2026 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

• Election Cybersecurity Standards– – Senate Bill 2096 | Effective July 1, 2026
  Requires MDITS, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to set minimum cybersecurity standards for county election officials using SEMS and limits Election Support Fund use for noncompliance beginning in 2028.
• Sample Ballot Preparation Timeline — House Bill 907 | Effective July 1, 2026.
  Moves the sample official ballot deadline from 55 to 60 days before an election, with an exception when primary-runoff certification makes the deadline impracticable.
• Federal Election Absentee Ballot Deadline — House Bill 908 | Effective upon passage.
  Creates a contingent day-before-election receipt deadline for absentee ballots in federal elections if the U.S. Supreme Court determines federal law preempts Mississippi receipt rules.
• Mississippi Business Fraud Prevention Act — House Bill 1532 | Effective July 1, 2026.
  Creates a Secretary of State process to review and remedy fraudulent or unauthorized business filings, including redaction and restrictions on further filing activity.
• Financial Fraud Prevention Study Committee — House Bill 1719 | Effective upon passage.
  Creates a Secretary of State -supported committee to study financial fraud and scams, investor education, and recommended solutions; the committee dissolves by January 1, 2027.
• SHIELD Act — Senate Bill 2588 | Effective July 1, 2026.
  Expands citizenship verification using SAVE, requires annual SEMS checks and reporting, bars removal solely on a SAVE match, and blocks SAVE-based removals during the 90 days before a federal election.

2025 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

• Deadline for Polling Place Changes– – House Bill 1419 (effective date July 1, 2025)
  Bars polling-place relocations within 60 days of an election unless exigent circumstances exist and requires documented reasons plus broad public notice.
• Election Qualification Updates – House Bill 811 (effective date July 1, 2025)
  Strengthens candidate qualifying requirements, adds residence/contact certifications under penalty of perjury, sets decision deadlines, creates a circuit-court appeal process, and revises presidential qualifying dates.
• Tax Forfeited Property Maintenance – House Bill 733 (effective July 1, 2025)
  Authorizes use of the Land Records Maintenance Fund to maintain tax-forfeited property, including mowing, debris removal, structural repair or demolition, while allowing unused funds to carry forward.
• Tax Credit Program for Developing Tax Forfeited Property – House Bill 1201 (effective date January 1, 2025)
  Creates an income-tax incentive for rehabilitation of eligible blighted property, providing a rebate or credit equal to 25% of qualifying rehabilitation costs.
• Tax Forfeited Property Sales Process Study Committee – Senate Bill 2469 (effective on passage March 18, 2025)
  Creates a legislative study committee to examine unmerchantable or uninsurable tax-sale titles, residential blight, and other issues in the tax-forfeited property process.

2024 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

• Election Identification Fix – Senate Bill No. 2576 (effective upon passage April 15, 2024)
  Clarifies voter-identification law and resolves contradictory language concerning the validity of identification used for voting.
• Charities Auditing Threshold – Senate Bill 2545 (effective date July 1, 2024)
  Defines “monetary donations” for charitable-organization audit requirements, providing clearer guidance to charities and their auditors.
• Electronic Bids for Timber – House Bill No. 299 (effective date July 1, 2024)
  Modernizes timber sales by allowing electronic bids, expanding competition and potential revenue.
• Charities Registration Financial Fix– House Bill No. 845 (effective date July 1, 2024)  
  Corrects a registration timing issue so charities filing an initial registration are not automatically out of compliance because of Form 990 timing.
• Ballot Harvesting – Senate Bill No. 2425 (effective date July 1, 2024)
  Adds definitions clarifying which individuals are exempt from Mississippi’s ballot-harvesting restrictions.
• Nonprofit Organizations Annual Report – House Bill No. 1344 (effective date July 1, 2024)
  Creates a no-cost annual report for nonprofits, improves contact records and transparency of public funds, and supports administrative dissolution for noncompliance.
• Election Day Disputes – House Bill No. 1135 (effective date July 1, 2024)
  Clarifies jurisdiction and appointment procedures for Election Day disputes.
• Deep Fake – Senate Bill No. 2577 (effective date July 1, 2024)
  Penalizes election-related deep fakes and authorizes injunctive relief.
   

