississippi from other states seeking licensure by reciprocity. The bill amended licensing statutes to remove this exam requirement, aligning with Mississippi's "Universal Recognition of Occupational Licenses Act" that streamlines reciprocity for qualified applicants. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.
Maddy summaryHB 1016 would allow law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS providers, emergency management personnel, and public safety telecommunicators hired into Mississippi's Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) on or after March 1, 2026, to receive retirement benefits after 25 years of service regardless of age. It establishes a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for these first responders tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), ensuring their retirement income keeps pace with inflation. The bill directly affects future first responder hires by changing retirement eligibility and benefit adjustments under PERS. The bill was referred to committee but died there on February 3, 2026.
Maddy summaryHB 1037 creates two new state crimes in Mississippi: "unlawful harboring" (misdemeanor) for knowingly sheltering someone who entered or stayed in the U.S. without legal permission, and "unlawful human smuggling" (felony) for transporting groups of people for financial gain while hiding them from immigration authorities. It directly affects individuals who provide shelter or transportation to people in the U.S. without legal status, with penalties including fines starting at $1,000 per person harbored or up to 20 years in prison for smuggling minors. The bill specifies that knowledge of the person’s immigration status must be determined by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It also amends existing human trafficking laws to align with these new provisions. The bill died in committee in February 2026 and did not become law.
Maddy summaryHB 1032 establishes a new retirement system, the "First Responders Retirement System," for Mississippi law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical services providers, emergency management personnel, and public safety telecommunicators. Effective July 1, 2026, the system provides retirement, disability, and death benefits, including a cost-of-living adjustment tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners. It replaces existing retirement benefits under Article 3 of Mississippi's Public Employees' Retirement Law for these workers while allowing them to retain social security benefits under Article 1. The bill also defines eligibility, requires employee and employer contributions, and creates an administrative board to manage the system.
Maddy summaryHB 1107 would change the reporting requirement for the PEER committee (a legislative performance evaluation committee) from an annual to a biennial report on Mississippi's charter schools. The biennial report would assess funding sufficiency, the effectiveness of the state funding formula, and recommend policy changes. This reduces the frequency of the report from once per year to once every two years, easing the reporting burden on the committee. The bill does not affect the existing annual reporting requirement for the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board.
Maddy summaryHB 1283 requires Mississippi medical examiners to document any vaccines or emergency medical treatments given to a child or infant within 90 days before sudden, unexpected death (including SIDS, SUID, or SDY cases) in autopsy reports. It also mandates similar documentation and reporting for sudden deaths suspected to be caused by SADS (Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome) in individuals under age 20. Medical examiners must submit these cases to the national SUID/SDY registry coordinated by the CDC and NIH. Failure to report within 30 days incurs fines up to $5,000 for repeated offenses. The bill applies directly to medical examiners handling these specific death cases in Mississippi.