Mississippi

An Act To Enact The "mississippi Act To Prohibit The Contamination Of Clean Soils With So-called Forever Chemicals"; To Define Relevant Terms; To Allow The Mississippi Air And Water Pollution Control Commission To Require Individuals Licensed To Discharge Wastewater To Sample The Wastewater And Report The Sample To The Commission; To Prohibit The Commission From Issuing New Licenses To Apply Or Spread Septage; To Allow The Commission To Revoke Licenses If Levels Of Perfluoroalkyl And Polyfluoroalkyl Exceed Acceptable Amounts; To Establish Parameters For The Application Or Spreading Of Sludge And Septage; To List Exceptions To The Parameters Established; To Require The Mississippi Air And Water Pollution Control Commission To Develop A Plan For Prohibiting The Land Application Of Septage; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Bring Forward Sections 7-7-1, 7-7-9, 25-53-151, And 27-104-33, Mississippi Code Of 1972, Which Are Within The Department Of Finance And Administration Administrative Rule Regarding Payments By Credit Card, Charge Card, Debit Card Or Other Electronic Payment Of Amounts Owed To State Agencies, For The Purpose Of Possible Amendment; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 19-25-73, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Remove A Certain Provision That Authorizes Counties To Charge Municipalities, Which Have Municipal Prisoners Housed At County Jails, At A Rate That Is Tied To The State Rate For The Housing Of State Inmates; To Provide That Such Removal Will Allow Counties And Municipalities To Negotiate The Costs For The Housing And Care Of Municipal Prisoners Held In County Jails; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Sections 37-13-80, 37-13-81, 37-13-83, 37-13-85, 37-13-87, 37-13-89, 37-13-91 And 37-13-107, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Revise The Names Of The Offices Of Dropout Prevention And Compulsory School Attendance To Reflect New Designations As The Office Of Student Success And Graduation And The Office Of Educational Participation, Respectively; To Assign The New Title To Individuals Who Served In The Role Of School Attendance Officers, To Now Being Referred To As Student Success And Graduation Coaches, And Their District Supervisors' Title Being Changed To Student Success And Graduation Regional Coordinators; To Revise The Minimum Salary Schedule For Student Success And Graduation Coaches Based On Education And Years Of Experience; To Revise Employment Qualifications For Student Success And Graduation Coaches; To Revise The Responsibilities And Duties Of Student Success And Graduation Coaches; To Bring Forward Section 37-13-92, Mississippi Code Of 1972, For Purposes Of Possible Amendment; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 43-13-117, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide That The Division Of Medicaid Shall Reimburse For Vagus Nerve Stimulation (vns) Surgical Implant Procedures Performed In Hospitals On An Outpatient Basis And In Ambulatory Surgical Facilities And To Prescribe The Rates Of Reimbursement; To Provide That Contracts Entered Into Or Renewed On Or After The Effective Date Of This Act Between The Division And A Managed Care Organization Must Contain A Requirement That The Managed Care Organization Comply With Provision Regarding Reimbursement Rates For Vns Surgical Implant Procedures For Fee-for-service Providers; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Be Known As The Mississippi Breastfeeding Support And Equity Act; To Amend Sections 41-135-1 And 41-135-3, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Revise The Legislative Findings And Intent And Definitions For The Purposes Of The Statutes Supporting And Promoting Breastfeeding; To Amend Section 41-135-5, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require Maternal Health Care Facilities To Adopt An Infant Feeding Policy That Supports And Promotes Breastfeeding; To Require Maternal Health Care Facilities To Provide Counseling To The Mother About Breastfeeding Before Discharge; To Amend Section 41-135-7, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require All Maternal Health Care Facilities To Post A Copy Of The "breastfeeding In Mississippi: Guidelines" Conspicuously In A Public Place On Their Premises; To Require That Those Guidelines Include Certain Statements; To Amend Section 41-135-9, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require The State Department Of Health To Provide The Video Prepared By The Department Which Contains Information About The Importance Of Breastfeeding Infants To Other State Agencies That Provide Benefits To Women Of Childbearing Age; To Create New Section 41-135-11, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require Employers To Provide Employees With A Reasonable Break Time And A Private Space To Express Milk During Work Hours; To Amend Section 17-25-9, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide That It Is A Misdemeanor For Any Person To Violate A Mother's Right To Breastfeed Her Child In Any Location Where She Is Otherwise Authorized To Be; To Amend Sections 43-20-31 And 71-1-55, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Conform To The Provisions Of This Act; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Direct The Mississippi Department Of Transportation To Prioritize Planning And Completion Of The United States Highway 25 Four-lane Bypass In Monroe County, Mississippi; To Require Reporting On Project Status, Cost Estimates, And Funding Options; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 63-3-615, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Revise The Provisions Of Law That Regulate Automobile Drivers When A Child Is Exiting Or Boarding A School Bus; To Amend Section 97-3-7, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Revise The Penalties For A Person Convicted Of Injuring A Child While The Child Is Exiting A School Bus; To Provide That The New Provisions Shall Be