Rep. Jay McKnight

Maddy summaryHB 1926 appropriates $2,100,968 from the State General Fund and $215,258 from the State Treasury to fund the Office of Capital Post-Conviction Counsel for fiscal year 2027 (July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027). The bill authorizes nine permanent staff positions to support the office’s work representing individuals sentenced to death in Mississippi. It requires the office to maintain detailed financial records and comply with existing state budget laws governing fund usage. This is a routine funding measure to sustain existing legal services for death penalty cases, not a policy change.

Maddy summaryHB 1925 appropriates $117,462 for the Mississippi Auctioneers Commission to cover its operating expenses during fiscal year 2027 (July 2026-June 2027). The bill requires the commission to maintain detailed financial records matching its FY2026 standards and submit future budget requests in a comparable format. It also mandates that the commission give preference to Mississippi Industries for the Blind when purchasing goods or equipment, both with and without competitive bids. The funds must be spent in compliance with existing state budget laws prohibiting overspending.

Maddy summaryHB 1933 reappropriates unspent funds from prior fiscal years to continue construction and renovation projects at Mississippi state agencies, institutions, and higher education facilities for fiscal year 2027 (July 2026-June 2027). It allocates specific amounts from previously authorized budgets (including $70 million for higher education and $75 million for general state projects) but requires that funds not exceed remaining unspent balances as of June 30, 2026, and cannot change the original purpose of the spending. The bill does not create new funding or policy changes - it simply allows existing, unspent allocations to be reused for ongoing projects.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a House Resolution that formally recognizes and congratulates the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Men's Golf Team for winning the NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship. The resolution highlights the team's achievements, including multiple national titles and individual awards won by players and the head coach. It also acknowledges the team's academic success and directs copies of the resolution to college officials and the press. This is a commemorative measure with no policy changes or funding implications.

Maddy summaryHB 1117, the "Creating Transparency and Accountability in Dental Services Act," requires dental insurance companies (dental carriers) to calculate and annually report their dental loss ratio (DLR) - the percentage of premium dollars spent directly on patient dental care versus administrative costs. Dental carriers must file these reports by June 30 each year, detailing how much was spent on clinical services, unpaid claims, and recovered payments, while excluding overhead like staff salaries or network development. The Commissioner of Insurance will make these reports publicly accessible on the department's website by December 1 each year and submit aggregated data to the Insurance Committees. This applies to all dental health plans sold in Mississippi but excludes Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program, and other state-sponsored plans.

Maddy summaryHB 565, known as "Jill's Law," requires all health insurance plans in Mississippi - including Medicaid and the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan - to cover biomarker testing for diagnosis, treatment, or monitoring of diseases when supported by medical evidence. This includes tests backed by FDA approvals, clinical guidelines, or consensus statements, effective for plans renewed or entered after July 1, 2026. Plans must provide clear written justifications for denied claims, update coverage policies publicly within 60 days of enactment, and allow appeals for coverage disputes. The law applies to all health benefit plans and aims to ensure timely access to evidence-based testing without requiring multiple biopsies.

Maddy summaryHB 1402 designates a one-mile segment of Mississippi Highway 537 in Yazoo County as the "Colonel Donnell Berry Memorial Highway" to honor Colonel Donnell Berry. The Mississippi Department of Transportation will install and maintain signage along this highway segment. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2026. This is a commemorative designation with no policy or funding changes.

Maddy summaryHB 520 requires the Mississippi Gaming Commission to work with the Department of Human Services (DHS) to create rules that automatically withhold gaming winnings from individuals with outstanding child support debt. This directly affects people who owe child support arrears by allowing DHS to collect payments from their gambling winnings. The bill establishes a new procedure (via Section 43-19-63) for encumbering these winnings to satisfy child support obligations. It amends existing laws to align with this new collection mechanism, streamlining enforcement without creating new programs. The policy change focuses on using existing gaming revenue streams to recover unpaid child support.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial House Resolution (not a bill) honoring Matt McDonnell upon his retirement as Executive Director of the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center after 40 years of service. It recognizes his career at the facility since 1986, including roles as Director of Operations, Assistant Executive Director, and Executive Director, as well as his prior work in event management, public service as an Ocean Springs Alderman, and business ventures. The resolution has no policy impact - it is purely a formal expression of appreciation with no legal effect or direct impact on any individuals or policies.

Maddy summaryHB 528 increases penalties for possessing fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances in Mississippi. It modifies Section 41-29-139 to impose harsher sentences, such as 3-20 years in prison (up from prior limits) for possessing 2+ grams or 10+ dosage units, and 5-30 years for 10-30 grams. The bill directly affects individuals caught with fentanyl, raising fines to $250,000 for moderate amounts and $500,000 for larger quantities. These changes apply specifically to fentanyl, not other controlled substances, and aim to strengthen criminal penalties for this opioid. The bill does not alter possession laws for marijuana, synthetic cannabinoids, or other drugs listed in the code.