Bills to watch in the 2023 Mississippi legislative session

Editor’s notice: This listing might be up to date all through the legislative session. This submit was final up to date on Feb. 1.

About 3,000 payments have been filed within the Mississippi Legislature to be thought of in the course of the 2023 session. The final main deadline was Jan. 31, when lawmakers needed to cross normal payments out of their unique committees.

The deadline, although, didn’t apply to income and appropriations payments, which face a Feb. 22 deadline.

Poll initiative

A number of payments within the Home and Senate had been filed this session to revive the state’s initiative course of, which permits voters to bypass the Legislature and place points on the poll for the voters to resolve. The state Supreme Court docket rendered the state’s initiative course of unconstitutional in 2021 on a technicality and the legislative management has vowed to resume it. However that didn’t happen within the 2022 session.

Only one invoice coping with the poll initiative — Senate Invoice 2638, authored by Sen. McCaughn, a Republican of Newton — survived the Jan. 31 deadline. However the invoice confronted criticism in committee earlier than it was saved alive. The proposal, as written, doesn’t seem to permit voters to utterly circumvent the legislative course of, as is mostly the aim of poll initiatives. It merely lets voters make options to legislators, who can later select to change the desires of voters.

Senators, together with McCaughn, vowed to enhance the invoice because it strikes by the legislative course of.

READ MORE: Senators maintain watered-down poll initiative invoice alive, vow to enhance it

Medicaid growth

Lawmakers in each the Home and Senate filed 17 complete payments in 2023 coping with increasing Medicaid as is allowed below federal regulation to offer well being care protection to primarily the working poor. Beneath the proposal, the federal authorities would pay the majority of the prices.

All 17 payments died in Senate and Home committees with out a vote and even debate.

Senate Invoice 2070, authored by Sen. Angela Turner Ford, D-West Level, and Home Invoice 108, authored by Rep. Bryant Clark, D-Pickens, had been amongst a number of payments filed to broaden Medicaid.

Postpartum protection

A number of payments had been filed this yr to increase postpartum Medicaid protection for brand spanking new moms from the present two months to 12 months. Physicians and advocates say the coverage, which might price the state simply $7 million per yr, would save numerous lives of moms and kids who can’t in any other case afford needed well being care.

Senate leaders handed Senate Invoice 2212, authored by Sen. Kevin Blackwell, R-Southaven, earlier than the Jan. 31 deadline. In the meantime, Home Invoice 426, authored by Missy McGee, R-Hattiesburg, died with out being thought of in committee.

These actions mirror what occurred final session. Senate leaders handed the invoice overwhelmingly earlier than Speaker of the Home Philip Gunn killed it.

READ MORE: Stress grows for lawmakers to cross postpartum Medicaid extension

Well being care & hospital disaster

Senate Invoice 2371, Senate Invoice 2372, Senate Invoice 2373 and Senate Invoice 2323, authored by Senate leaders with assist from Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, are aimed toward serving to Mississippi’s struggling hospitals and shoring up the well being care workforce. The payments would spend a mixed $111 million of the state’s federal pandemic reduction cash. This contains $80 million in grants to hospitals primarily based on their variety of beds and sort of care, a nursing scholar mortgage compensation program, grants to assist group faculties beef up their nursing packages. Senate Invoice 2323 would get rid of authorized obstacles to consolidation of or collaboration amongst hospitals. All of those payments stay alive following the Jan. 31 deadline.

Senate Invoice 2793 and Home Invoice 1081 would create licensure and regulation — by a brand new board — for midwives in Mississippi. Presently, midwifery isn’t regulated in Mississippi as it’s in 36 different states, which means anybody right here can declare to be a midwife with out formal coaching or certification. Greater than half of Mississippi counties are thought of “maternity care deserts,” with no hospitals training obstetric care, no OB-GYNs and no licensed nurse midwives. Advocates say midwives might assist in these areas. However many physicians teams say youngster supply needs to be overseen by skilled physicians. Each these payments died in committee on Jan. 31.

