Hate crimes; revise delineation of victim.

HB 1164 would have expanded Mississippi's hate crime laws by adding "gender identity" to the protected classes and including victims based on employment as law enforcement officers, firefighters, or emergency medical technicians. It required courts to hold separate sentencing hearings where a jury must find beyond reasonable doubt that the crime was motivated by the victim's protected status or employment. If proven, penalties could be doubled for imprisonment or fines. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and never became law.