Named The "amiya Braxton Amendment"; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 23-15-11, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide That A Person Who Is Otherwise A Qualified Elector And Has Been Convicted Of Vote Fraud, Of Any Crime Listed In Section 241, Mississippi Constitution Of 1890, Or Of Any Crime Interpreted As Disenfranchising In Later Attorney General Opinions, Shall Have His Or Her Right To Vote Suspended Upon Conviction But Shall Have His Or Her Right To Vote Automatically Restored Once He Or She Has Satisfied All Of The Sentencing Requirements Of The Conviction; To Amend Sections 23-15-19, 23-15-125, 23-15-151, 23-15-153 And 23-15-165, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Conform To The Preceding Section; To Bring Forward Sections 97-39-3 And 99-19-37, Mississippi Code Of 1972, For The Purpose Of Possible Amendment; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Be Known And Cited As The "mississippi Special-purpose Schools Oversight Act Of 2026"; To Declare The Legislative Purpose Of Improving Academic, Literacy, And Workforce Outcomes For Neurodivergent Students And Students With Specific Learning Differences Through Targeted Remediation And Early Intervention; To Recognize The Role Of Accredited Special-purpose Schools In Serving Students With Dyslexia, Adhd, Autism Spectrum Disorder, And Related Learning Disabilities; To Create The Mississippi Special-purpose Schools Oversight Board As An Independent Board Of Record Under The State Department Of Education For Administrative Purposes Only; To Prescribe The Board's Composition, Appointment Authority, Geographic Representation, Professional Qualifications, Terms Of Office, Organization, And Limitations On Consecutive Service; To Vest The Board With Final Authority Over The Authorization, Reauthorization, And Accreditation Of Special-purpose Schools, Subject Only To Judicial Review; To Enumerate The Powers And Duties Of The Board, Including Establishing Standards For Measurable Student Growth, Remediation Effectiveness, Progress Monitoring, Reintegration Into General Education, Data Collaboration With The Mississippi Student Information System, Advisory Responsibilities To The Legislature And State Department Of Education, And Annual Reporting Requirements; To Authorize The Board To Promulgate Rules And Regulations Pursuant To The Mississippi Administrative Procedures Act; To Require The State Department Of Education To Provide Administrative And Logistical Support While Preserving The Board's Independent Decision-making Authority; To Provide For Funding Through Legislative Appropriations And Other Lawful Sources, Including Grants And Federal Funds; To Authorize The Employment Of An Executive Director And Necessary Staff And To Provide For Compensation, Per Diem, And Travel Reimbursement Of Board Members; To Establish An Effective Date; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Create The "mississippi False Claims Act"; To Prohibit Any Person From Knowingly Presenting, Or Causing To Be Presented, A False Or Fraudulent Claim For Payment Or Approval To A State Agency Or Any Employee Or Agent Of A State Agency; To Require State Agencies To Diligently Investigate Suspected Violations Of The Act; To Authorize Civil Action By A Qui Tam Plaintiff; To Provide For A Monetary Award To The Qui Tam Plaintiff Out Of The Proceeds Of The Action Or Settlement, If Any; To Bar Certain Civil Actions; To Provide A Statute Of Limitations For Bringing A Civil Action Under The Act; To Prohibit Employer Interference With Employee Disclosure; To Provide That The Remedies Provided In The Act Are Not Exclusive And Shall Be In Addition To Any Other Remedies Provided By Law; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 43-13-121, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Direct The Division Of Medicaid To Apply For Necessary Waivers And Expend Funds Appropriated As Necessary To Provide Home- And Community-based Services To Persons Who Are Aged/disabled, Physically Disabled Or Recipients With Traumatic Brain Injury/spinal Cord Injury, To Eliminate Any Waiting Period For Services; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Create A New Section To Provide That No Contract For Private Incarceration Shall Be Entered Into By The Department Of Corrections For The Private Incarceration Of State Offenders Unless The Department First Utilizes All Regional Correctional Facilities For The Housing Of Such Offenders; To Provide That Contracts May Only Be Entered Into By The Department For The Private Incarceration Of State Offenders Once An Eighty Percent Capacity Rate Has Been Reached For The Housing Of State Offenders In All Regional Correctional Facilities; To Amend Sections 47-4-1, 47-4-11, 47-5-941, 47-5-943, 47-5-1211 And 47-5-1213, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Conform To The Preceding Section; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 3-3-7, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Exclusively Recognize Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday On The Third Monday Of January; To Remove Robert E. Lee's Birthday As A Legal State Holiday; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Make Certain Legislative Findings Relating To Mississippi's Unemployment Insurance Program And Benefit Duration; To Amend Section 71-5-507, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Revise The Maximum Number Of Weekly Unemployment Benefits An Individual May Receive By Aligning The Duration With The Statewide Unemployment Rate; To Utilize The Average, Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rate For The State For The Three Months Preceding The Month Of An Individual's First Claim To Determine The Individual's Maximum Number Of Weekly Benefits Available; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 93-5-24, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Create A Rebuttable Presumption In Favor Of Joint Custody With Equal Parenting Time In