Office of Independent State Hearing Officers; create to hear and decide matters for persons as alternative to agency hearing officers.

HB 415 creates an independent Office of State Hearing Officers to provide an alternative to state agency hearing officers for individuals or entities facing disputes with Mississippi state agencies. The office, led by a governor-appointed director and staffed by at least five contracted hearing officers, allows people to choose this independent body instead of the agency’s own hearing officer for their case. Decisions from the office can be appealed to a panel of three independent hearing officers, with final decisions subject to judicial review in court for limited legal grounds like lack of evidence or constitutional violations.