Burn heart

Home Invoice 469, authored by Home Speaker Philip Gunn, would offer $12 million for Mississippi Baptist Medical Heart to create a burn heart or unit on the hospital in 2024.

The state’s solely accredited burn heart closed final yr, however not too long ago the College of Mississippi Medical Heart introduced it should enhance its burn remedy capabilities.

One other invoice, Senate Invoice 2817, brings ahead code sections to permit attainable modification later within the session.

Each these payments stay alive following the Jan. 31 deadline.

READ MORE: Will Baptist and UMMC battle over burn care?

Jackson water disaster

Senate Invoice 2889 would create a regional utility authority that might place the long-term management of Jackson water, wastewater and sewer below a nine-member board. 5 of the members could be appointed by the governor and lieutenant governor, and 4 could be appointed by Jackson’s mayor. This invoice handed Senate committee on Jan. 24 and stays alive.

Senate Invoice 2338 would require that cities cost clients for water primarily based on consumption. Jackson is at the moment taking a look at a proposal to as a substitute cost clients primarily based on their property values. This handed Senate committee and was accredited by the complete Senate on Jan. 26. It stays alive and now strikes to the Home for consideration.

Welfare company reform

Home Invoice 184 and Home Invoice 188, authored by Rep. John Hines, D-Greenville, would set up a board to supervise Division of Human Companies, taking the company out of the only oversight of the governor’s workplace. Home Invoice 1054, filed by Rep. Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, would require legislative watchdog PEER to guage TANF subgrants. Senate Invoice 2331, filed by Sen. Rod Hickman, D-Macon, would take away the kid assist cooperation requirement for TANF and SNAP beneficiaries.

All these payments died in committee on the Jan. 31 deadline.

READ MORE: Democrats, not Republicans, search to reform Mississippi welfare company in wake of embezzlement scandal

Felony suffrage

Senate Invoice 2405, authored by Sen. Sollie Norwood, D-Jackson, and Home Invoice 1247, authored by Rep. William Tracy Arnold, R-Booneville, are amongst a number of payments filed to vary the state Structure to permit folks convicted of felonies to regain their voting rights in some unspecified time in the future after ending their sentence.

All these payments died in committee on the Jan. 31 deadline.

Elections & voting

Senate Invoice 2299, authored by Jeremy England, R-Vancleave, would set up a mechanism for voters to recall state and native officers, together with legislators. This invoice died in committee on Jan. 31.

Home Invoice 370, authored by Shanda Yates, I-Jackson, would set up a mechanism for voters to recall municipal officers. This invoice handed out of committee on Jan. 11 and is pending earlier than the complete Home chamber.

Authorities accountability

Senate Invoice 2667, authored by Sen. Jason Barrett, R-Brookhaven, with a number of co-sponsors, would reiterate that the open conferences regulation covers the Mississippi Legislature. The invoice is a response to a controversial 2022 ruling by the state Ethics Fee saying the Legislature isn’t lined by the open conferences regulation. The invoice additionally will increase the positive for violations of the open information regulation from $100 to $500.

This invoice died in committee on Jan. 31.

Gender procedures ban

Home Invoice 1125, the “Regulate Experimental Adolescent Procedures Act,” is just like measures handed or debated in different states and was authored by Rep. Gene Newman, a Republican from Pearl. The invoice, handed on a partisan 78-28 vote by the total Home early within the session, would ban gender affirming surgical procedure and medicines for Mississippians 18 and below.

It handed out of Senate committee on Jan. 31 and is predicted to be taken up within the full Senate chamber in coming days.

Taxes

Home Invoice 418, authored by Rep. Jansen Owen, R-Poplarville, and co-sponsored by others, would get rid of the gross sales tax on most grocery gadgets.

The deadline to file tax payments isn’t till Feb. 22, so most definitely others might be filed.

