SB 2849 Mississippi Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Economic development incentives; require agreements to secure employee freedom and privacy regarding unionization decisions.

SB 2849 (Mississippi) sets conditions for businesses receiving state economic development incentives. It requires employers to: (1) use secret ballot elections (via NLRB) instead of union authorization cards for union recognition, (2) not share employee contact information with unions without written consent, (3) avoid neutrality agreements with unions, and (4) not require subcontractors to violate these rules. These requirements apply only to incentive agreements signed on or after July 1, 2025, and the state may recover funds if violated. The bill died on calendar April 3, 2025, and never became law.
Bill status died 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Feb 2025
House Passage
Mar 2025
Governor
Introduced Feb 11, 2025 Last action Apr 3, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

As Introduced Current version · 8 edits
MODERATE
This bill establishes new requirements for employers receiving economic development incentives in Mississippi, prohibiting them from granting union recognition based solely on signed authorization cards when a secret ballot election is possible, requiring employee consent before sharing personal contact information with labor organizations, banning neutrality agreements with unions, and mandating that subcontractors also comply with these rules. The bill also creates a new enforcement mechanism allowing reports of violations to the Attorney General and requires the state to execute separate agreements with incentive recipients that reserve the right to recover funds if the recipient fails to comply.
Scope change
The bill applies prospectively to agreements executed on or after July 1, 2025, and excludes any agreements between the state and employers or between employers and labor organizations executed prior to that date.
REQUIREMENT

Employers receiving economic development incentives must not grant recognition rights based solely on signed union authorization cards when a secret ballot election by the NLRB is possible.

Employers must obtain employee prior written consent before voluntarily disclosing employee personal contact information to labor organizations or third parties acting on their behalf.

Employers must not sign neutrality agreements with labor organizations.

Employers must not require subcontractors performing work for or providing services to the employer to engage in the prohibited activities listed above.

Separate agreements must have a term of not less than the minimum term the state would require for incentives under $5 million, or 20 years for incentives of $5 million or more.

ENFORCEMENT

Added a new provision allowing persons or entities to report suspected violations to the Mississippi Attorney General, with the Attorney General required to investigate and potentially initiate proceedings to recover grant funds.

FISCAL

Requires the state to execute separate agreements with incentive recipients that reserve the right to recover monies disbursed if the recipient fails to comply with the act.

TIMELINE

The act applies prospectively to agreements executed on or after July 1, 2025, and excludes agreements executed prior to that date.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 10, 2025 · House Mar 10, 2025

How they voted

3514
Passed
Total votes 49
Feb 10, 2025
D Democratic15
1 Yea 14 Nay
93% Nay
R Republican34
34 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
23
Key actions
8
Committee
7
Amendments
1
Apr 2, 2025
Lower · Passed
Conference Report Adopted
lower
Apr 1, 2025
Upper · Passed
Conference Report Adopted
upper
Mar 31, 2025
Lower · Passed
Conference Report Filed
lower
Mar 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed As Amended
lower
Mar 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amended
lower
Mar 4, 2025
Lower · Passed
Title Suff Do Pass As Amended
lower
Feb 13, 2025
Committee
Referred To Business and Commerce;Ways and Means
lower
Feb 11, 2025
Introduced
Transmitted To House
upper
Feb 10, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
Feb 4, 2025
Upper · Passed
Title Suff Do Pass
upper
Jan 20, 2025
Committee
Referred To Labor;Finance
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Josh Harkins
Josh Harkins
RRepublican
MS
20