Legislative update following latest deadline

We want to update you on legislation pending in the Mississippi legislature as the deadline for bills to pass out of the chamber they originated in has just passed. Fortunately, there are still a number of bills up for consideration that will protect parents, women, children, election integrity, and more.

Here’s what we’re following and supporting:

PROTECTING WOMEN’S SAFE SPACES

SB 2753, Sponsored by Sens. Josh Harkins and Jeremy England, the SAFER Act:

– Protects the safety and privacy of Mississippi’s girls and women in historically same-sex spaces,

– Defines a woman and man from birth, and

– Provides a cause of action for any violation of the Act.

This bill passed in the Mississippi Senate, and is headed back to the House for another chance at a House Judiciary A Committee vote, chaired by Rep. Joey Hood.

HB 585, Sponsored by Rep. Gene Newman, Dignity and Safety of Incarcerated Women Act: Protects women’s privacy in prison by ensuring that biological men are not permitted to enter women’s safe spaces. This bill passed a full House vote and has been transmitted to the Mississippi Senate.

PROTECTING PARENTAL RIGHTS

HB 1100, Sponsored by Rep. Lee Yancey: Protecting Parental Access to Children’s Medical Records and Consent for Healthcare: Mississippi Hospitals are blocking parents from accessing their kids’ medical records. The Biden Administration is also setting up Obamacare in public schools – and pushing parents out. Rep. Lee Yancey is standing up for parental rights. Yancey’s bill (HB 1100) would protect the basic right for parents to direct their children’s healthcare, including making sure they have access to their children’s medical records. Without this legislation, parents in Mississippi will be left unprotected. The bill passed a floor vote in the House, has been transmitted to the Senate, and has been referred to the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee.

HB 900, The Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act, Sponsored by Rep. Randy Rushing: This bill also ensures a parent’s rights to their child’s medical records. The bill passed a floor vote in the House and has been transmitted to the Senate.

SB 2873, Sponsored by Senator David Parker: An amendment to this bill would also make sure parents can access their children’s medical records. The bill is up for a vote in the Mississippi Senate. The bill passed a floor vote in the Mississippi Senate, has been transmitted to the House, and referred to the House Business and Commerce Committee.

HEALTH CARE

SB 2858, Sponsored by Senator Josh Harkins, Enabling Mississippi Patients to Access Lifesaving Care: Bureaucracy and red tape are annoying, but when bureaucracy prevents American patients from getting access to lifesaving treatments readily available in other countries, it becomes downright deadly. FDA clinical trials that take decades and cost millions are not suited to new medical technologies that are customizing treatments for individual patients with rare diseases.

Sen. Harkins’ bill creates a pathway for patients in Mississippi to work with their doctor to try innovative, potentially life-saving treatments, when no other option is available. (This bill is near and dear to my heart after my hard-fought battle with cancer last year!) The bill has passed a floor vote in the Senate, has been transmitted to the House, and referred to the House Public Health and Welfare Committee.

ELECTION INTEGRITY

SB 2367, Sponsored by Senator Jeremy England, Stopping Radical Progressive Voting Schemes: The Republican National Committee and Donald Trump oppose Rank Choice Voting; Rep. “AOC,” Senator Bernie Sanders, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, not to mention Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, support it. It is already being used in other states to block Republicans from getting elected. Mississippi needs to follow other states, like Tennessee and Florida, and prohibit Ranked-Choice Voting before it’s too late. This has passed the Senate, was transmitted to the Mississippi House, and was referred to House Committee on Apportionment and Elections.

PROTECT AGAINST CHILD PORN

HB 1363, Sponsored by Rep. Price Wallace Preventing Child Pornographers from Repeatedly Victimizing Children: Child pornographers are using children’s images to make obscene content on the internet. Even after sex offenders go to jail, websites are still profiting from the use of children’s images. Fortunately, Sen. Joey Fillingane and Rep. Price Wallace have a solution. These bills allow parents to sue websites that post child pornography, forcing them to remove this filth and other forms of illegal obscenity. This bill passed a floor vote in the House and has been transmitted to the Senate.

A FEW NOTABLE BILLS THAT DIED IN COMMITTEE INCLUDE:

HB 1428 SAFER Act, a companion bill to SB 2753, died in House Judiciary A. The bill has another chance for Judiciary to A to pass the Senate version out of committee for a full House floor vote.

HB 1047 and 1605/SB 2815— Parents’ Bill of Rights—These bills authorize that parents have a fundamental right to direct the upbringing of their child. Died in House State Affairs Committee, House Education Committee, and Senate Judiciary A Committee.

SB 2721— “Rejecting Racism in Higher Education Act”—This bill would have denied funding to Colleges and Universities that fund Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) departments, or that compel students to affirm individuals should be treated differently due to their race and/or that individuals harbor collective guilt for the actions of others of their same race. Died in the Senate Universities and Colleges Committee.

HB 127 and SB 2402– Two other House bills that would have also banned DEI programs in any state-funded institution both died in their respective Universities and Colleges Committees.

SB 2118 Equality in Financial Services Act— This bill would prevent banks from firing or refusing to do business with someone based on their religious or conservative political beliefs. Died in the Business and Financial Institutions Committee.

SB 2749 and HB 1005– These bills would prevent the abortion trafficking of minors across state lines without a parent’s consent. The Senate bill died in the Public Health and Welfare Committee and the House bill died in Judiciary B.

HB 318– This bill would have required fathers to provide support to the mother and baby from the time of conception. Died in Judiciary B Committee.

HB 1475– This bill would allow students to leave school for religious instruction during a free period at school without receiving an unexcused absence. Died in the Education Committee.

The next deadline is April 2nd for bills to pass out of the committee in the opposite chamber (i.e., a house bill must pass out of a senate committee and head for a senate floor vote and vice-versa).

We’ll keep you posted!

Don’t forget to share with your friends!

Thanks for your support,

– Lesley