Faculty monetary assist

Laws that might revamp two state monetary assist packages, Senate Invoice 2580 and Home Invoice 771, handed out of each chambers. The Home is debating upping the brand new revenue cap for eligibility below the Mississippi Resident Tuition Help Grant from $90,000 per household to $150,000, a change the Senate isn’t at the moment contemplating.

The invoice is probably going headed to convention.

READ MORE: As lawmakers hear proposal to revamp monetary assist, schooling coverage specialists say it’s a ‘unhealthy concept’

Home Invoice 730 and Senate Invoice 2585 broaden eligibility for the Winter Reed Mortgage Reimbursement Program for academics to incorporate alternate route academics and academics who’re now not of their first yr. Each payments survived the Jan. 31 deadline.

Schooling

Senate Invoice 2811 and Home Invoice 1365 prohibit native faculty districts from lowering their wage dietary supplements for trainer assistants when the state minimal wage is raised. These payments are alive following the Jan. 31 deadline.

Senate Invoice 2079 and Home Invoice 532 create a “Faculty Security Guardian Program,” which might prepare academics with hid carry permits to reply aim of responding to energetic shooter conditions. This system could be opt-in and academics could be eligible for legal responsibility protections for actions taken on this position. These payments stay alive.

READ MORE: How is Mississippi responding to the specter of faculty shootings?

Home Invoice 1070, authored by Rep. Lee Yancey, R-Brandon., would create grants for colleges to show patriotic schooling. This invoice handed Home committee on Jan. 31 and stays alive.

Senate Invoice 2777 raises the minimal wage of faculty attendance officers to match the trainer pay elevate given final yr. It additionally establishes a 2,000 scholar restrict for every officer’s case load. This invoice is alive.

READ MORE: State truancy officers face stagnant pay and ‘unmanageable caseloads’

Home Invoice 294, authored by Rep. Carolyn Crawford, R-Move Christian, would prohibit public colleges and universities from imposing masks mandates. This invoice died in committee on Jan. 31.

Home Invoice 112, authored by Rep. Bryant Clark, D-Pickens, would create the Mississippi Common Preschool Act. This invoice died in committee on Jan. 31.

Home Invoice 595, authored by Rep. Bo Brown, D-Jackson, would authorize the Division of Schooling to create curriculum for African American research and racial variety. This invoice died in committee on Jan. 31.

Atmosphere

Home Invoice 1094 would authorize the state Division of Environmental High quality to positive Jackson for improper disposal of wastewater or sewage into the Pearl River, as much as $1 million for every occasion. This invoice handed Home committee on Jan. 31.

Home Invoice 18 would impose a $3.50 tax on vehicles charged at alternative-fuel stations. Senate Invoice 2020 and Home Invoice 378 would repeal the annual tax imposed on electrical (at the moment $150) and hybrid vehicles ($75). All of those payments are alive and face a Feb. 22 deadline for ground motion.

Legislation enforcement

Home Invoice 1020, authored by Trey Lamar, R-Senatobia, creates a separate judicial district inside the Capitol Advanced Enchancment District, which is an space round downtown Jackson the place lots of the state-owned buildings are situated. The judges, who would hear civil and felony instances, could be paid equal to chancery and circuit judges, however could be appointed by the Supreme Court docket chief justice as a substitute of elected like different judges in state. This invoice handed Home committee on Jan. 25 and stays alive.

Home Invoice 1222, authored by Sam Creekmore, R-New Albany with different co-sponsors, would make plenty of modifications to state psychological well being insurance policies, together with requiring regulation enforcement businesses to supply “first assist psychological well being coaching.” It will appoint courtroom liaisons to work with households in counties the place greater than 20 individuals are involuntarily dedicated annually, require chancery clerks to maintain extra detailed information on civil commitments, and intention to cut back delays in conducting screenings of individuals being civilly dedicated. Beneath the invoice, group psychological well being facilities could be required to rent an accountant and conduct common audits. It will additionally change the composition of the board of psychological well being to incorporate extra subject material specialists and at the least one sheriff and scale back board members’ time period lengths. This invoice handed Home committee on Jan. 26 and stays alive.