This week at your Mississippi State Senate brought the deadline for legislative floor action. This deadline was the final deadline for any general bill to be passed by the legislative houses. Of those bills there were several of note.
The Senate passed House Bill 1263 which would allow professional license reciprocity to certain workers who move to Mississippi. This bill would still allow the licensing boards to set certain requirements including retesting and would not apply to lawyers and doctors.
House Bill 1179 urges creation of the "William F. Winter and Jack Reed, Sr., Teacher Loan Repayment Program." The program would repay a portion of college loan debt for certain first through third year public school teachers, with emphasis on those locating in areas with a critical shortage of educators.
House Bill 633 would require the Department of Education to implement a computer science curriculum in K-12 schools. This bill is aimed at preparing students for the workplace of the future.
House Bill 119, “Harper’s Grace Law,” was amended and would go into effect if Initiative 65, which would allow the use of medically prescribed marijuana by persons suffering certain illnesses, fails legal challenges.
House Bill 1231 would create in the State Treasury a special $20 million fund to be designated the "Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund." The fund would be used to improve parks, restore, and enhance wetlands, native forests, native grasslands, and other unique habitats important for Mississippi's fish and wildlife and other purposes. While the fund would operate at a maximum of $20 million, the legislature has pledged up to $1 million in the first years as a pilot.
House Bill 974 would make changes within the Department of Public Safety including creation of the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security for the purpose of investigating cyber-related crimes and acts of terror, among others.
Other bills of note passed include:
• House Bill 992 would allow appointees to county port and harbor commissions to remain on the board until their successors have been seated.
• House Bill 1048 would change qualification deadlines from March 1 to February 1, for certain statewide, state district county and county district offices.
• House Bill 747 would authorize the Mississippi Department of Corrections, county sheriffs or courts to assign non-violent offenders to a work release program.
• House Bill 136 would require bonds for public officers and employees who handle cash as part of their duties.
• House Bill 359 would allow cities to create an assistance program to arrange installment payments over time for customers with extreme water bills.
• House Bill 1177 would cut legislative expenses by reducing the number of journals of general laws and legislative sessions that are distributed.
• House Bill 953 would regulate managing agents of homeowners’ associations.
• House Bill 1047 would remove caps on the number of nationally certified licensed school nurses, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists employed by school districts who are able to receive salary supplements for national board certification. It also makes national board certified and state licensed athletic trainers eligible for supplemental pay.
• House Bill 997 would remove the Department of Revenue from being the wholesale distributor of alcoholic beverages.
• House Bill 928 would among other things, allow issuance of a Certificate of Rehabilitation to released prison inmates who have been reformed and would say to potential employers that the person is ready to work and is safe to hire. The bill would also authorize the hiring of an executive deputy commissioner who shall be directly responsible to the Commissioner of Corrections and serve as the Commissioner of Corrections in the absence of the commissioner.
Bills will now go back to the originating house for concurrence or to be sent to conference. Any bills sent to conference will continue to be worked on in an attempt find language that is acceptable to all parties. Conference weekend is set for the end of this month. In the meantime, the Senate continues to work through finance and appropriation bills as the deadline for those bills is set for March 16th.
In community news, the state continues to receive shipments of vaccines. I encourage you to reach out to your local pharmacy or healthcare provider to be placed on a list for a vaccination. As of this update, there were some 885,000 doses administered with 335,000 individuals fully vaccinated. These vaccinations are helping to bring the numbers of COVID-19 cases down.
As always, I am thankful for the opportunity to serve you.
