Mississippi

An Act To Amend The Mississippi Public Records Act Of 1983 To Provide Exemptions For Personally Identifiable Information (pii); To Amend Section 25-61-3, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Define Personally Identifiable Information And Protected Personally Identifiable Information; To Amend Section 25-61-12, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Exempt Personally Identifiable Information; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Provide Certain Procedures For Law Enforcement Agencies Concerning The Investigation Into A Missing Or Unidentified Person; To Require A Law Enforcement Agency To Initiate Certain Procedures Upon The Receipt Of A Credible Report Of A Missing Or Unidentified Person; To Require Certain Information About The Missing Or Unidentified Person To Be Entered Into The National Missing And Unidentified Persons System; To Require A Law Enforcement Agency To Enter A Report Of A Missing Child Into The National Missing And Unidentified Persons System Without Delay; To Require The State Medical Examiner Test The Dna Of Unidentified Human Remains Using Forensic Genetic Genealogy Testing; To Amend Section 41-61-53, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Define The Terms "unclaimed Human Remains" And "unidentified Human Remains"; To Amend Section 41-61-59, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide That When A Body Is Unidentified Human Remains, The Body Shall Be Submitted To The State Medical Examiner; To Amend Section 41-61-61, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide That Upon Discovery, Unidentified Human Remains Or Anatomical Material Suspected Of Being Part Of The Human Body Shall Be The Jurisdiction Of The State Medical Examiner By Operation Of Law; To Provide That The Willful Destruction Of A Body, Body Part Or Unidentified Human Remains Shall Be A Felony; To Require The County Medical Examiner Investigator In Concert With The State Medical Examiner To Enter Into The National Missing And Unidentified Persons System All Unclaimed Human Remains Cases Within A Certain Amount Of Days; To Amend Section 41-39-5, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require Any Physician, Hospital, Funeral Director, Embalmer, County Medical Examiner Or Other Person Acquiring Possession Of Unidentified Human Remains To Submit The Remains To The State Medical Examiner And Not Subject The Remains To Cremation, Embalming Or Other Destructive Treatment; To Amend Section 45-6-7, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Revise The Board's Powers And Duties To Include Investigative Authority; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Prohibit Elected And Appointed State Officers From Visually Or Audibly Participating In Public Advertising That Has Been Funded, In Whole Or In Part, With Legislative Appropriations; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 41-26-23, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Extend The Timeframe During Which The State Department Of Health May Increase The Amount Of Fees For Water Quality Analysis And Related Activities As Required By The Federal Safe Drinking Water Act; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Create New Section 25-11-126.1, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide That Certain Persons Who Are Receiving A Retirement Allowance From The Public Employees' Retirement System Who Are Elected As A Member Of The Legislature After Retirement, And Certain Members Of The Legislature Who Are Eligible To Receive A Retirement Allowance From The Public Employees' Retirement System While Serving As A Member Of The Legislature, May Receive A Retirement Allowance From The System While Serving As A Member Of The Legislature; To Provide That Those Persons Shall Receive 50% Of The Amount Of The Compensation Provided For Each Regular Session And Each Extraordinary Session, Provided That The Person Serves As A Member Of The Legislature For A Period Of Time Not To Exceed One-half Of The Normal Working Days For The Position In Any Fiscal Year, Or Shall Receive Compensation For Serving As A Member Of The Legislature In An Amount Not To Exceed 25% Of The Person's Average Compensation, Without Any Limitation On The Period Of Time That The Person Serves As A Member Of The Legislature In A Fiscal Year; To Provide That Those Persons Shall Not Be Active Members Of The Retirement System Or The Supplemental Legislative Retirement Plan And Shall Not Receive Any Creditable Service For The Period During Which They Receive A Retirement Allowance While Serving As A Member Of The Legislature; To Amend Sections 25-11-105, 25-11-127, 25-11-305 And 5-1-41, Mississippi Code Of 1972, In Conformity To The Provisions Of This Act; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 67-1-5, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Revise The Definition Of The Term "qualified Resort Area" Under The Local Option Alcoholic Beverage Control Law; And For Related Purposes.

