An Act To Create The "in-person Absentee Voting Act"; To Provide Definitions; To Provide That The In-person Absentee Voting Period Shall Begin 22 Days Before The Election And Continue Until 12:00 P.m. On The Saturday Immediately Preceding The Election; To Provide That In-person Absentee Voting Shall Be For Each Primary, General, Runoff, Special And Municipal Election For Public Office; To Provide The Hours For In-person Absentee Voting In The Registrar's Office During Regular Business Hours; To Provide Extended Hours To Vote During The Last Full Week Preceding An Election; To Provide The Appropriate Locations For In-person Absentee Voting To Take Place; To Provide That Notice Of In-person Absentee Voting Shall Be Provided In Three Public Places Eight Days Before The Voting Begins; To Provide The Procedures To Follow When Casting A Ballot During The In-person Excused Voting Period; To Provide The Manner For Challenging The Qualifications Of A Voter During The In-person Absentee Voting Period; To Amend Section 23-15-639, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require That Mail-in Ballots Be Announced By The Resolution Board; To Bring Forward Section 23-15-697, Mississippi Code Of 1972, For The Purpose Of Possible Amendment; To Repeal Section 23-15-659 Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Remove The Absentee Ballot Envelope Requirements For In-person Absentee Voters; To Amend Sections 23-15-625, 23-15-627, 23-15-713, 23-15-715, 23-15-651, 23-15-719 And 23-15-633, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Conform; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Create The "in-person Early Voting Act"; To Provide Definitions; To Provide That The In-person Early Voting Period Shall Begin 15 Days Before The Election And Continue Until 12:00 P.m. On The Saturday Immediately Preceding The Election; To Provide That In-person Early Voting Shall Be For Each Primary, General, Runoff, Special And Municipal Election For Public Office; To Provide The Hours For In-person Early Voting In The Registrar's Office During Regular Business Hours; To Provide Extended Hours To Vote During The Last Full Week Preceding An Election; To Provide That Notice Of In-person Early Voting Shall Be Provided In Three Public Places Eight Days Before The Voting Begins; To Provide The Procedures To Follow When Casting A Ballot During The In-person Early Voting Period; To Provide The Manner For Challenging The Qualifications Of A Voter During The In-person Early Voting Period; To Prohibit Voting Via Ballot Harvesting, Ballot Drop Boxes Or With Mail-in Or Absentee Ballots For Reasons Or Instances Other Than What Is Allowed By The Mississippi Election Code; To Amend Sections 23-15-625, 23-15-627, 23-15-631, 23-15-637, 23-15-713, 23-15-715 And 23-15-719, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Conform; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Create The Hbcu Equity Fund To Eliminate Documented Equity Gaps In Operating Funding, Address Deferred Maintenance And Capital Needs, And Support Academic Programs, Research Capacity And Student Services; To Provide For Distribution Of Funds; To Require The Board Of Trustees Of State Institutions Of Higher Learning To Conduct A Biennial Facilities Assessment Of All Public Hbcs And Disburse Monies Accordingly; To Provide For Competitive Grants; To Provide Appropriate Sources Of Monies For The Fund; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Establish The "mississippi Grain Indemnity Act"; To Create New Section 75-46-1, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Name The Act As Such; To Create New Section 75-46-3, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide For Definitions To Terminology Used In The Act; To Create New Section 75-46-5, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Establish The Mississippi Grain Indemnity Board, Provide For Its Composition And The Initial And Subsequent Terms Of Board Members; To Establish The Mississippi Grain Indemnity Trust Fund As A Special Fund In The State Treasury; To Stipulate The Uses Of Monies Deposited Into The Fund; To Create New Section 75-46-7, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide That The Fund Shall Be Administered By The Board, Which Shall Have Authority To Contract With A Third Party To Administer Payments And Handle All Accounting Functions Related To The Fund; To Create New Section 75-46-9, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require Grain Producers To Pay An Assessment On All Marketed Grain Sold To A First Purchaser Licensee Beginning On July 1, 2022; To Create New Section 75-46-11, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require The Assessment To Be Collected By The First Purchaser Licensee Or Any Agent Or Representative Of The Licensee, Who Shall Deduct Such Assessment From The Purchase Price; To Establish The Date By Which The Licensees Must Submit Assessments To The Board Following Its Collection; To Create New Section 75-46-13, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Designate The Assessment Collection Period And Establish Amounts For Threshold Trust Fund Balances; To Create New Section 75-46-15, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require First Purchaser Licensees To Maintain A Ledger Of All Assessments Collected, Which Such Records Shall Be Made Available To The Board Upon Request; To Limit The Commissioner Of Agriculture And Commerce's Authority To Disclose Information Obtained From The Ledger Of Assessments; To Create New Section 75-46-17, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide That Participation In The Fund Is Voluntary; To Require Nonparticipants To Notify The Commissioner By The Preceding June 1 Of Such Year That The Producer Has Opted Out; To Provide That Nonparticipation In The Fund Disqualifies Such Individuals From Receipt Of Any Payment For A Contract Or Storage Loss Of Grain Produced During Such Crop Due To The Failure Of A First Purchaser Licensee; To Provide Additional Notice To Be Given To The First Purchaser Licensee; To Allow A Refund Of Assessments Paid To Producers Who Opt Out Of The Fund; To Create New Section 75-46-19, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide That The Commissioner Shall Determine When A First Purchaser Licensee