Bills Coming Out of Committee

Bill Number Bill Description
1. HB 1080
Good Policy 		Toll roads; revise maximum length of time for public private partnership agreement.
Analysis: This bill weakens a government regulation on the length of public private partnership agreements for toll roads.
2. SB 2277
Not Rated 		Department of Mental Health; authorize to sell certain state owned property located in City of Meridian.
Analysis:
3. HB 1134
Neutral 		Out-of-State Adoptions; clarify certain provisions regarding.
Analysis:
4. SB 2427
Not Rated 		MS S.A.F.E. Mortgage Act; remove repealer, clarify record keeping requirements, clarify estimate of costs provided to borrower.
Analysis:
5. HB 1336
Good Policy 		'Mississippi Learn to Earn Act'; enact to authorize the earning of graduation credit through apprenticeships and other alternative courses.
Analysis: This bill allows for vo-tech and other career technical program credits to be substituted in some cases for traditional high school course credit.
6. HB 917
Good Policy 		Light spirit products; define as no more than 4% alcoholic content by weight, and regulate same as beer and light wine.
Analysis:
7. HB 1138
Bad Policy 		Self-storage facilities; regulate rental agreements and owners' liens.
Analysis: This policy expands regulations over liens and rental agreements with self-storage facilities.
8. HB 1135
Neutral 		Law enforcement; allow off-duty use of official vehicles while performing security services in off-duty hours.
Analysis: This bill authorizes off-duty police officers to utilize their government police vehicles when operating as private security while off-duty. Law enforcement officers are of course free to work as private security officers in an off-duty capacity during their free time. However, they are not entitled to public resources while operating independently from doing government work. While employed in a private setting, law enforcement officers are being compensated by that private entity and are not working for the public at that moment. Police vehicles are public property and should only be used by public officials performing public duties, anything else is a misuse of public moneys and resources. It is not the taxpayer's responsibility to foot the bill for police officer's transportation while he/she is off-duty and engaged in private employment.
9. HB 1371
Neutral 		DPS division of driver services; make various revisions regarding.
Analysis:
10. HB 676
Neutral 		State and School Health Insurance Management Board; authorize State Agency executive heads to designate to serve in his or her capacity.
Analysis:
11. HB 685
Good Policy 		State offenders; extend repealer on authority to house in county jails when state space is unavailable.
Analysis:
12. HB 940
Good Policy 		Financial institutions; authorize to delay a transaction upon good-faith belief that eligible person will be exploited.
Analysis: This bill authorizes financial institutions to delay a transaction if they believe the transaction involves the exploitation of the customer who requested it. As a general rule, financial authorizations, as private entities, should be free to make these judgement calls on their own without being granted government authority.
13. HB 493
Neutral 		Counties; may also maintain electronic format of law books in courtrooms and in county public law libraries.
Analysis:
14. HB 669
Good Policy 		Tate County School Board; require to consolidate system of high schools by closing Coldwater High School.
Analysis: The committee substitute for this bill closes the Coldwater High School in Tate County. It cites the high school's consistent low performance ratings and low percentage of Tate County's overall enrollment (4%) as reasons to close the school. Coldwater High School students would be spread proportionately among Strayhorn and Independence High Schools. This change closes a school whose students can be accommodated by other schools in the area and brings about a more efficient use of taxpayer dollars.
15. HB 1024
Good Policy 		Habitual offender; revise penalties for.
Analysis: This bill enacts sentencing reforms that limit the application of long prison sentences under Mississippi’s “three strikes” habitual law for nonviolent drug offenses. Rehabilitation and return of non-violent offenders to society keeps the taxpayer from footing an even more costly bill for the state's justice system, puts more fathers back into what would be fatherless homes, and helps solve the current crisis of prison-overcrowding.
16. HB 1129
Neutral 		Termination of parental rights; clarify jurisdiction of county and youth courts.
Analysis:
17. SB 2508
Not Rated 		Provisions of the Mississippi Critical Teacher Shortage Act of 1998; extend repealer on.
Analysis:
18. HB 1212
Bad Policy 		Real Estate Brokers License; revise the requirements to be granted such a license.
Analysis: This would increase the time it takes for a real estate agent to become a broker from 12 months to 36 months. This is simply an attempt by current license holders to use the government to fend off new competition.
19. HB 494
Bad Policy 		County purchases; increase the minimum acquisition costs of items and services for certain purposes.
Analysis: This bill raises the maximum amount a county can spend on any one purchase without reporting the purchase to the state government from $1,500 to $2,000. If anything, more oversight on what our tax dollars are spent on is necessary, not less.
20. HB 888
Neutral 		Student club funds; clarify use and accounting practices by school districts.
Analysis:
21. SB 2509
Neutral 		Failing school districts; extend repealer on.
Analysis: This bill continues the repeal of a regulation that authorizes the state board of education to appoint a new board to administer failing school districts.
