Labor & Employment (Paid Leave) in Mississippi

died · Mississippi · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 1249: State employees; authorize to buy back leave time used while taking FMLA leave.

HB 1249 would allow Mississippi state employees to recover personal or medical leave they used to receive pay during federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave by repaying the amount they were paid. Employees would pay back the exact compensation received during that leave period, and their leave balance would be restored. The bill does not change FMLA leave rules but provides a specific process for restoring accrued leave time. If enacted, the policy would take effect on July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Paid Leave Public Employees

died · Mississippi · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 1555: Major Medical Leave; expand authorized purposes for the use of by state employees.

HB 1555 expands the reasons Mississippi state employees can use major medical leave. It adds new authorized purposes, including care for family members affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, as well as continuing treatment for chronic illnesses (with prior medical certification). The bill also clarifies that leave can cover preventive care for employees or family members. This change affects all eligible Mississippi state employees (excluding certain public university staff), allowing them to use leave for these specific health and safety-related needs without prior use of personal leave in some cases. The bill does not change accrual rates or eligibility requirements.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Primary Care Paid Leave Professional Licensing

died · Mississippi · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 1000: Mississippi Paid Family and Medical Leave Act; establish.

HB 1000 would establish Mississippi's first state-run paid family and medical leave program, providing eligible workers with partial wage replacement (up to 60-70% of average weekly wage) for up to 12 weeks annually to care for a newborn, adopted child, seriously ill family member, or address their own serious health condition. It would require employers to provide written notice about the program to employees and create a Family and Medical Leave Insurance Fund financed through premiums. The bill defines "covered individuals" as workers meeting specific earnings thresholds (e.g., $26x minimum benefit amount in their base period) and outlines benefits for medical leave, newborn/adoptive care, and military family needs ("qualifying exigency leave"). However, the bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Paid Leave

died · Mississippi · House Mar 3, 2026

HB 1084: Military leave for training; increase amount authorized.

HB 1084 increases the authorized military leave period for Mississippi state and local government employees who are members of reserve military units. It amends existing law to allow more than 30 days of paid leave for training, without loss of pay, annual leave, or job status. The bill requires employers to reinstate employees to their previous positions upon return from training, with protections against termination without cause for one year. This affects all officers and employees of state departments, counties, municipalities, or political subdivisions who serve in reserve components.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Veterans

Sub-Topics Paid Leave National Guard & Reserve

died · Mississippi · Senate Feb 12, 2026

SB 2424: Military leave; increase authorized days of paid military leave for public employees who are members of National Guard.

SB 2424 increases the authorized days of paid annual military leave for Mississippi public employees who are members of the National Guard. The bill amends Section 33-1-21 to raise the current 21-day limit for paid leave during military training, though the specific new number is not stated in the provided text. It directly affects state, county, municipal, and other public sector employees serving in the National Guard, ensuring they retain pay, leave accrual, and job protection during extended training. The change takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies to all qualifying public employers across Mississippi.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Veterans

Sub-Topics Paid Leave National Guard & Reserve Veteran Education Veteran Employment

died · Mississippi · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 537: State employees; authorize to use major medical leave for their mental health care or treatment.

HB 537, titled "State employees; authorize to use major medical leave for their mental health care or treatment," expands existing major medical leave policies to explicitly include mental health care. The bill allows all Mississippi state employees (excluding certain university staff) to use accrued major medical leave for treatment by psychiatrists, psychologists, or licensed counselors under the same rules that apply to physical health leave, including the requirement to first use personal leave for most absences. It specifies that leave for regular mental health appointments requires prior physician certification, mirroring existing provisions for chronic physical conditions. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and has not become law.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Mental Health Paid Leave Professional Licensing Public Employees

died · Mississippi · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 138: State employees; remove requirement to use one day of personal leave before using major medical leave.

HB 138 removes a requirement that Mississippi state employees must use one day of accrued personal leave (or take unpaid leave if they have none) before accessing major medical leave for serious health needs. This change directly affects all state employees covered under Mississippi's leave policies, including those with medical conditions requiring extended care. The bill modifies existing rules to allow employees to immediately use major medical leave without first exhausting personal leave days. It does not alter the accrual rates for either leave type or the eligibility criteria for medical leave. The policy change simplifies access to medical leave for employees and their immediate families during health crises.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Paid Leave

died · Mississippi · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 2423: Mississippi Sick and Safe Leave Act; enact.

Mississippi's SB 2423, the "Mississippi Sick and Safe Leave Act," would require most employers to provide employees with earned paid sick leave. Specifically, employees would accrue one hour of paid leave for every 30 hours worked, with a maximum of 40 hours per year, usable for personal health needs, caring for family members (as broadly defined), or addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. The bill prohibits retaliation against employees who use this leave and mandates employers to notify new hires about their rights under the law. Administered by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, the act establishes a baseline standard but allows employers to offer more generous policies.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Paid Leave

died · Mississippi · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 108: Minimum wage; establish at $10.00 and set requirements for exemptions and overtime.

This bill would establish a state minimum wage of $10.00 per hour for most Mississippi workers, requiring employers to pay tipped employees at least $3.62 per hour (with tips making up the difference to reach $10.00). It mandates overtime pay at 1.5x the regular rate for workers earning $684 or less weekly, including manual laborers, first responders, and many other frontline workers who would no longer be exempt. The bill also prohibits local cities or counties from setting their own minimum wage or paid leave requirements, centralizing these decisions at the state level. It does not apply to certain exempt roles like high-level managers or specialized professionals.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Minimum Wage Paid Leave

died · Mississippi · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 2136: Mississippi Paid Family and Medical Leave Act; enact.

SB 2136, the Mississippi Paid Family and Medical Leave Act, would require state employers to provide paid leave for eligible employees. It would offer six weeks (240 hours) of paid parental leave at 100% salary for primary caregivers of newborns or adopted children under 18, and two weeks (80 hours) of paid medical leave for serious health conditions or military family care. To qualify, employees must work full-time for 12+ consecutive months, and leave must be taken within 12 weeks of the qualifying event. The bill, which died in committee in February 2026, would have taken effect July 1, 2026, and required state agencies to report leave usage annually.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Paid Leave

All labor & employment bills