All Custody Matters; To Provide That The Presumption Shall Be Rebuttable By A Preponderance Of The Evidence; To Provide That A Court Shall Consider The Safety And Well-being Of The Parties And Children; To Provide That The Presumption That Joint Custody And Equally Shared Parenting Time Is In The Best Interest Of The Child Shall Not Apply If A Domestic Abuse Protection Order Is Being Or Has Been Entered Against A Party By Another Party Or On Behalf Of A Child At Issue In The Custody Hearing; To Require A Court To Document The Reasons From Deviating From The Presumption Unless Both Parents Petition For A Deviation; To Clarify That This Section Shall Apply To All Custody Determinations; To Provide For The Calculation Of Child Support Where The Court Awards Joint Custody With Equally Shared Parenting Time; To Amend Section 43-19-101, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Conform; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 97-15-30, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Increase The Penalties For Illegally Dumping Solid Waste Material; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Bring Forward Section 73-21-151 Through 73-21-163, Mississippi Code Of 1972, Which Are The Pharmacy Benefit Prompt Pay Act, For The Purpose Of Possible Amendment; To Bring Forward Sections 83-18-1 Through 83-18-29, Mississippi Code Of 1972, Which License Insurance Administrators, For The Purpose Of Possible Amendment; To Bring Forward Sections 83-18-101 Through 83-18-111, Mississippi Code Of 1972, Which Are The Managing General Agents Act, For The Purpose Of Possible Amendment; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Create New Section 43-17-41, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide That The Department Of Human Services Shall Set Aside A Certain Amount Of The Monies Received By The State Under The Federal Temporary Assistance For Needy Families Block Grant During Each Fiscal Year To Fund Grants To Nonprofit Organizations Specifically Working With Military Or First Responder Families, Or Both, To Provide Marriage Counseling, Preparation And Support; To Amend Section 43-17-5, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Conform To The Preceding Provision; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Provide An Alternative Form Of Notice That May Be Used By Persons That Have Purchased Land At A Tax Sale And Hold A Tax Lien Certificate For The Sale To Serve Notice Upon The Property Owner And All Interested Parties Of Public Record; To Provide Criteria For The Form Of Notice Authorized By This Act; To Bring Forward Sections 27-43-1, 27-43-3, 27-43-5, 27-43-7, 27-43-9 And 27-43-11, Mississippi Code Of 1972, Which Are Sections Of Law That Relate Notice Of Sale For Land Sold For Nonpayment Of Ad Valorem Taxes, For The Purposes Of Possible Amendment; To Bring Forward Sections 27-45-23 And 27-45-27, Which Relate To Redemption Of Land Sold For Nonpayment Of Ad Valorem Taxes, For The Purposes Of Possible Amendment; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 57-39-39, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Insert Legislative Findings; To Create The Mississippi Energy Infrastructure Fund; To Define Terms; To Provide For Uses Of The Funds; To Authorize The Mississippi Development Authority To Make Grants, Loans Or Provide Any Other Financial Assistance; To Require Any Local Entity Desiring A Grant, Loan Or Other Financial Assistance To Submit An Application; To Prescribe Application Requirements; To Require The Authority To Determine Whether The Project Meets The Definition Of An Approved Project And Whether To Provide The Assistance Requested In The Form Of A Grant, Loan Or Other Financial Assistance; To Grant The Mississippi Development Authority Sole Discretion In Providing Grants, Loans Or Providing Other Financial Assistance; To Exempt Certain Contracts From The Provisions Of Section 37-7-13; To Provide Limited Exceptions To The Provisions Of Section 31-7-13; To Prohibit An Electric Utility Provider From Being Considered Eligible To Be A Direct Recipient Of Funding; To Require The Mississippi Development Authority To Promulgate Rules And Regulations; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Grant The Mississippi Department Of Environmental Quality Authority To Adopt Regulations Concerning The Placement Of Large Solar Panels; To Amend Section 49-2-9, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Conform; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Prohibit Any Circuit Court Judge From Providing An Opportunity For Any Political Candidate To Address The Public During Court Terms; To Amend Section 23-15-973, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Prohibit Any Circuit Court Judge From Providing An Opportunity For Any Candidate For Supreme Court, Court Of Appeals, Chancellor Or Circuit Judge To Address The Public During Court Terms; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Create A Hazard Pay For Essential Health Care Workers Grant Program, To Be Administered By The State Department Of Health, To Provide $1,500 In Premium Pay For Essential Health Care Workers Who Perform Jobs In Public Settings That Subject Them To An Elevated Risk Of Exposure To Covid-19; To Define Certain Terms; To Require The Department To Establish A Procedure For Employers Of Essential Health Care Workers To Apply For Grant Funds; To Require The Department To Submit An Annual Report On The Program To The Legislative Budget Committee; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 59-21-81, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Increase From Twelve To Eighteen The Minimum Age For A Person Who Is Required To Wear A Coast Guard Approved Personal Flotation Device While On Board Certain Motorboats, Sailboats Or Vessels; To Amend Section 59-21-153, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Increase From $250.00 To $500.00 The Maximum Penalty For Violations Of The Mississippi Boating Law; And For Related Purposes.