Sen. Daniel Sparks

Maddy summarySR 27 is a ceremonial resolution extending the Mississippi Senate's sympathy to the family of Jeanne Carter Luckey, a National Republican Committee Woman and community leader from Louisville, Mississippi, following her death on November 7, 2024. The resolution commends her service, including her work as Mississippi Federation of Republican Women President, her advocacy for disability access on the Institutions of Higher Learning board, and her decades of community involvement. This resolution has no policy effect - it solely expresses the Senate’s condolences and acknowledges her life’s contributions. It was adopted by the Senate on February 17, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 2329 requires Mississippi prosecutors to notify law enforcement officers in writing before sending a "Giglio letter" (a notice to an officer's employer about credibility concerns) or adding the officer to a "Giglio list" (a list of officers deemed unreliable for testimony). It mandates that officers receive details about the basis for the concern, the right to review evidence, and a meeting with the prosecutor to present their defense before any decision is finalized. Officers would also gain the right to appeal a prosecutor's decision to a chancery court for a full review. The bill, which died on the calendar in February 2025, aimed to provide due process for officers facing credibility challenges that could prevent them from testifying in court.

Maddy summarySB 2431 gives Mississippi law enforcement officers (full- or part-time) a right to a follow-up drug test if they test positive on an initial urinalysis. It requires officers to contest results within two business days, then allows five additional days for a hair follicle test at their own initial cost (reimbursed if negative). If the hair test is negative, the officer must be immediately reinstated without penalty. The bill, which died on the calendar in February 2025, aimed to prevent termination or suspension pending follow-up results but did not become law.

Maddy summarySB 2786, the "Ending Agency Overreach Act," would require courts to interpret agency rules de novo (without deferring to agency interpretations) and prohibit civil penalties in cases where a jury trial is available for similar common law claims. It also extends the timeframe for challenging agency rules from one year after adoption to one year after the challenger is harmed by the rule. The bill affects individuals and businesses contesting agency actions, such as regulatory fines or rule validity. It died in committee in February 2025 and has not become law.

Maddy summarySB 2506 modifies Mississippi's rules for county public deposit bidding. It requires that when a county board of supervisors selects a new financial institution to hold public funds during the final year of their four-year term, the new agreement must last less than four years (instead of the usual four-year maximum). This change directly affects county boards of supervisors and financial institutions bidding for county deposit contracts. The key provision shortens the contract term specifically for these last-year selections to prevent long-term commitments by boards nearing the end of their term.

Maddy summarySB 2678 prohibits pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from charging "spread pricing" (extra fees beyond a drug’s actual cost plus dispensing fees) and requires transparency. Drug manufacturers must report wholesale drug costs quarterly, PBMs must submit annual financial reports detailing rebates and fees, and health insurers must report on prescription drug spending patterns. The Mississippi Department of Insurance will publish this data on a public website and enforce the law through investigations and penalties. The bill directly affects PBMs, drug manufacturers, insurers, and pharmacies by mandating financial transparency and banning unfair pricing practices.

Maddy summarySB 2432 would have required Mississippi state and local governments to pay law enforcement officers classified as nonexempt under federal overtime law (FLSA) at their regular hourly rate for up to 43 hours per week, 86 hours every two weeks, or 171 hours every 28 days. For hours beyond these limits, the bill mandated compliance with standard FLSA overtime rules. It also required that any compensatory time earned (time off instead of pay) be given on an hour-for-hour basis, cannot be lost, and must be paid out upon separation. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and was never enacted.

Maddy summarySB 2502 reinstates administrative forfeiture procedures for property valued under $20,000 seized under Mississippi's Uniform Controlled Substances Law. For property under $10,000, law enforcement must post notices online for 30 days on a site maintained by the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics (instead of mail or newspaper notices), with other agencies potentially paying a fee to use the site. Property owners have 30 days to contest forfeitures in writing; if no contest is filed, the district attorney declares forfeiture and the property is distributed per existing law. This directly affects owners of seized items (like cash or vehicles) related to drug offenses under $20,000.

Maddy summarySB 2503 reorganizes and brings forward existing sections of Mississippi's code related to intervention courts (including drug, mental health, veteran treatment, and problem-solving courts) to streamline future legislative amendments. It makes minor, non-substantive technical revisions to code sections (like correcting formatting or references) but does not change the substance of these court programs. The bill affects the administrative structure of these courts by updating the code's organization, which helps facilitate future policy changes without altering current operations. This procedural bill was referred to committee but died there in February 2025.

Maddy summarySB 2346 would amend Mississippi's post-conviction relief law (Mississippi Code § 99-39-5) by imposing a one-year deadline for two key exceptions: new legal interpretations from courts or newly discovered DNA evidence. It would also explicitly bar claims about ineffective legal counsel during post-conviction proceedings from being used to challenge a conviction. This bill directly affects individuals convicted in Mississippi who seek to overturn their convictions through collateral relief motions. The proposed changes aim to limit the timeframe for filing certain motions and remove ineffective counsel as a valid ground for relief, though the bill died in committee in February 2025.