"Mississippi Second Chance Act"; enact.

HB 1517, the "Mississippi Second Chance Act," changes parole eligibility rules for certain incarcerated individuals in Mississippi. It reduces the required prison time for parole consideration: violent offenders (including robbery, drive-by shootings, and carjacking) become eligible after serving 50% of their sentence or 15 years, whichever is less, while murder convictions require 25 years for first-degree and 20 years for second-degree murder. Habitual offenders gain parole eligibility after 10 years of incarceration, and these changes apply retroactively to all affected individuals since July 1, 1995. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and does not alter sentencing but adjusts when parole eligibility is assessed.