A Concurrent Resolution Proposing An Amendment To Section 33, Mississippi Constitution Of 1890, To Provide That The Legislature By General Law May Provide For A Citizen Initiative Procedure For Proposing Amendments To Mississippi Statutes.

An Act To Provide For The Scheduling Of School Extracurricular Activities To Promote Student Well-being And Safety; To Require Compliance With Specific Guidelines; To Mandate Reporting Of Noncompliance To The State Department Of Education And The Legislature; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 63-33-1, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Prohibit Texting While Driving And Making Infractions Thereof A Traffic Violation Rather Than A Civil Violation; To Impose A $100.00 Fine For Each Violation; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 37-19-7, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide For A $4,000.00 Increase To The Minimum Teacher Salary Scale; To Require A $1,000.00 Annual Salary Supplement To Be Paid To Special Education Teachers; To Amend Section 37-21-7, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Increase The Salaries Of Assistant Teachers; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 41-137-3, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Revise The Definition Of "qualifying Patient" To Include A Person For Whom A Practitioner Has Determined, After Conventional Treatment Options Have Proven Ineffective, That The Patient May Benefit From Medical Cannabis; To Amend Section 41-137-5, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Authorize Medical Cannabis Use By A Person Diagnosed By A Practitioner, With Whom The Person Has A Bona Fide Practitioner-patient Relationship Within His Or Her Scope Of Practice, As A Patient For Whom Other Conventional Treatment Options Have Proven Ineffective; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Be Known As The Teaching Honesty, Respect, Integrity, Virtue And Excellence (t.h.r.i.v.e.) Act; To Require The State Department Of Education To Mandate Developmentally Appropriate Success Sequence And Character Education Courses In All Public Elementary And Secondary Schools Beginning With The 2026-2027 School Year; To Require The Department To Approve A Ministerial, Nondiscretionary List Of Compliant Courses And Instructional Materials And Restrict Districts To Adoption From That Approved List; To Prescribe The Specific Success Sequence Principles And Enumerated Character Traits And Fundamental Values To Be Taught, Including Respect For Family, Marriage, Work, Personal Responsibility, Lawful Authority, Community Service, Patriotism, And Moral Character; To Require Local School Boards To Provide Public Notice Of Curriculum Adoption, Ensure Transparency Through Public Inspection Of Materials, And Establish Parental Opt-out Rights Without Penalty To Students; To Require Annual Compliance Reporting By The State Department Of Education To State Leadership And Public Disclosure Of District Compliance Status; To Authorize Acceptance Of Federal Or Private Funds To Assist Implementation; To Require Local School Boards To Adopt Policies Permitting Voluntary, Parent-consented After-school Instruction Programs Provided By Third Parties That Offer Philosophical, Historical, Traditional, Or Religious Justifications For The Success Sequence And Character Education Curriculum, Subject To Content Consistency And Viewpoint Neutrality Protections; To Authorize The State Department Of Education To Promulgate Rules Necessary For Implementation; To Provide For Codification In Chapter 13, Title 37, Mississippi Code Of 1972; To Establish Supremacy Over Conflicting State Laws Or Policies; To Provide Severability; To Set An Effective Date; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Provide For The Administrative Consolidation Of Certain Community And Junior College Districts, Effective July 1, 2027, Thereby Reducing The Number Of Community And Junior College Districts From 15 To Twelve 12; To Require The Consolidation Of The Coahoma Community College District Into The Mississippi Delta Community College District, With Coahoma Operating As The "coahoma Campus" Of Mississippi Delta Community College And With The Central Administrative Offices To Be Located In Clarksdale, Mississippi; To Require The Consolidation Of The Meridian Community College District Into The East Mississippi Community College District, With Meridian To Operate As The "meridian Campus" Of East Mississippi Community College And With The Central Administrative Offices To Be Located In Scooba, Mississippi; To Require The Consolidation