SB 2558 Mississippi Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Campaign finance; comprehensive reform of laws pertaining to.

SB 2558 updates Mississippi's campaign finance laws to increase transparency and restrict contributions. It requires candidates and political committees to file a "Statement of Organization" before accepting donations, mandates online public access to all campaign finance reports, and prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to state/local elections. The bill limits corporate political contributions to $1,000 annually and bans using campaign funds for personal expenses or civil penalties. Violations could trigger administrative fines, legal action by the Attorney General, or criminal penalties for foreign contribution violations. These changes directly affect candidates, political committees, corporations, and anyone involved in Mississippi's state and local election funding.

Bill status died 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 19, 2026 Last action Feb 12, 2026

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What changed between versions

As Introduced → Current version · 11 edits

MAJOR

This bill significantly overhauls Mississippi's campaign finance laws by strengthening transparency requirements, increasing penalties for violations, and closing loopholes that allowed corporate contributions and foreign nationals to influence elections. Key changes include requiring candidates to file organization statements before accepting any contributions, establishing a searchable online database for campaign reports, and imposing stricter limits on corporate political spending.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of campaign finance oversight to include all candidates and political committees regardless of office level, and extends reporting requirements to independent expenditures and loan disclosures that were previously less regulated.

REQUIREMENT

Candidates and political committees must file a statement of organization with the Secretary of State before accepting any contributions, regardless of amount

All campaign finance reports must be filed through a centralized online system maintained by the Secretary of State, searchable by the public

Candidates and committees must maintain detailed accounts of all contributions and expenditures, including loans and lines of credit, with records kept for four years

Foreign nationals are prohibited from making campaign contributions for constitutional amendments, ballot measures, or local elections, with penalties for violations

Candidates must disclose all loans and lines of credit, including cosigners, usage, and repayment terms

Personal use of campaign funds is now explicitly prohibited, including household expenses, mortgage payments, and family-related costs

DEFINITION

Definition of 'candidate' now includes individuals who file organization statements or have received contributions/expenditures over $200, even before officially qualifying for office

ENFORCEMENT

Secretary of State gains authority to impose administrative penalties up to $5,000 per violation for non-compliance, with escalating fines for repeat offenses

Penalties for willful violations increased, including potential fines up to $5,000 and imprisonment up to one year

FISCAL

Corporate political contributions limited to $1,000 per calendar year, with repeals of previous corporate contribution prohibitions

TIMELINE

Reporting deadlines and filing requirements updated to align with new online filing system and extended record retention periods

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

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Committee

Jan 29, 2026

Upper · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub

upper

Jan 19, 2026

Committee

Referred To Elections

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors