New laws to take effect in Mississippi on July 1st

Extending Medicaid postpartum coverage, allowing concealed carry at schools, providing a tax credit for adoptions, banning ballot harvesting, and more are all new laws set to take effect in Mississippi.

On July 1st, many of the laws passed by the Mississippi Legislature in the 2023 session will go into effect.  While some were effective upon passage, others wait until July with the start of the next fiscal year.

This year’s new laws range from tax credits and budgetary items to election regulations and safety provisions for schools.

Below is a list of some of the bills set to become law on July 1st that you should know:

• Senate Bill 2212: This law will allow for postpartum Medicaid coverage for women up to 12 months. Currently, care is only provided up to 60 days after the birth of a child.

• Senate Bill 2079: The Mississippi School Safety Guardian Act allows a school district to establish a program which will designate employees to be trained to carry a concealed firearm. The intent is to provide protection for students and faculty on the school’s campus.

• Senate Bill 2696: This law provides a tax credit of $5,000 for expenses related to individuals looking to adopt and $10,000 for a child tax credit.

• House Bill 510: The law establishes the Foster Parents’ Bill of Rights. The Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services is required to provide a list of resources available to foster parents. These include a notice of information to foster parents, the opportunity to communicate with professionals like therapists and teachers, and the opportunity to attend individualized education program (IEP) meetings, among other things.

• House Bill 1315 and Senate Bill 2346:  Otherwise known as the “porn bills,” the House Bill will regulate all digital and online content for K-12 students through vendors who provide internet access to schools while the Senate Bill provides for liability for any entity that distributes harmful material to minors on the internet without age verification.

• House Bill 817: This law approved the increase of funding for half-day and full-day Early Learning Collaboratives. Funding increased to $2,500 for full-day programs and $1,250 for half-day, at the base level.

• Senate Bill 2358: The law aims to crack down on ballot harvesting. The ban prevents the collection or transmitting of a ballot that is mailed to another person, with some exceptions. Violations can result in fines and possible prison time. A lawsuit has been filed against the measure claiming that it infringes on disabled voters’ rights.

• House Bill 1020: The Capitol Complex Improvement District bill would have gone into effect on July 1. However, it is currently being held up in court after several lawsuits were filed challenging the legislation. It would create a separate inferior court in the CCID as well as increase the jurisdiction for Capitol police throughout the city of Jackson beginning next year.

• Senate Bill 2420: This law creates a public registry of persons convicted of embezzlement or misappropriation of public funds.

• House Bill 722: The law excludes fentanyl testing materials from the definition of “paraphernalia” under controlled substances.

For a complete list of bills passed during the 2023 Mississippi Legislative Session click here.