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.
SB 2443 proposed establishing Mississippi's Technology Innovation Fund to support government technology projects. The fund would provide grants and other support to state agencies, schools, nonprofits, and private companies partnering with government to develop digital solutions for improving public services, cybersecurity, and efficiency. Recipients would need to report progress to the state's Chief Information Officer, who would also submit annual reports to the Governor and Legislature. However, the bill died in committee on March 4, 2025, and did not become law.
SB 2059, the "Artificial Intelligence in Education Task Force Act," proposes establishing a 12-member task force to study AI's potential in Mississippi K-12 education and develop policy recommendations. The task force, appointed by state leaders and including education, tech, ethics, and industry experts, would evaluate AI applications, assess privacy/ethics concerns, and recommend guidelines for student/teacher use, curriculum integration, and data privacy. It would submit interim reports by November 2025 and a final report by December 2025 to state leaders. The bill died in committee on March 4, 2025, and never became law.
SB 2535, the "MS Future Innovators Act," would require all Mississippi public high school students to earn one credit in a computer science course or a career and technical education (CTE) course with embedded computer science before graduation, starting with the 2027-2028 ninth-grade class. The bill mandates that these courses include instruction on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), covering what AI is, how it works, and its societal impact. It allows these courses to fulfill specific graduation requirements without increasing the total required credits. The bill died in committee on March 4, 2025, and is not currently law.
SB 2471 limits liability for government entities (like counties and municipalities) and commercial businesses if they adopt cybersecurity programs aligned with nationally recognized standards, such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. It creates a "rebuttable presumption" against liability for compliant entities, meaning plaintiffs must prove non-compliance with these standards to override the protection. The law requires documentation of compliance and shifts the burden of proof to the plaintiff in lawsuits, though it does not create new private lawsuits for non-compliance. This bill applies to entities handling personal information and takes effect July 1, 2025.
