Rep. Becky Currie

Maddy summaryHB 1287 requires most health insurance policies covering Mississippi residents to include annual pap smear coverage starting July 1, 2026, without imposing higher deductibles or coinsurance than for similar services. The bill mandates reimbursement rates for pap smears to match Medicare levels and ensures no extra costs for patients if referrals to non-participating providers are needed. It specifically amends the state employees' health insurance plan (Section 25-15-9) to include this coverage. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and never became law. This policy directly affects insurers, healthcare providers, and patients seeking preventive cervical cancer screening.

Maddy summaryHB 1406 prohibits intentionally injecting, releasing, or dispersing chemicals into Mississippi's atmosphere with the purpose of altering temperature, weather, or sunlight intensity. The bill directly affects any individual, corporation, or aircraft operator conducting such "geoengineering" activities within the state. Key mechanisms include imposing felony penalties (up to $100,000 fines or 5 years in prison for violators, with reduced penalties for aircraft operators) and requiring public infrastructure operators to report aircraft equipped for weather modification starting in 2026. The law also mandates reporting violations to the Mississippi Department of Transportation and integrates with existing air pollution definitions in state code.

Maddy summaryHB 1547 (the H.O.P.E. Act) requires all nurses applying for or renewing a license in Mississippi to complete one hour of trauma-informed human trafficking training and certify this completion to the Mississippi Board of Nursing. The bill mandates nurses to report suspected human trafficking involving minors to Child Protection Services and cases involving adults to law enforcement under specific conditions (imminent danger, victim consent, or legal requirement), with reports due within 24 hours of forming a reasonable suspicion. Failure to comply would violate Mississippi Nursing Practice Law and subject nurses to disciplinary action by the Board. The requirements take effect January 1, 2027, and amend several sections of the state’s nursing and trafficking laws.

Maddy summaryHB 1695 removes a provision requiring counties to charge municipalities a fixed rate (based on state inmate housing costs) for housing municipal prisoners in county jails. Instead, it allows counties and municipalities to directly negotiate the costs for housing and caring for these prisoners. The bill affects local governments that share jail facilities, changing how payment rates are determined from a mandated state-linked rate to a flexible agreement. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and was never enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 1690 would have created an Office of Corrections Ombudsman within Mississippi's corrections system, funded by the Inmate Welfare Fund. The office would conduct annual facility inspections, investigate inmate complaints, and collect and analyze data on critical issues like deaths, assaults, solitary confinement use, staffing shortages, and visitation denials. It would produce annual reports and establish a Corrections Oversight Committee composed of diverse members, including formerly incarcerated people, advocates, healthcare professionals, and family members of inmates. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and was never enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 1737 requires that when an autopsy is performed on a state inmate in Mississippi, the State Medical Examiner must provide a copy of the autopsy report to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and the chairs of the House and Senate Corrections Committees. This bill amends Section 47-5-151 of the Mississippi Code to explicitly include these officials as recipients of the report, ensuring transparency about inmate deaths. The provision applies to all state inmates, excluding those who were lawfully executed. The bill clarifies an existing requirement but does not introduce new policy changes.

Maddy summaryHB 1742 would have required Mississippi's Department of Corrections to provide body-worn cameras to correctional officers during activities involving controlling, directing, or monitoring inmates. The bill mandated that cameras be worn on uniform, kept operational, and maintained in working order during these duties. It specified the cameras must record both audio and video and was scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026. However, the bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and never became law.

Maddy summaryHB 1748 removes a requirement that certain state officials, including the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and legislators, provide advance notice to the Corrections Commissioner before visiting state prisons. The bill eliminates the existing rule that mandated this notification for officials observing prison operations or speaking with inmates. This change simplifies access for these officials to conduct oversight visits without prior scheduling with prison leadership. The bill was introduced but died in committee in 2026, so it did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 1743 proposed requiring Mississippi's Department of Corrections (MDOC) to produce an annual consolidated financial statement for the Inmate Welfare Fund, which funds inmate welfare programs. The bill mandated independent bank verification of the fund's balance and required joint certification of the annual balance by MDOC's commissioner, the state auditor, and the executive director of PEER. It directly affected MDOC's financial reporting processes and oversight bodies responsible for monitoring fund usage. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and never became law.

Maddy summaryHB 1738 requires the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) to convene an unexpected fatality review team for any inmate death not caused by a diagnosed terminal illness. The review team, including legislative committee chairs and health officials, must investigate the cause, develop recommendations, and create a corrective action plan within 10 days of the review. MDOC must publicly post all review reports and corrective plans online within 120 days of the death, making findings and proposed changes transparent to the public. This bill directly affects incarcerated individuals and MDOC operations by mandating systematic reviews to prevent future deaths and improve safety practices.