Of The Southwest Mississippi Community College District Into The Copiah-lincoln Community College District, With Southwest Community College Campus To Operate As The "summit Campus" Of Copiah-lincoln Community College And With The Central Administrative Offices To Be Located In Wesson, Mississippi; To Provide For Successor Boards Of Trustees For Each Consolidated District, Including The Composition, Appointing Authorities, Initial Staggered Terms, Successor Terms, Qualifications And Filling Of Vacancies; To Require The Mississippi Community College Board To Provide Notice And Instructions To Affected Districts On Or Before December 31, 2026, And To Administratively Consolidate Any District That Fails To Voluntarily Comply By July 1, 2027; To Provide For The Abolition Of Former Boards Of Trustees And The Transfer Of All Real And Personal Property To The Successor Consolidated Districts; To Authorize The Successor Boards To Employ Personnel And Establish Contracts For The 2027-2028 School Year And Thereafter And To Prepare And Approve District Budgets; To Provide Limited Appeal Rights From Certain Successor Board Orders In The Same Manner As Appeals From County Board Of Supervisors Under Section 11-51-75; To Provide That No College Or Facility Shall Be Required To Close Except Unneeded Administrative Offices In Abolished Districts; To Authorize Rules And Regulations By The Mississippi Community College Board To Implement The Consolidation; To Amend Sections 37-29-31, 37-29-65, 37-29-451, 37-29-453, 37-29-455, 37-29-457, 37-29-459, 37-29-461, 37-29-463, 37-29-465, 37-29-467, 37-29-469, 37-29-471, 37-29-501, 37-29-503, 37-29-505, 37-29-507, 37-29-509, 37-29-511, 37-29-513, 37-29-515, 37-29-551, 37-29-553, 37-29-555, 37-29-557, 37-29-559, 37-29-561, 37-29-563, 37-29-565, 37-29-567, 37-29-569 And 37-29-571, Mississippi Code Of 1972, In Conformity To The Preceding Provisions; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 23-15-573, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Allow Individuals To Vote By Affidavit On Election Day, If The Individual Registered After The Thirty-day Qualifying Cutoff, But Before Election Day; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 37-19-7, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide A $2,000.00 Salary Supplement To Certain Special Education Teachers Who Provide Instruction To Special Needs Children In A Self-contained Classroom And Are Exposed To Those Children's Bodily Fluids; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 43-17-5, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Increase The Maximum Income And Resources Limits For Eligibility For Tanf Benefits; To Delete The Family Cap On The Receipt Of Tanf Benefits; To Delete The Mandatory Up-front Job Search For Tanf Applicants; To Delete The Requirement To Be In Compliance With The Drug Testing And Substance Use Disorder Treatment Requirements In Order To Receive Tanf Benefits; To Remove The Full Family Sanction For Refusal Of An Adult Or Caretaker Relative To Participate In Allowable Work Activity And Have The Sanction Apply Only To That Person; To Delete The Sanction For Permanent Disqualification For Tanf Benefits; To Provide That The Work Requirements For Tanf Recipients Shall Not Apply To Those Recipients Who Reside In Areas That Have A High Unemployment Rate Or Do Not Have A Sufficient Number Of Jobs To Provide Employment, And Shall Not Apply To Any Tanf Recipients During A Formal State Or Federal Declaration Of A Natural Disaster Or State Of Emergency; To Amend Section 43-12-35, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Conform The Sanction Provisions To Those In The Preceding Section; To Repeal Section 43-12-27, Mississippi Code Of 1972, Which Provides For A Family Cap On The Receipt Of Tanf Benefits; To Repeal Section 43-17-6, Mississippi Code Of 1972, Which Requires Applicants For And Recipients Of Tanf Benefits To Be Screened And Tested For Certain Drugs And Receive Treatment For Substance Use Disorders; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Create New Section 37-106-85, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Create The African-american Resident Physician Scholarship Program To Be Administered By The University Of Mississippi Medical Center For The Purpose Of Increasing The Number Of African-american Physicians That Provide Services In Underserved Municipalities Or Counties In Mississippi; To Require The University Of Mississippi Medical Center To Adopt Rules And Regulations To Administer The Program; To Provide For The Eligibility Of The Program; To Provide