2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

• Land Records Preservation - Senate Bill No. 2514 (effective date July 1, 2023)
  Clarifies authority for the Secretary of State to transfer sensitive land records to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History for preservation while maintaining access.
•  Electronic Administrative Dissolution Notices  - House Bill No. 1101 (effective date July 1, 2023)
   Allows notices and certificates of administrative dissolution for corporations and LLCs to be sent by email, reducing mailing costs and improving response rates.
• Runoff Timing Clarification - House Bill No. 1276 (effective date July 1, 2023)
   Conforms statutes to the Mississippi Constitution by providing a three-week runoff when no candidate for statewide office receives a majority.
• Campaign Finance / Absentee Ballot Fraud Updates - House Bill No. 1306 (effective date January 1, 2024)
  Tightens candidate campaign-finance compliance, revises State Board of Election Commissioners duties, and establishes a penalty for fraudulent 
    absentee-ballot application requests or submissions.
• Elections Omnibus Bill - House Bill No. 1310 (effective date January 1, 2024)
  Authorizes election-procedure audits, funds election cybersecurity, establishes voter-list confirmation and removal procedures, and requires a statewide citizenship comparison with the DPS license database by January 1, 2025.

2022 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

• Voting Machine Modernization Act - Senate Bill 2879 (effective upon passage) –
   Creates a grant program administered by the Secretary of State to help counties purchase modern voting systems.
• Athlete Agent Model Act - Senate Bill 2690  (effective upon passage) – 
   Revises Mississippi law governing Name, Image and Likeness agreements for student-athletes.
• Charitable Solicitations Act Revisions - House Bill 590 (effective July 1, 2022) – 
  Revises the definition of charitable organizations as it applies to religious institutions and clarifies notice requirements.
• Proof of Citizenship and Election Support Fund Revisions - House Bill 1510 (effective upon passage) – 
  Authorizes election officials to compare voter records with state and federal databases for citizenship verification and increases county Election Support Fund distributions by 20%.

2021 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

• General Laws and Journals of Legislative Session Amendment - House Bill 1177 (effective March 17, 2021) - 
  Reduces unnecessary distribution of printed legislative laws and journals and authorizes constitutional insertion of amendments proposed by initiative or legislative alternative.
• Perpetual Care Cemeteries/Clean Up Amendment - Senate Bill 2261 (effective July 1, 2021) - 
   Allows counties and municipalities to clean neglected perpetual-care cemetery property and seek reimbursement.
• Registered Agent Act Amendment - Senate Bill 2204 (effective July 1, 2021) - 
  Updates the LLC and Registered Agents acts to require registered agents’ email addresses.

2020 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

• ​Land Patent Filing Fee Revision - House Bill 1332 (effective upon passage) - 
  Revises the filing fee collected by the Secretary of State for patents conveying state land.
• Electronic Notary Amendment - House Bill 1156 (effective July 1, 2021) - 
  Enacts the Revised Mississippi Law on Notarial Acts to allow electronic notarial services.
• 16th Section Online Filings Update - House Bill 1439 (effective July 1, 2020) - 
  Requires school districts to report requested sixteenth-section land-lease management information and updates required report contents.
• Securities Filing Fee Simplification - House Bill 1440 (effective July 1, 2020)-
  Establishes more consistent securities registration filings and fees.
• Absentee Voting Update - House Bill 1521(effective upon passage) - 
  Revises procedures and timelines for mailing and receiving absentee ballots.
• Foreign LLC Regulation Update - Senate Bill 2510​ (effective upon passage) - 
   Allows administrative revocation of a foreign LLC’s registration when the Department of Revenue reports delinquent taxes.