22. HB 658
Good Policy 		Expungement; revise provisions for eligibility.
Analysis: This bill expands the number of convictions related to controlled substances that are eligible for expungement. This will make it easier for non-violent offenders to become employed and will reduce chances of recidivism.
23. HB 444
Neutral 		Municipal menaced property; make certain clarifying revisions regarding.
Analysis:
24. SB 2125
Good Policy 		Veterans Form DD 214; provide for recordation by chancery clerk.
Analysis: This bill requires that all chancery clerks provide recordation of all military certifications to veterans free of charge.
25. HB 1476
Good Policy 		Compassionate Parole Eligibility Act of 2020; create.
Analysis: This bill provides for the possible parole of inmates (except those convicted of capital offenses) who are diagnosed with terminal illnesses or diseases and have a life expectancy of twelve months or less. It also applies to inmates who are completely disabled or bedridden for 50% of waking hours. This will help lessen the burden on the department of corrections and by extension the taxpayer.
26. HB 544
Neutral 		DUI suspension; clarify when the 120 day suspensions begins.
Analysis: This bill clarifies that the date of license suspension begins on the day that the judge signs the order, not the day of the alleged offense.
27. HB 1131
Neutral 		Child custody orders; change reference to certain terms.
Analysis:
28. HB 1290
Neutral 		MS Blues Commission; direct to erect certain Blues Trail marker and add location to trail.
Analysis:
29. HB 597
Neutral 		Department of Revenue; authorize to revise individual income tax forms to allow taxpayer to designate two bank accounts for direct deposit.
Analysis:
30. SB 2102
Good Policy 		Ad valorem tax; exempt motor vehicles held by a wrecker service for resale.
Analysis: This bill authorizes wrecker services to sell motor vehicles that are not registered to the business under certain circumstances. It also exempts these vehicles from ad valorem tax. These are vehicles that are seldom actually on the road, their taxation is an unnecessary burden on the wrecker service.
31. HB 531
Neutral 		Counties and municipalities; encourage to exchange information with military installations relating to land use and development.
Analysis: This bill encourages counties and municipalities to coordinate more closely with military installations in the state for zoning purposes.
32. HB 1378
Neutral 		Mississippi S.A.F.E. Mortgage Act; remove repealer, clarify record keeping requirements and estimate of costs provided to borrower.
Analysis:
33. HB 838
Good Policy 		Driver's license; require Department of Public Safety to allow official identifying document of MDOC to suffice for.
Analysis: Allows official MDOC documents as qualifying documents in lieu of a birth certificate or social security card for ex-offenders. This will make it easier for ex-offenders to get a driver's license.
34. SB 2611
Not Rated 		General and special courts martial; may order forfeiture of all pay of offenders.
Analysis:
35. SB 2283
Not Rated 		School districts; revise employees and administrators subject to conflict-of-interest provisions.
Analysis:
36. SB 2506
Not Rated 		Winona-Montgomery School Board of Trustees; revise membership.
Analysis:
37. HB 751
Neutral 		Mississippi Employer-Assisted Housing Teacher Program; remove requirement that the Department of Education administer with the FNMA.
Analysis:
38. HB 1127
Neutral 		Durable legal guardianship; revise provisions regarding.
Analysis:
39. HB 1309
Good Policy 		Air bow; authorize use during certain open seasons for individuals exempt from hunting license requirement by reason of disability.
Analysis: This bill authorizes those affected by a disability to hunt with air bows during any open season.
40. HB 1286
Neutral 		Service of summons in youth courts; shall be made pursuant to the Uniform Rules of the Youth Court Practice.
Analysis:
41. HB 1279
Neutral 		Memorial highway; designate segment of U.S. Highway 51 in Lincoln County for fallen police officers Zach Moak and James White.
Analysis:
42. HB 1176
Good Policy 		School bus drivers; increase maximum speed limit on interstate highways.
Analysis: This bill increases the allowed maximum speed for school buses on interstate highways from 45mph to 65mph.
43. HB 1071
Good Policy 		Property exempt from seizure under execution or attachment; include Roth individual retirement accounts.
Analysis: This bill adds money included in Roth IRAs to the list of items unavailable for seizure by the state government. While all personal property should be exempt from government seizure, this bill is still a step in the right direction.
44. HB 851
Good Policy 		Corrections and Criminal Justice Oversight Task Force; revise composition of.
Analysis: This bill adds one additional member to the Corrections and Criminal Justice Oversight Task Force Committee whose role will be to advocate for "offenders and families". This member is to be appointed by the Governor. The addition of a new member to the committee whose sole purpose is to advocate for this often under-represented group has the potential to bring about positive change from within government.
45. SB 2511
Neutral 		Teachers; revise licensure.
Analysis: This bill stipulates that an SAT score equivalent to an ACT score of 21 may be substituted to fulfill the standardized testing requirement for teacher licensure. It also revises specific language concerning teacher licensure.