Sen. Nicole Boyd

Maddy summarySenate Concurrent Resolution 526 is a symbolic resolution congratulating the Ole Miss Rebels football team and head coach Pete Golding for winning the 2025-2026 Sugar Bowl championship and finishing No. 3 in national rankings - the highest finish for an SEC team since 1962. It recognizes their 13-2 season, historic College Football Playoff semifinal appearance, and significance as the highest-ranked Ole Miss team in over six decades. The resolution has no policy impact - it is purely ceremonial, commending the team's achievements without altering laws or regulations.

Maddy summarySB 2044 allows Mississippi public colleges and universities to share athletics-related revenue with student-athletes or compensate them for using their publicity rights (e.g., social media, endorsements). It requires all agreements between schools, student-athletes, and third parties to remain confidential - exempt from public records requests - and prohibits unauthorized disclosure, with violations subject to lawsuits for damages, injunctions, or attorney fees. The bill also amends rules for athlete agents, adding penalties for breaching confidentiality. It directly affects student-athletes at Mississippi public universities, their institutions, and third-party entities seeking to partner with athletes.

Maddy summarySB 2004, the Mississippi PERS Stability Act, transfers $500 million from Mississippi's Capital Expense Fund to the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) on July 1, 2026, followed by annual $50 million transfers through 2036. If insufficient funds exist in the Capital Expense Fund, the state will use General Funds to ensure the full $50 million is transferred each year. This directly stabilizes funding for Mississippi's public employees' retirement system, which serves state and local government workers. The bill requires these specific, scheduled transfers to address long-term retirement system funding needs.

Maddy summarySB 2003 shortens the waiting period for retired Mississippi educators to return to teaching from 90 to 45 days. It removes requirements that retirees must have a minimum service history, teach only in districts with critical shortages, or work only in specific subject areas. The bill also sets a 65% cap on salary for returning retirees, adjusts pension liability payments, and allows school districts to cover health insurance premiums for these educators using local funds. These changes directly affect retired teachers seeking to return to classroom roles in Mississippi public schools.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the minimum salary for Mississippi public school teachers and assistant teachers starting in the 2026-2027 school year, establishing specific pay scales based on experience and license type (e.g., $43,500 for entry-level teachers with certain licenses). It requires school districts to maintain or increase local supplements and not pay assistant teachers below the state minimum salary, with potential funding reductions for violations. Additionally, the bill mandates a $2,000 annual salary increase for all full-time faculty at Mississippi's state colleges and universities.

Maddy summarySB 2208 creates a Mississippi Public University System Governance Study Committee to review the state's public university governance structure. The committee will assess issues like accountability, resource efficiency, student outcomes, and governance effectiveness across Mississippi's public institutions of higher learning. It must submit findings and recommendations to the legislature by December 1, 2026, and dissolve on January 1, 2027, or after its final report. This procedural bill directly affects Mississippi's public universities and their governing bodies by mandating a formal review of their operational framework.

Maddy summarySB 2480 directs the State Fiscal Officer to transfer $265 million from Mississippi's Capital Expense Fund to the Capacity Project Fund upon the bill's effective date. This transfer specifically funds transportation infrastructure projects (known as "capacity projects") included in the Mississippi Department of Transportation's Three-Year Plan, as defined under existing law. The bill amends Section 65-1-141.2 to clarify that unspent funds in the Capacity Project Fund do not lapse into the general state fund, and earnings from the fund remain within it. The bill does not create new policy but reallocates existing state funds for transportation project financing.

Maddy summarySB 2479, the "Creating Transparency and Accountability in Dental Services Act," requires dental insurance companies (referred to as "dental carriers") to calculate and report annually how much of their premium revenue is spent directly on patient care versus administrative costs. Dental carriers must file detailed reports by June 30 each year, including data matching federal standards, and make these reports publicly accessible online by December 1. The law applies to all dental health plans sold in Mississippi, excluding Medicaid and state-sponsored programs like the Children's Health Insurance Program. This transparency measure aims to clarify where premium dollars go, allowing consumers and regulators to review carrier spending patterns.

Maddy summarySB 2523 is a procedural bill that reorganizes existing sections of Mississippi's education code (specifically moving sections 37-101-1 through 37-101-30 to new positions) for potential future amendments. It does not change any substantive policies or create new programs; it only updates the code's structure. The bill affects the governance framework for Mississippi's public universities, which are already defined under the renumbered sections (e.g., the Board of Trustees structure and the Felix La Bauve Scholarship Trust). This renumbering is administrative, intended to streamline future legislative changes to higher education law. The bill passed committee and received a title amendment in 2026.

Maddy summarySB 2260 creates the "Mississippi Health and Welfare Efficiency Task Force" to examine state agencies providing health and welfare services (like Medicaid, Human Services, and Child Protective Services) and identify ways to streamline processes. The task force, made up of agency directors and legislative appointees, will review current procedures, eliminate duplicate requirements slowing service delivery, and recommend policy changes to the legislature by December 1, 2026. This bill directly affects how state agencies operate and deliver services to Mississippi residents, aiming to make government processes faster and more efficient.