Rep. Robert Johnson

Maddy summaryHB 590 would create a Mississippi Health Care Affordability Fund financed by a new 3% tax on health insurance premiums collected in the state. The fund would reduce premiums and out-of-pocket costs for Mississippi residents purchasing health insurance through the federal marketplace, including small businesses in the fully insured small group market. It requires the Insurance Commissioner to establish income-based assistance rules and report annually on the program’s impact, with priority for residents under 200% of the federal poverty level. The bill also includes provisions to maintain marketplace coverage if federal healthcare law changes.

Maddy summaryHB 107 would require Mississippi Medicaid to reimburse Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), rural health clinics, and community mental health centers at the same rate for telehealth services as for in-person visits. This change directly affects these community health providers by eliminating a current reimbursement disparity that often penalized telehealth care. The bill amends Section 43-13-117 of Mississippi law to ensure telehealth services qualify for full face-to-face encounter rates under Medicaid’s prospective payment system. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and was never enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 110 would repeal a Mississippi law that limited inmates sentenced after June 30, 1995, to earning no more than 15% of their sentence off through good behavior ("earned time"). This bill directly affects those inmates by removing the 15% cap, allowing them to earn more time off their sentences based on conduct. The key mechanism is simply eliminating the existing restriction, meaning inmates could potentially earn up to 4.5 days off for every 30 days served if they met good conduct requirements. The bill did not create new rules but removed a specific limitation on earned time. (Note: The bill died in committee and was never enacted.)

Maddy summarySB 2075 criminalizes the non-consensual sharing of digitally altered or created intimate or non-intimate images/audio (including AI-generated content) when done with intent to cause emotional, financial, or physical harm to the depicted person. It applies to anyone who disseminates such content knowing the person depicted did not consent, even if the original recording was taken with consent but the person expected privacy. The bill defines key terms like "digitization" (including AI tools) and "intimate parts," and sets penalties: misdemeanor for first offenses under 21, felony for repeat or adult offenses, with exceptions for law enforcement, public reporting, and legitimate public purposes. It explicitly targets deepfakes and non-consensual image sharing, expanding existing laws to cover digitally manipulated content. The bill died in committee in February 2026 and was never enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 100 would allow Mississippi county board of supervisors members to simultaneously work for a community college district while serving on their board, removing a prior restriction under state law. This bill directly affects current county supervisors who might seek employment with community colleges, enabling them to hold both positions without violating existing conflict-of-interest rules. The key provision modifies Section 25-4-105 and related laws to explicitly permit this dual employment. The bill died in committee in February 2026 and was never enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 1446, the "Robert G. Clark, Jr., Voting Rights Act of Mississippi," would create a Mississippi Voting Rights Commission to prevent voter suppression and protect voting rights. It prohibits political subdivisions (like counties and cities) and state agencies from implementing election policies that disproportionately affect racial, ethnic, or language minority voters, requiring such policies to be reviewed by the Commission before implementation. The bill also mandates protections for limited English proficient voters and voters with disabilities, requires advance notice of election policy changes, and establishes a statewide voting database with universities. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and was never enacted.

Maddy summarySB 2887, the "Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder Triage Act," requires Mississippi providers and insurers to use specific, evidence-based clinical criteria (like ASAM for substance use disorders and LOCUS/CALOCUS for mental health) to determine appropriate care levels. It directly affects individuals seeking behavioral health or substance use treatment, providers delivering these services, and payors (including Medicaid and commercial insurers). The law mandates that placement decisions be based solely on objective clinical data - not bed availability or cost - to prevent inappropriate care, reduce ER visits and overdoses, and ensure seamless transitions between treatment levels. It does not create new benefits but ensures existing services are used efficiently, with implementation required by 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 118 creates a $1,500 premium pay program for essential healthcare workers in Mississippi who earn $75,000 annually or less and work in public settings with high COVID-19 exposure risk (e.g., nurses, aides, janitors, security staff). Employers must apply to the State Department of Health for grants using available funds to pay eligible employees, with payments only covering work performed after July 1, 2026. The program requires annual reporting to the legislature and expires on July 1, 2028. It directly affects frontline healthcare workers in public facilities but does not cover past payments or workers earning above the income threshold.

Maddy summarySB 2012 would raise the maximum amount justice courts can handle in residential eviction cases from $5,000 to $10,000. This directly affects landlords and tenants in eviction disputes, allowing cases involving up to $10,000 in unpaid rent or damages to be resolved in lower courts instead of circuit courts. The bill amends Mississippi Code Section 9-11-9 to increase the jurisdictional limit specifically for cases filed under the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Title 89, Chapter 8). The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.

Maddy summarySB 2076 would have reclassified individuals convicted of four or more specific misdemeanors within three years as "habitual misdemeanor offenders," elevating their current misdemeanor charge to a felony. This change would have applied to defendants meeting strict criteria: four separate misdemeanor offenses (excluding those from the same criminal episode) committed within a three-year window prior to the current charge. If convicted as a habitual offender, the person would face a felony conviction and a maximum two-year prison sentence in Mississippi's Department of Corrections. The bill, which died in committee on February 3, 2026, was never enacted into law.