HB 1072 — Voluntary Portable Benefit Plan Act
Written by Empower Mississippi House Bill 1072, authored by Representatives Lee Yancey and Rodney Hall, creates a voluntary “portable benefits” framework for independent contractors and freelancers in Mississippi. The bill allows businesses or hiring parties to contribute money into benefit accounts that are owned by the independent worker, not the company. Those funds can be used for…
HB 1736, HB 1735, SB 2041: MDOC Dyslexia Study
Written by Empower Mississippi House Bill 1736, authored by Representative Roberson, House Bill 1735, authored by Rep. Larry Byrd, and Senate Bill 2041, authored by Senator Rod Hickman, direct the Mississippi Department of Corrections to study the prevalence of dyslexia among incarcerated individuals. The bill’s requirement for a comprehensive, evidence-based study will provide valuable insight into how undiagnosed dyslexia may relate to education outcomes, crime, and recidivism.…
SB 2512: Teaching the “Success Sequence”
Written by Empower Mississippi Senate Bill 2512, authored by Senator Jeff Tate, requires the Mississippi Department of Education to incorporate the “success sequence” and character education into the required curriculum for students in K-12 public schools. The “success sequence” refers to a set of widely studied life milestones that research has consistently shown are associated with avoiding poverty in…
SB 2035: MDOC Data Transparency and Improvement
Written by Empower Mississippi Senate Bill 2035, authored by Senator Juan Barnett, strengthens public safety by improving transparency, accountability, and decision-making within Mississippi’s corrections system. By requiring more complete and consistent data collection and public reporting, the bill equips policymakers and oversight bodies with better information about prison populations, supervision outcomes, staffing levels, and recidivism. Clear, reliable…
SB 2792: Expungement for those who weren’t convicted
Written by Empower Mississippi Senate Bill 2792, authored by Senator Joey Fillingane, strengthens fairness and opportunity by ensuring that arrest records tied to cases that did not result in convictions are expunged. The bill requires judges to clear records when the case is dismissed, the charges are dropped or resolved without disposition, or result in a not-guilty finding in court. This will help Mississippians who were never convicted avoid…
SB 2300: Special Purpose Schools
Written by Empower Mississippi Senate Bill 2300, authored by Senator Joey Fillingane, updates and expands Mississippi’s charter school law to increase flexibility, transparency, and opportunity within the public education system with a specific emphasis on charter schools that meet a defined special purpose. The bill removes the cap on new charter schools, clarifies authorizer roles, and creates special purpose charter schools…
SB 2796 & 2797: Mississippi Violent Crime Task Force
Written by Empower Mississippi Senate Bill 2796, authored by Senator Juan Barnett, and Senate Bill 2797, authored by Senator Joey Fillingane, establish the Mississippi Violent Crime Task Force to study violent crime-solving rates (known as clearance rates) and recommend strategies to improve public safety outcomes. The task force’s work will help policymakers and law enforcement better understand why violent crimes are not being…
SB 2771: Expanding Fresh Start
Written by Empower Mississippi Senate Bill 2771, authored by Senator Daniel Sparks, updates the Fresh Start Act to clarify how criminal history is used in occupational licensing decisions. The bill ensures that people are not automatically disqualified from pursuing or holding a professional license solely because of past convictions unless those convictions are directly relevant to the responsibilities…
SB 2487: Expanding the Literacy Based Promotion Act
Written by Empower Mississippi Senate Bill 2487, authored by Senator Dennis DeBar, strengthens student outcomes by expanding proven literacy policies into middle school grades. The bill is built on the foundation of the Literacy-Based Promotion Act, which focused on Kindergarten through Grade 3 and has widely been credited with jumpstarting the “Mississippi Miracle.” By requiring individualized reading plans, timely parent notification, and evidence-based instructional supports,…
HB 2: Mississippi Education Freedom Act
Written by Empower Mississippi House Bill 2, authored by House Speaker Jason White and Representative Jansen Owen, is a comprehensive education reform bill that expands opportunity by ensuring parents have access to a wider range of high-quality education options for their children, while also strengthening public schools through transparency, innovation, and local control. Specifically, this bill: Creates Magnolia Student Accounts, which allow eligible families…