Rep. Josh Hawkins

Maddy summaryThis bill is a House resolution that formally commends and congratulates the Lafayette County High School Commodores baseball team for winning the 2025 Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A State Championship. The resolution recognizes the team's victory in the championship series, highlights the contributions of individual players and coaches, and acknowledges the support received from the school administration, parents, and community. It serves as an official record of the legislature's recognition of the team's athletic achievement and expresses wishes for their continued success.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a House Resolution that formally congratulates the South Panola High School Tigers Junior Varsity Cheerleading Team for winning their first UCA National Cheer Championship. The resolution recognizes the team's historic achievement at the competition held in Orlando, Florida, and acknowledges the contributions of the coaches and school community. It also notes the varsity team's strong performance in the national competition. The measure is ceremonial and does not create new laws or change existing policies.

Maddy summaryHB 1117, the "Creating Transparency and Accountability in Dental Services Act," requires dental insurance companies (dental carriers) to calculate and annually report their dental loss ratio (DLR) - the percentage of premium dollars spent directly on patient dental care versus administrative costs. Dental carriers must file these reports by June 30 each year, detailing how much was spent on clinical services, unpaid claims, and recovered payments, while excluding overhead like staff salaries or network development. The Commissioner of Insurance will make these reports publicly accessible on the department's website by December 1 each year and submit aggregated data to the Insurance Committees. This applies to all dental health plans sold in Mississippi but excludes Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program, and other state-sponsored plans.

Maddy summaryHB 1402 designates a one-mile segment of Mississippi Highway 537 in Yazoo County as the "Colonel Donnell Berry Memorial Highway" to honor Colonel Donnell Berry. The Mississippi Department of Transportation will install and maintain signage along this highway segment. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2026. This is a commemorative designation with no policy or funding changes.

Maddy summaryHB 1392 creates a new Fire Grant Fund to help Mississippi counties and municipalities purchase fire trucks, equipment, and implement fire safety programs. It requires the State Fire Marshal and Mississippi State Rating Bureau to adopt Insurance Services Office (ISO) standards for fire trucks, preventing mandatory retirement based solely on calendar age if trucks have proper maintenance and pass safety inspections. Existing funds from rural fire truck programs (Rural Fire Truck Fund, Supplementary Rural Fire Truck Fund, and Annual Fire Fund) will be transferred into the new grant fund, which will be managed by the Department of Finance and Administration. Grants will be awarded using a points system that prioritizes communities with current fire safety plans and prior grant applications, with up to 90% funding for first-time applicants.

Maddy summaryHB 999 establishes the Mississippi Parkinson's Disease Research Registry within the State Department of Health to track the incidence and prevalence of Parkinson's disease and related conditions (Parkinsonisms) across the state. It requires movement disorder centers and certified healthcare providers treating these conditions to submit patient data to the registry starting January 1, 2027, with patients able to opt out of data collection. The registry will collect epidemiological data while keeping all information confidential, and the Department must make anonymized data available to approved researchers. The bill also mandates public website updates, annual reports to health committees, and requires the State Health Officer to appoint an advisory committee with patient and medical expertise to guide the registry.

Maddy summaryHB 4009 exempts admissions charged for athletic games or contests between universities or colleges from Mississippi's 7% sales tax. This directly affects colleges and universities that charge admission to intercollegiate sporting events. The bill amends Mississippi's tax code to explicitly include these admissions under the existing exemption listed in Section 27-65-22(3)(c), removing them from the standard sales tax calculation. The change applies only to admissions for games between educational institutions, not to professional sports or other event types covered under separate exemptions.

Maddy summaryHB 865 would reclassify kratom as a Schedule III controlled substance under Mississippi's Uniform Controlled Substances Law, removing it from its current unregulated status. This change would allow kratom to be prescribed by doctors for medical use (as Schedule III substances have accepted medical uses) while still requiring prescriptions and regulating its distribution. The bill directly affects Mississippi residents who use kratom, pharmacies dispensing it, and law enforcement handling related cases. Note: The bill title incorrectly references marijuana; this bill specifically addresses kratom, not cannabis.

Maddy summaryHB 1096 regulates nonconsensual towing of personal vehicles in Mississippi, affecting towing companies, law enforcement, and vehicle owners. The bill prohibits towing without owner consent (except for regulated police-initiated towing), requires all towed vehicles to be stored within Mississippi, bans immobilization devices, and prohibits law enforcement from receiving payments from towing companies. It establishes a Personal Vehicle Towing Advisory Committee to set maximum towing/storage rates, create a standard manual for invoices and complaints, and handle disputes. The committee must publish this manual by January 2027, detailing fair charges, resolution processes, and disciplinary procedures for towing services.

Maddy summaryHB 632 requires Mississippi's Office of Healthy Schools to create a standardized salary schedule for school nurses based on their education and experience. All public school districts must use this schedule as the minimum pay rate when hiring school nurses. The bill directly affects school districts (which must implement the schedule) and school nurses (who will receive standardized pay based on qualifications). This provision, added to Section 6(g) of the existing law, aims to establish consistent compensation without specifying exact salary amounts. The bill died in committee before becoming law.