HB 1613 revises Mississippi's aggravated drug trafficking penalties by setting 200 or more "dosage units" as the minimum quantity triggering the most severe penalties. It directly affects individuals convicted of trafficking controlled substances (including marijuana and synthetic cannabinoids) who possess or distribute quantities meeting or exceeding this threshold. The key change replaces previous weight-based thresholds (e.g., grams) with a standardized dosage unit metric (e.g., one pill or 1ml liquid) across all drug schedules to define "aggravated" trafficking. This updates sentencing tiers, making possession of 200+ dosage units subject to higher mandatory prison terms and fines under Section 41-29-139.
HB 1625 requires businesses operating cash-to-virtual-currency kiosks in Mississippi to obtain a license under the state's Money Transmission Modernization Act. The bill mandates that kiosk operators provide clear written disclosures about transaction risks, issue receipts to customers, and adhere to daily transaction and fee limits. It defines key terms like "virtual currency kiosk" (stand-alone machines for cash-to-virtual-currency exchanges) and "operator" (businesses managing such kiosks), while prohibiting misleading signage like "ATM." The law directly affects kiosk operators by bringing their activities under existing money transmitter regulations, without altering consumer access to virtual currency services.
HB 1637 creates a Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Panel within Mississippi's State Department of Health to examine fetal deaths and infant deaths under one year old and develop prevention strategies. The panel must collect data from medical examiners, hospitals, health departments, and providers on causes and demographics of infant deaths, then submit annual reports to legislative committees with recommendations for state resource allocation. The bill requires health facilities to provide medical records to the panel while protecting all panel data as confidential, exempting it from public records laws and court disclosure. This affects healthcare providers, health departments, and state agencies responsible for sharing mortality data.
HB 1662 creates a rebuttable presumption in Mississippi that joint custody with equal parenting time is in a child's best interest for all custody cases. It requires courts to justify deviations from this presumption with strong evidence and document their reasons, unless both parents agree to a deviation. The bill also standardizes child support calculations for joint custody cases and defines key terms like "joint physical custody" (significant time with each parent) and "joint legal custody" (shared decision-making). This applies to every custody determination in Mississippi, including cases involving family violence history, where specific rebuttal standards apply.
HB 1393 creates the Mississippi Energy Infrastructure Fund in the state treasury to support energy-related projects that boost economic development. The fund provides grants, loans, or financial assistance to local entities (like counties, municipalities, or economic development groups) for approved projects, such as expanding transmission lines, pipelines, or facilities that improve energy infrastructure. Projects must demonstrate significant regional impact or enhance economic development sites, and electric utilities cannot directly receive funding. The Mississippi Development Authority administers the fund, sets application requirements, and has sole discretion to approve assistance based on project eligibility.
SB 2103 removes a requirement in Mississippi law that professional school counselors must spend at least 80% of their time delivering services "as outlined by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Code of Ethics." The bill specifically deletes this provision from Section 37-9-79 of the Mississippi Code, which currently governs counselor duties. This change directly affects all K-12 professional school counselors in Mississippi public schools by eliminating the specific reference to the ASCA Code of Ethics in their service delivery requirements. The bill does not alter other counselor qualifications or service requirements outlined in the same section.
HB 925, the CLEAR Act, creates a Peer Committee to review newly adopted state agency rules and report to the legislature on whether they align with the original law's intent. It requires annual reports on up to 30 rules per year (starting at 15 in year one) and mandates a triennial evaluation of Mississippi's Medicaid non-emergency transportation program to identify cost-effective service delivery. The bill also establishes a State Board of Health Professions to coordinate health regulatory boards, assess coordination needs, evaluate regulated professions, and resolve practice conflicts. These provisions aim to improve state agency accountability and efficiency through structured oversight and interagency collaboration.
SB 2637 amends Mississippi law to specify that the Northeast District livestock show may be held anywhere within its 18-county area (including Alcorn, Benton, Lee, and others), removing any prior requirement for a specific host city. This directly affects livestock show organizers and county officials in the Northeast District by providing clear flexibility for event planning. The key provision changes Section 69-5-103 to explicitly state the show must be held "within the Northeast District," aligning with current practice but formalizing the location flexibility. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 939 extends the expiration date of Mississippi's Length-of-Service Award Program (LOSAP), which provides paid service awards to volunteer firefighters. The bill delays the program's sunset date beyond July 1, 2029 (currently specified in the law), ensuring continued funding for the program. LOSAP awards, capped at $500 annually per eligible volunteer firefighter, are designed to recruit and retain active volunteer fire department members who meet registration requirements. The program is administered by a board including the Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Coordinator, with funds held in a state treasury special fund. This extension directly affects volunteer firefighters in Mississippi who qualify under the program's existing rules.
HB 1772 extends the repeal dates for specific Mississippi laws establishing the Department of Human Services (DHS). It delays the sunset of Sections 43-1-1, 43-1-2, and 43-1-3 (among others) from July 1, 2029, to a later date specified in the bill. The bill directly affects the DHS structure, maintaining its current legal framework, including the Executive Director's role, oversight committee, and operational authority. This is a procedural adjustment to prevent automatic repeal of these foundational DHS statutes, with no new policy changes or program modifications.
HB 1761 extends the expiration dates for several Mississippi laws governing festival wine permits. The bill amends specific code sections to delay when provisions allowing the Department of Revenue to issue these permits, permit holders to sell alcohol under certain conditions, and businesses to have financial interests in the permits would automatically expire. It also extends the deadline for an annual tax on festival permits. This change directly affects businesses holding festival wine permits and the Department of Revenue, ensuring they can continue operating under current rules without immediate disruption. The bill maintains the existing framework for festival wine permits without altering their core requirements.
SB 2747, the Mississippi Transparency in Consumer Legal Funding Act, regulates companies that provide advance payments to people with legal claims (like personal injury cases) in exchange for a share of future settlement proceeds. It requires these contracts to be written in plain language, include a 10-day right to cancel without penalty, and contain specific disclosures about fees. The law also prohibits prepayment penalties, bans attorneys from having financial ties to funding companies they refer clients to, and mandates that all funding companies register with the Secretary of State. This directly affects consumers using legal funding, the companies offering it, and attorneys handling such cases in Mississippi.
