During the ninth week of the 2026 Mississippi Legislative Session, the Mississippi Senate approved nominations to state boards and passed several measures addressing child protection, health care access, fraud prevention, and property rights.
Legislation approved by the Senate includes:
• House Bill 1758 — Establishes the Foster Youth Earned Benefits Protection for Success Act. The measure requires the Department of Child Protection Services to determine within sixty days of a child entering state custody whether the child is eligible for federal benefits such as Social Security or veterans’ survivor benefits and ensures those funds are preserved for the child’s benefit.
• House Bill 565 — Requires health benefit plans and Medicaid to cover biomarker testing for cancer patients, allowing doctors to identify more targeted treatment options rather than relying solely on radiation or chemotherapy.
• House Bill 1719 — Creates a study committee to explore ways to reduce and prevent financial fraud.
• House Bill 1546 — Adds the crimes of human trafficking, felony procuring prostitution, and
promoting prostitution to the list of crimes that cannot be expunged.
• House Bill 898 — Creates the Sales Tax Diversion Study Committee to review current diversion practices, identify discrepancies, and examine the financial impact of misallocated sales tax revenue on municipalities.
• House Bill 1603 — Clarifies that property owners maintain sole control of their property and that squatters cannot gain rights to property through trespassing.
• House Bill 1386 — Allows certain special fund monies distributed to municipalities to be used for sidewalk repair, maintenance or reconstruction and for acquisition or rehabilitation of municipal buildings.
• House Bill 547 — Allows licensed check-cashing businesses to pass along third-party processing fees to customers when debit or credit cards are used, provided the fees are clearly disclosed.
Senator McCaughn also commented on the Mississippi House of Representatives’ revival of legislation addressing teacher pay raises. “I’m glad to see the House moving forward with a teacher pay raise. Investing in our teachers is far more important to Mississippi’s future than exempting NIL players from income tax. I look forward to reviewing the proposal and working toward a final plan that strengthens our classrooms.”
Students from the New Albany High School Choir and the Newton County High School Choir performed at the Capitol on March 3, 2026, as part of Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann’s tradition of welcoming student performances during the legislative session.
The Senate also recognized several notable achievements this week. Senator Andy Berry presented Senate Resolution 32 honoring the Simpson Academy Lady Cougars softball team and its coaches for winning the MAIS 4A Division I State Championship. Senator Rod Hickman presented Senate
Resolution 52 recognizing Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the Mississippi Alpha Network on its 55th anniversary.
The Senate met the March 3 deadline for committees to report general bills and constitutional amendments originating in the House of Representatives. Upcoming legislative deadlines include March 11 for original floor action on House bills, March 12 for reconsideration and passage of those bills, and March 13 for final disposition of reconsideration motions.
“As your State Senator for District 31, I remain focused on strengthening families, protecting property rights, improving health care outcomes, and ensuring our laws protect the most vulnerable Mississippians,” said Senator McCaughn.
