Healthcare (Healthcare Workforce) in Mississippi

died · Mississippi · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 59: Nurses; allow nurse practitioners and RNs to administer vitamins through IV therapy in a clinical setting.

HB 59, if passed, would allow Mississippi nurse practitioners and registered nurses (RNs) to administer vitamin-infused IV fluids for immune health support in clinical settings, without limits on the number of vitamins or requiring compound pharmacy preparation. This would directly affect healthcare providers and patients seeking IV vitamin therapy in clinics. The bill removed current restrictions that previously limited such administration. However, the bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Prescription Drugs

died · Mississippi · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 2193: Nurse practitioners; authorize to dispense legend drugs to patients.

SB 2193 amends Mississippi law to allow nurse practitioners (NPs) to dispense prescription medications (legend drugs) to their own patients, removing a prior restriction. This directly affects NPs who already hold prescriptive authority for non-controlled substances under existing rules. The key change explicitly permits NPs to dispense these medications without requiring a separate pharmacy relationship, while maintaining prohibitions on dispensing controlled substances (Schedules II-V) except as allowed under the Medical Cannabis Act. The bill died in committee in February 2026 and did not become law.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Prescription Drugs

died · Mississippi · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 1313: CRNAs; exempt from requirement for collaborative agreement after completion of certain practice hours.

HB 1313 exempts Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) who have completed at least 8,000 practice hours from needing a collaborative agreement with a physician or dentist. This directly affects CRNAs in Mississippi who meet the hour requirement, allowing them to practice independently without physician oversight. The bill also permits CRNAs to count hours worked before the law's effective date toward the 8,000-hour requirement. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce

died · Mississippi · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 648: Nursing; authorize Coast Guard Health Services Technicians to take exam to be licensed as an LPN.

HB 648 would allow U.S. Coast Guard Health Services Technicians who have completed their military training and two years of direct patient care experience to take Mississippi's Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) exam. This bill specifically adds Coast Guard Health Services Technicians to the list of military personnel eligible for LPN licensure under existing rules. It does not change other requirements like education or exams, but removes a barrier for these technicians seeking to work as LPNs in Mississippi. The bill was referred to committee but died there in February 2026.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Veterans

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Medical Licensing

died · Mississippi · House Mar 30, 2026

HB 1067: Rural Health Transformation Program; vendors and entities selected to provide goods and services under are subject to a competitive bidding process.

HB 1067 requires that vendors providing goods or services directly to the Mississippi state government through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) must undergo a competitive bidding process, excluding emergency purchases or exemptions. It exempts goods/services provided to subgrantees (like rural clinics or community health programs) via RHTP-funded grants from competitive bidding, but mandates priority selection for subgrantees in areas with high health needs - such as counties designated as health professional shortage areas, with high maternal mortality, low per capita income ($45,000 or less), or lacking hospital access. The bill also requires entities administering RHTP grants to be selected through competitive bidding and mandates quarterly legislative reports on fund distribution. This directly affects state agencies, healthcare providers, and rural communities receiving RHTP funding.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Hospitals

died · Mississippi · Senate Mar 3, 2026

SB 2446: Healing Outreach, Prevention and Education (HOPE) Act; enact to require nurse training on and reporting of suspected human trafficking.

SB 2446, the HOPE Act, requires Mississippi nurses applying for or renewing licenses to complete one hour of human trafficking training with a trauma-informed curriculum by January 1, 2027. It mandates nurses to report suspected trafficking involving minors to Child Protection Services and suspected cases involving adults to law enforcement only when a victim is in imminent danger, after confirming consent, or as legally required. The bill directly affects all nurses licensed under the Mississippi Board of Nursing, aiming to improve identification and response to trafficking. It does not change existing sex offender registration requirements for human trafficking convictions, which are covered under a separate amendment in Section 4.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Human Trafficking Law Enforcement Healthcare Workforce

died · Mississippi · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 2545: Advanced practice registered nurses; revise provisions related to APRNS/nurse anesthetists.

SB 2545 aimed to update Mississippi's nursing practice law to better integrate advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), including nurse anesthetists. Key provisions included exempting nurse anesthetists with 8,000+ clinical hours from needing a collaborative relationship with a physician, revising definitions of advanced nursing practice, adding a nurse anesthetist to the Board of Nursing, and updating disciplinary rules to include APRNs. The bill also allowed retroactive credit for clinical hours toward the 8,000-hour requirement. However, it died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce

died · Mississippi · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 2502: School-based clinics and school nurses; direct State Department of Education to establish minimum standards and salary schedule.

SB 2502 requires Mississippi public school districts to establish school-based clinics with at least one on-site nurse for every 750 students, beginning July 2026. It directs the State Department of Education to create minimum salary guidelines for school nurses based on their education and experience, which all districts must use when hiring. The bill also transfers administration of the school nurse program from the Department of Health to the Department of Education’s Office of Healthy Schools, standardizing clinic operations and nurse responsibilities. This directly affects school districts, nurses, and students by mandating consistent health services and compensation structures.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Student Health Healthcare Workforce Primary Care

died · Mississippi · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 236: African-American Resident Physician Scholarship Program; establish.

HB 236 establishes the African-American Resident Physician Scholarship Program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. It provides financial assistance to African-American medical residents to increase the number of Black physicians serving in Mississippi's underserved municipalities, counties, or rural areas. Participants must practice for at least five years in designated health professional shortage areas (HPSAs), medically underserved areas (MUAs), or approved rural locations; failure to fulfill this obligation requires full repayment of all scholarship funds received. The bill, which died in committee in February 2026, aims to address physician shortages in underserved communities through a service-based scholarship model.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce

died · Mississippi · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 311: CRNAs; not required to collaborate/consult with anesthesiologist during all phase of the anesthetic period.

HB 311 amends Mississippi law to remove a requirement that Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) must consult with or collaborate with a physician anesthesiologist throughout every stage of a patient's anesthesia care. The bill specifically changes Section 73-15-20 to clarify that CRNAs are not obligated to work with physician anesthesiologists during the entire anesthetic period, including pre-operative, intraoperative, and post-operative phases. It also states that physicians or dentists working with CRNAs do not need to have their own separate collaborative relationship with a physician anesthesiologist. This change directly affects CRNAs, their supervising physicians/dentists, and healthcare facilities in Mississippi where CRNAs provide anesthesia services.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce

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