Sen. Jason Barrett

Maddy summarySB 2885 reduces the daily late filing penalty for preneed funeral service sales reports from $100 to $25 per day for preneed establishments (like funeral homes). It applies to annual reports due by March 31 each year, which detail prearranged funeral contracts sold. The bill directly affects businesses selling preneed funeral services by lowering their financial risk for late submissions. However, the bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summarySB 2842 proposes to amend Mississippi law so that retired law enforcement officers would receive their full base salary as a retirement allowance starting July 1, 2025, instead of the current calculation based on service years and compensation. This change directly affects retired officers who meet service requirements under the existing retirement system. The bill replaces the current formula (which used percentages of average compensation) with a fixed full-salary payment for eligible retirees. The amendment applies to officers who became members of the retirement system before specific dates, as outlined in the bill text. The bill was referred to committee but died in February 2025.

Maddy summarySB 2214 would add kratom to Schedule III of Mississippi's Controlled Substances Act, classifying it as a regulated substance with potential for abuse but lower risk than higher schedules. This would directly affect Mississippi residents who possess, sell, or use kratom products, making possession without authorization subject to Schedule III restrictions (like requiring prescriptions for medical use). The bill's key mechanism is amending existing law to explicitly list kratom under Schedule III, subjecting it to the same regulations as other Schedule III substances like certain stimulants and depressants. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summarySB 2042 prohibits sex offenders from working as first responders (including paramedics, EMTs, and volunteer emergency personnel) without prior approval from Mississippi's Department of Public Safety Sex Offender Registry. The bill directly affects individuals required to register as sex offenders who seek employment in emergency response roles. It amends Mississippi Code §45-33-26 to explicitly ban such employment without DPS approval, defining "first responder" to cover emergency medical and fire services. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summarySB 2324 amends Mississippi law to impose harsher penalties for telecommunication or electronic harassment targeting specific public safety personnel. It increases fines and potential jail time for first offenses against law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical staff, or public safety dispatchers - doubling penalties compared to standard harassment charges. The bill does not create new harassment offenses but adds aggravated penalties when the victim is a first responder acting in their official capacity. This proposed law died in committee in February 2025 and has not become law.

Maddy summarySB 2323, the Mississippi Truth in Sentencing Act, would change parole eligibility rules for prisoners in Mississippi by requiring them to serve a larger portion of their sentences before release. Nonviolent offenders would need to serve at least 25% of their sentence (or 10 years, whichever is less), while violent offenders would need to serve 50% (or 20 years, whichever is less), with higher thresholds for specific violent crimes like robbery with a deadly weapon. Offenses including murder, human trafficking, and certain drug trafficking crimes would be excluded from parole eligibility entirely. The bill aims to ensure prisoners serve more of their sentences and reduce the state’s need for post-release supervision.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require Mississippi to create an online system by January 1, 2027, allowing police departments, courts, and other criminal justice agencies to track misdemeanor warrants electronically across different counties. It mandates the Mississippi Justice Information Center to build the system, the Department of Public Safety to create implementation rules, and all relevant agencies to assist with setup. The system would replace current paper-based tracking by recording when warrants are issued, served, or recalled. This aims to improve coordination between law enforcement agencies statewide for misdemeanor cases.

Maddy summarySB 2032 requires Mississippi public defenders to have free access to the state's electronic court system records for cases involving indigent (low-income) defendants. This bill amends Section 9-1-59 of the Mississippi Code to mandate that court records be accessible without cost to public defenders handling indigent cases. The key provision removes a potential financial barrier, ensuring public defenders can efficiently review case materials for their clients. It directly affects public defenders and indigent defendants in criminal proceedings across Mississippi courts. The bill did not advance beyond committee in 2025.

Maddy summarySB 2169 would require all Mississippi public school districts to provide an annual $5,000 salary supplement to every school bus driver, including temporary or substitute drivers. This applies to drivers paid from transportation funds, directly affecting all nonstudent adult school bus drivers in the state. The bill mandates this supplement as a new requirement under existing transportation funding rules, building on current minimum pay standards. It would have taken effect July 1, 2025, but died in committee before passing.

Maddy summaryThis concurrent resolution commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Mississippi Court of Appeals' establishment (1994), recognizing its role in resolving the Mississippi Supreme Court's appeal backlog and efficiently handling appellate caseloads. It highlights the court's achievement of issuing over 15,000 merit opinions with an average processing time of 200 days since its inception. The resolution formally honors the court's accomplishments, including its community outreach programs and the dedication of its judges and staff over three decades. As a symbolic gesture, it does not enact new laws or affect any policies.