That Upon Entering The Practice Of Medicine, A Participant In The Program Must Serve In A Health Professional Shortage Area, Medically Underserved Area, Or Rural Area Otherwise Approved For Practice In Mississippi For At Least Five Years; To Require The Physician To Repay If They Do Not Fulfill Such Obligation; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Be Known As The "trust In Law Enforcement Act"; To Require The Office Of Standards And Training Within The Division Of Public Safety Planning In The Department Of Public Safety To Create A Searchable Database That Allows The Public To Access Information Regarding Law Enforcement Officers' Job Performance; To Require The Database To Be Published On The Website Of The Department Of Public Safety By January 1, 2027; To Specify Certain Information Relating To A Law Enforcement Officer's Conduct And Performance Which Must Be Included In The Database; To Authorize A Law Enforcement Officer To Request A Review Of Database Information Relating To The Officer; To Require Information In The Database To Be Accurate And Updated At Least Monthly; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Sections 71-3-13, 71-3-17, 71-3-21 And 71-3-25, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Increase The Maximum Total Compensation That A Person May Recover Under The Workers' Compensation Law To 520 Weeks; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 1, Chapter 445, Laws Of 2016, To Authorize The Department Of Finance And Administration To Defer The Recommendation Of The University Of Southern Mississippi For The Terms Of Sale As Approved By The Board Of Trustees Of State Institutions Of Higher Learning For Property Under The Possession And Control Of The University Of Southern Mississippi Which Has Been Authorized For Lease; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Bring Forward Sections 73-7-1 Through 73-7-37, Mississippi Code Of 1972, Which Create And Relate To The State Board Of Cosmetology And Barbering, For Purposes Of Possible Amendment; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Cap The Fees Homeowners Associations And Their Management Companies May Charge For Verifying Paid Assessments; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Establish The Mississippi Workforce Innovation Performance Loan Fund; To Create A Zero-interest, Performance-based Forgivable Loan Program To Support Innovative Workforce Training Initiatives; To Prescribe Eligibility, Loan Terms, Performance Metrics, And Forgiveness Provisions; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 99-5-7, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide That No Bail May Be Given By A Surety Company For A Defendant Charged With A Crime Of Violence Listed Under Section 97-3-2 Unless A Specific Finding Is Made By The Court That Allowing Such Will Reasonably Assure The Defendant's Appearance And Will Eliminate Or Minimize The Risk Of Harm To Others Or To The Public At Large; To Amend Sections 99-5-11 And 99-15-3, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Remove The Authority Of Justice Court Judges To Take Recognizance Or Bond Of A Person Charged With Any Felony Offense; To Amend Sections 99-15-5 And 99-33-13, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Conform; To Bring Forward Section 99-15-1, Mississippi Code Of 1972, For Possible Amendment; And For Related Purposes.

An Act Establishing The Mississippi Department Of Emergency Management Within The Executive Branch Of State Government In Order To House Emergency Management Sub-agencies, Units, And/or Offices Within State Government; To Assign Authorities To The Executive Director Of The Mississippi Department Of Emergency Management; To Establish The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency As An Office Of The Mississippi Department Of Emergency Management; To Transfer The Mississippi Emergency Communications Authority From Under The Purview Of The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency To An Office Under The Purview Of The Mississippi Department Of Emergency Management; To Establish An Office Of Administrative Services Within The Mississippi Department Of Emergency Management; To Amend Sections 33-15-2, 33-15-5, 33-15-7, 33-15-11, 33-15-14, 33-15-15, 33-15-19, 33-15-25, 33-15-31, 33-15-51, 33-15-53, 33-15-305, 33-15-307, 33-15-308, 33-15-309, 33-15-311, 33-15-313, 33-15-317, 33-15-401, 33-15-403, 19-5-383, 19-5-385, 19-5-387 And 19-5-393, Mississippi Code Of 1972, And To Codify Section 33-15-4, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Conform; And For Related Purposes.