Technology

died · Mississippi · Senate Feb 13, 2025

SB 2578: Mississippi Public Records Act; exempt text messages unless messages are related to the business of the public body.

SB 2578 would exempt text messages (including SMS, MMS, and RCS) sent or received on personal phones from Mississippi's public records requirements, unless the messages relate to public business. It specifically applies to messages prepared for, used by, received by, or controlled by public officials or government agencies. The exemption would cover personal device communications about non-government matters, but messages concerning official duties would still be subject to public disclosure. This bill, if enacted, would change how government communications on personal devices are handled under Mississippi's transparency laws.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyExempts personal text messages from public records unless related to government business, protecting data privacy for non-official communications on personal devices.85% confidence

Tags Government Transparency

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died · Mississippi · House Feb 26, 2025

HB 217: Helping Mississippians Afford Broadband Act; create.

HB 217 creates the "Helping Mississippians Afford Broadband Act," appropriating $100 million from Mississippi's Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund to help eligible households afford broadband. It directly affects households already approved for federal Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) or Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) benefits, providing up to $15 monthly in financial assistance paid directly to broadband providers to lower household costs. The program requires the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services to administer the assistance with oversight from the Wireless Communication Commission, focusing on ensuring support reaches underserved communities.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $100M from state recovery fund to fund broadband assistance for low-income households, advancing public service funding through targeted budget allocation.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyAllocates $100M to subsidize broadband costs for low-income households, expanding internet access and promoting digital equity.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Broadband Access Telecommunications

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died · Mississippi · House Mar 4, 2025

HB 960: Telemedicine services; extend repealer on requirement that insurance plans in MS provide coverage for.

HB 960 extends the requirement that health insurance plans and employer health benefit plans in Mississippi cover telemedicine services (like virtual doctor visits) at the same level as in-person care, keeping this policy in effect beyond July 1, 2028. The bill ensures patients pay no more for telemedicine than for in-person visits (same deductibles, co-pays, and coinsurance) and requires out-of-network telemedicine providers to be reimbursed at the same rate as out-of-network in-person providers. It also specifies billing procedures for telemedicine services using correct medical codes and clarifies that the requirement does not change medical care standards for telemedicine.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExtends insurance coverage requirement for telemedicine at parity with in-person care, ensuring equal cost-sharing and access - directly advancing patient access and coverage under healthcare policy.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill extends insurance coverage for telemedicine (a technology) at same rate as in-person care, removing financial barriers and promoting adoption of telemedicine services.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Telehealth

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died · Mississippi · House Mar 4, 2025

HB 1621: CTE; remove stipulation that only certain programs leading to industry certification are considered for the statewide accountability system and diploma endorsements.

HB 1621 removes a restriction preventing Mississippi school districts from using Career and Technical Education (CTE) grant funds to purchase equipment for programs leading to industry certifications. It also eliminates a prohibition on using these grants to replace regular operating funds for CTE programs. The bill expands how CTE grant money can be used - specifically for equipment, exam fees, and teacher training - to support programs earning "qualifying industry certifications" (those tied to high-demand jobs or meeting wage standards). This directly affects Mississippi public schools and students enrolled in CTE programs seeking industry credentials. The bill died in committee in March 2025 and did not become law.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRemoves restrictions on CTE grant funding for equipment, exam fees, and teacher training, expanding program support and access for industry certification programs in education.92% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyExpands CTE funding for tech industry certifications (e.g., cybersecurity, IT), promoting workforce development in technology fields per subject areas.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Teachers

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died · Mississippi · Senate Mar 4, 2025

SB 2821: Law Enforcement Anti-Doxxing Act of 2025; exempt certain private information from the MS Public Records Act.

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.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyExempts law enforcement personal data from public records, directly protecting data privacy under Technology policies.90% confidence

Tags Government Transparency

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died · Mississippi · Senate Mar 4, 2025

SB 2450: County law library; authorize use of money for technological purposes.

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.)

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill allocates court fees to fund internet access, computers, and digital tools in public law libraries and courtrooms, directly advancing technology access for legal services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Broadband Access

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died · Mississippi · House Mar 18, 2025

HB 1903: Taxation; revise various tax credits and exemptions.

HB 1903 increases tax credits for businesses donating to specific charitable organizations focused on child welfare, youth education, and workforce development. It raises the annual limit on credits for these contributions and allows unused credits to carry forward for five years. The bill also extends deadlines for broadband infrastructure tax credits until 2029 and clarifies equipment eligibility for property tax exemptions related to broadband deployment. These changes directly affect Mississippi businesses making qualifying donations or investing in broadband technology.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases business tax credits for charitable donations in child welfare/youth education, expands credit limits, and extends broadband tax incentives - directly strengthening tax policy to fund public service priorities.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill explicitly targets tax credits for donations to workforce development charities, directly advancing employment-related programs through business incentives.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyExtends broadband tax credits until 2029 and clarifies equipment eligibility, directly supporting broadband infrastructure deployment and expansion.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Workforce Development Broadband Access

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signed · Mississippi · House Mar 18, 2025

HB 1074: Electronic Government Services Fund and Electronic Government Oversight Committee; bring forward sections that created.

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates dedicated fund with annual rollover, preventing fund lapsing and promoting fiscal responsibility in budget management per appropriations focus.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyEstablishes dedicated fund for electronic government services and mandates digital procurement portal, advancing tech infrastructure and vendor access.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Procurement Digital Government

died · Mississippi · House Mar 29, 2025

HB 1239: Data center enterprises; revise certain definitions and other provisions relating to tax exemptions.

HB 1239 revises Mississippi's tax exemption rules for data center enterprises, targeting businesses investing at least $500 million and creating 50+ new jobs paying 125% of the state average wage. It requires detailed applications to the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) outlining project plans, job creation timelines, and annual compliance documentation. Approved businesses receive a 10-year exemption from specified state taxes (sales, use, franchise, and electricity taxes), but must maintain performance commitments or face forfeiture after a 60-day remedy period for noncompliance. The bill explicitly excludes digital asset mining operations from eligibility and sets an expiration date of June 30, 2025.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill grants 10-year tax exemptions (sales, use, franchise, electricity) to data centers, reducing state tax revenue and weakening the tax base for Budget & Taxes.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates 125% state average wage for new jobs (exceeding minimum wage), requiring higher compensation as condition for tax exemption, directly advancing wage standards.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyTax exemptions incentivize data center investment, advancing tech infrastructure and economic growth in the technology sector.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Incentives

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died · Mississippi · House Mar 31, 2025

HB 1380: Cybersecurity; governmental and certain commercial entities substantially complying with standards not liable for incidents relating to.

HB 1380 protects Mississippi state/local governments and commercial entities (like businesses handling personal data) from lawsuits related to cybersecurity incidents if they follow specific, nationally recognized security standards. The bill requires these entities to adopt cybersecurity programs aligned with frameworks such as NIST, HIPAA, or ISO 27000, creating a strong legal defense against liability claims. It establishes that compliance with these standards is presumed valid unless a plaintiff proves otherwise with clear evidence. This law directly affects organizations managing sensitive data by reducing legal risks tied to data breaches while mandating adherence to established security practices. The protection applies to covered entities starting January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyProtects entities from liability when following NIST/ISO cybersecurity standards, incentivizing stronger security adoption per bill's liability shield provision90% confidence

Sub-Topics Cybersecurity Data Privacy

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