Sen. Joey Fillingane

Maddy summarySB 2721 deletes a provision from Mississippi's property law (Section 89-10-5) that previously addressed squatters' rights. This change directly affects property owners and occupants by removing language related to how property use rights are managed. The bill's key mechanism is simply removing specific text from the existing statute, with no new rules added. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and never became law.

Maddy summarySB 2731 renames Mississippi's "Adolescent Opportunity Program" to the "Juvenile Justice Diversion Program" (JJDP) within the Division of Youth Services. The bill requires the JJDP to provide alternatives to detention during after-school and weekend hours, such as community service, job training, and restorative justice practices. It authorizes the program to operate as both pre-petition diversion (before a formal court case) and post-adjudication diversion (after a court decision) to keep juveniles out of detention, contingent on available legislative funding. The program must use evidence-based methods like tutoring, mentoring, and vocational training, delivered through community organizations.

Maddy summarySB 2740, the Mississippi Keeping Kids Safe Online Act, requires online platforms (like social media and gaming services) to obtain explicit written consent from a minor's parent or guardian before creating accounts or entering any agreement with a user under 18. Without parental consent, any agreement signed by a minor is automatically invalid from the start. The law allows Mississippi's Attorney General to sue violating platforms for civil penalties and recover legal costs, with enforcement focused on preventing platforms from bypassing parental oversight for underage users.

Maddy summaryMississippi's SB 2792 would require judges to automatically expunge arrest records in three specific situations: when charges were dropped after arrest, when no court disposition was entered, or when a person was found not guilty at trial. This law would directly affect individuals whose cases were dismissed or resulted in a not-guilty verdict, allowing them to clear these records without needing to file a separate petition. The bill amends existing Mississippi Code sections to mandate this expungement process for eligible cases, excluding implied consent violations (such as DUI offenses). It aims to provide a streamlined process for clearing certain criminal records that do not result in conviction.

Maddy summarySB 2797 creates the Mississippi Violent Crime Task Force to address Mississippi's low violent crime clearance rates (only 30% solved, below the national average of 41%) and improve public safety outcomes. The task force, composed of law enforcement leaders, prosecutors, judges, victims' advocates, and local government representatives, will review crime data, identify barriers like staffing shortages in rural agencies, and evaluate evidence-based strategies to boost clearance rates. It must submit a report to the legislature by December 2026 with recommendations for legislative and policy changes. The goal is to strengthen investigations, deter repeat offenses, and enhance victim support through coordinated, data-driven approaches.

Maddy summarySB 2795 would allow Mississippi justice court judges to set bail (including recognizance or bond) for individuals charged with capital offenses, such as murder, by removing a prior restriction that excluded these cases from justice court authority. The bill amends Mississippi Code Section 99-5-11 to state that justice court judges may set bail for "any offense for which bail is allowed by law," thereby including capital offenses. This change would directly affect defendants accused of capital crimes processed in justice court and the judges determining their bail conditions. The bill also deletes a reference to municipal judges from the existing law.

Maddy summarySB 2807 (Mississippi Code § 99-39-7) proposes to require certain post-conviction relief motions - specifically those involving affirmed convictions, denied prior motions with affirmed appeals, or cases over three years old - to first seek permission from the Mississippi Supreme Court before being filed in a trial court. This would directly affect individuals convicted of crimes who seek to challenge their convictions after initial appeals. The bill’s key mechanism mandates that these motions cannot be filed in trial courts until the Supreme Court grants an order authorizing the filing, following procedures outlined in § 99-39-27. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.

Maddy summarySB 2878 would have allowed qualified heavy equipment rental businesses in Mississippi to charge renters a recovery fee of up to 2% of the rental charge. This fee would be used solely to cover the businesses' property taxes on their equipment, with excess fees allowed to be carried forward to future tax years. The bill specifically applied to businesses primarily renting construction or industrial equipment meeting certain industry classifications. It did not exempt equipment from property taxes or create new tax breaks. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and never became law.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow Mississippi disabled veterans who received a VA disability determination to get a refund for property taxes paid between their disability's effective date and when they received the VA decision letter. Veterans would need to submit the VA letter within 60 days to the Department of Revenue for a rebate, paid from current tax collections. The refund would not count as taxable income under Mississippi law. The bill also permits veterans to revise past tax returns affected by the disability determination.

Maddy summarySB 2908 would change Mississippi's public retirement system to allow certain first responders hired on or after March 1, 2026, to receive retirement benefits after 25 years of service regardless of age. It directly affects law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical services providers, emergency management personnel, and public safety telecommunicators. The bill establishes a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for these retirees tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners (CPI-W). This modifies existing retirement rules to provide earlier access to benefits for eligible public safety workers who join the system after the specified date.