SB 3062 updates Mississippi's tax incentives for broadband infrastructure by raising minimum speed requirements and adding budget caps. It revises the definition of eligible equipment to require fixed broadband to meet current FCC speed benchmarks (instead of the previous 35 Mbps down/3 Mbps up standard) for property tax exemptions on equipment placed in service between 2025-2030. The bill also limits annual tax credits to $15 million total ($1.5 million per company) and prohibits credits if equipment costs were covered by federal BEAD program funds. These changes directly affect telecommunications companies deploying broadband in Mississippi's designated Tier areas (Tier One to Three), impacting their tax liability for qualifying equipment investments.
SB 2426 establishes Mississippi's Artificial Intelligence Regulation (AIR) Task Force to study AI risks, ethics, and policy needs. The task force, composed of seven voting members (including legislative co-chairs and agency directors) and advisory members from sectors like healthcare, education, and private business, must annually report findings to the legislature. It will evaluate AI use in state government, review privacy and bias concerns, assess economic impacts, and recommend regulatory approaches. The bill directly affects state agencies adopting AI tools and shapes future policy by requiring structured analysis of AI applications before potential regulation.
HB 1074 establishes a dedicated "Electronic Government Services Fund" within the State Treasury, allowing unspent funds to roll over annually instead of lapsing into the general fund. It expands the existing Electronic Government Oversight Committee to include additional state agency representatives and mandates a new procurement portal for vendors to access state buying opportunities, featuring a searchable database, FAQs, and links to agency websites. The bill requires the portal to link to Mississippi's Transparency website and ensures the Department of Information Technology Services provides administrative support, with expenses covered by state appropriations starting July 1, 2025. This bill directly affects state agencies managing digital services and vendors seeking to sell goods/services to the state government.
SB 2894 adds cybersecurity insurance to Mississippi's Insurance Guaranty Association (MIGA) coverage by defining it to include first- and third-party claims for data breaches, ransomware, and similar cyber incidents. The bill sets a $300,000 maximum payout per policy for all cyber claims arising from a single event, regardless of how many claims or claimants are involved. This affects Mississippi insurers offering cybersecurity coverage, policyholders with such policies, and the MIGA, which will handle claims if an insurer becomes insolvent. The law applies to claims filed under MIGA’s existing framework for insolvent insurers.
SB 2508 allows mortgage originators working for licensed companies to perform loan origination work remotely (e.g., from home or other off-site locations) under specific security and supervision rules. It requires mortgage companies to implement strict safeguards, including secure digital connections (like encrypted VPNs), annual security audits, breach reporting within three business days, and compliance with federal privacy laws like the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. The bill defines "remote location" and clarifies that remote work must follow company policies, with originators’ NMLS records designating the company’s main office as their registered location. This directly affects mortgage companies and their originators in Mississippi by expanding work locations while maintaining data security standards.
SB 2821, the "Law Enforcement Anti-Doxxing Act of 2025," exempts home addresses, phone numbers, and other private information of Mississippi law enforcement officers, judges, district attorneys, and their spouses or children from public disclosure under the state's public records law. Public bodies must redact this information from their records upon written or online request from affected individuals and provide a dedicated request form. The exemption does not apply to court transcripts, incident reports, or victim information, which remain public under existing rules. The law is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2025.
Mississippi's SB 2220, the "Mississippians' Right to Name, Likeness and Voice Act," establishes that every resident (living or deceased) has a property right in their name, likeness, and voice. It requires explicit consent for commercial use of these elements, especially for digital replicas created via AI or digital technology (like voice clones or image simulations), and sets penalties: $50,000 per violation for unauthorized digital cloning services and $5,000 for other unauthorized uses. The law allows heirs to enforce these rights for 10 years after death but requires written consent from individuals aged 18+ (or court-approved for minors) for new commercial uses. This bill directly affects all Mississippi residents and businesses or entities using personal identity commercially, particularly in digital advertising or media.
SB 2450 would allow Mississippi counties to use court fee funds for technology at public law libraries and courtrooms. Specifically, it permits spending on computers, software, legal research tools, internet access, and courtroom equipment like audio systems or digital evidence displays. Funding would come from additional court fees: $2.50 per case in chancery/circuit courts and $1.50 per case in justice courts. The bill aims to modernize legal resource access and court operations through technology, expanding existing library funding rules. (Note: This bill died in committee in March 2025 and did not become law.)
SB 2151 requires all Mississippi public school districts, charter schools, agricultural high schools, and specific state schools (like the Mississippi School for the Arts) to adopt and submit by January 1, 2026, policies banning or limiting student cell phone use during class or under staff supervision. Schools failing to comply face daily funding deductions under the state’s funding formula. Exceptions allow phone use during emergencies, for medically necessary reasons (as certified by a healthcare provider), or per a student’s special education plan. The bill also specifies that cell phone policy violations alone cannot justify suspension or expulsion, except as a final disciplinary step.
SB 2202 would criminalize sharing digitally altered or AI-generated images/audio (including deepfakes) depicting someone in intimate situations without their consent, when shared with intent to cause emotional, financial, or physical harm. It directly affects victims of non-consensual image sharing and perpetrators who create or disseminate such content, with penalties ranging from misdemeanors for under-21 offenders to felonies for adults (up to penalties similar to voyeurism laws). Key provisions include defining "digitization" broadly to cover AI tools, requiring intent to cause harm, and listing exceptions for law enforcement, journalism, and public exposure. The bill died in committee on March 4, 2025, and never became law.