Has Failed; To Prescribe Procedures To Be Followed By The Commissioner Upon The Making Of Such Determination Of Failure; To Create New Section 75-46-21, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Prescribe The Process To Be Followed For The Timely Adjudication Of Claims Alleging Failure Of First Purchaser Licensees; To Create New Section 75-46-23, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require The Commissioner Or The Designees To Make A Preliminary Determination Of Eligibility For Payment From The Fund Resulting From Submitted Claims; To Provide That The Board Shall Make The Final Determination On Payments Of Claims; To Authorize The Board To Seek Any Additional Information Necessary To Adjudicate The Claim; To Prescribe Procedures To Be Followed When Only A Partial Payment Of Claim Is Made; To Specify The Timeline For Certain Responses And Actions By The Board And Claimant; To Provide Claimants With An Option To Request A Review Of The Board's Final Adjudication Of The Claim; To Provide For Administrative Procedures Process For Appeals Of The Board's Final Adjudication; To Create New Section 75-46-25, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Prescribe The Method Of Calculating The Payment Of Claims For Storage Or Contract Losses Suffered; To Create New Section 75-46-27, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require The Board To Make Payments Of Claims On A Pro Rata Basis At Any Time The Total Amount Of Eligible Claims Exceeds The Amount Of Funds Available; To Create New Section 75-46-29, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide The Commissioner With The Authority To Revoke The License Of A First Purchaser Licensee For Failure To Timely Collect And Submit Assessments To The Board; To Create New Section 75-46-31, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require The Commissioner To Establish A Toll-free Hotline And Other Information Collection Processes For The Purposes Of Receiving Information On Licensee Failure To Perform; To Create New Section 75-46-33, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide For The Inspection Of The Board's Records, Accounts And Other Documents By The Office Of The State Auditor; To Create New Section 75-46-35, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Authorize The Board To Adopt Any Rules And Regulations Deemed Necessary To Administer The Act; To Create New Section 75-46-37, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Authorize The Board To Adopt Necessary Rules And Regulations To Carry Out The Provisions Of This Act; To Amend Sections 75-44-29, 75-44-31, 75-44-35, 75-45-304, 75-45-305, 75-45-307 And 75-45-311, Mississippi Code Of 1972, In Conformity To The Preceding Provisions; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Authorize The Mississippi Dyslexia Institute To Establish A Structured Literacy Pilot Program; To Provide Regulatory Flexibility; To Establish An Evidence-based Alternative To Grade Retention Aligned With Mississippi's Third Grade Reading Gate Statutes; To Improve Identification And Remediation Of Dyslexia; To Establish Public-private Partnerships; To Require Accountability And Reporting; To Develop An Orton-gillingham Structured Literacy Program With A Teacher Training Component; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Bring Forward Sections 37-151-201, 37-151-203, 37-151-205, 37-151-207, 37-151-209, 37-151-211, 37-151-213, 37-151-215 And 37-57-1, Mississippi Code Of 1972, Which Establish The Mississippi Student Funding Formula; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 93-5-24, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Create A Rebuttable Presumption In Favor Of Joint Custody With Equal Parenting Time In All Custody Matters; To Provide That The Presumption Shall Be Rebuttable By A Preponderance Of The Evidence; To Provide For The Calculation Of Child Support Where The Court Awards Joint Custody With Equally Shared Parenting Time; To Require A Court To Document The Reasons From Deviating From The Presumption Unless Both Parents Petition For A Deviation; To Clarify That This Section Shall Apply To All Custody Determinations; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 27-31-104, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide That For Any Project With A Capital Investment In Excess Of $1,000,000,000.00 For Which A Fee-in-lieu Of Ad Valorem Tax Agreement Is Entered Into After July 1, 2026, A Portion Of The Sum Allowed As A Fee-in-lieu On The Portion Of The Project In Excess Of $1,000,000,000.00 Shall Be Deposited Into The Mississippi Strategic Development Fund Created In This Act; To Extend The Date Of The Reverter On The Section Of Law; To Create The "mississippi Strategic Development Fund" As A Special Fund In The State Treasury; To Provide That Monies In The Fund Shall Be Expended By The Mississippi Development Authority, Upon Appropriation By The Legislature, To Provide Assistance Related To Projects In Mississippi For Making Strategic Infrastructure Investments, Furthering Economic Development And Making Quality Of Life Improvements Statewide; To Bring Forward Section 27-31-105, Mississippi Code Of 1972, Which Authorizes County Boards Of Supervisors And Municipal Authorities To Grant A Fee-in-lieu Of Ad Valorem Taxes For Expansions Of Facilities Or Properties, For The Purposes Of Possible Amendment; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Require The Board Of Trustees Of The Public Employees' Retirement System Of Mississippi To Open, Maintain And Manage An Account That Shall Be Designated The Pers Tier 5 Cola Account; To Require The Board To Manage The Monies In The Pers Tier 5 Cola Account Pursuant To Applicable Laws And The Rules And Regulations Of The Board Of Trustees Of The Public Employees' Retirement System Of Mississippi As Trustee Of These Monies; To Require The State Treasurer, In Conjunction With The State Fiscal Officer, On July 1, 2026, And On Every July 1 Thereafter Through And Including July 1, 2035, To Transfer $5,000,000.00 From The State General Fund To The Additional Annual Benefit For Tier 5 Fund; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Establish The Gulf Coast Restoration Revolving Loan Program For The Purpose Of Providing Loan Assistance To Eligible Applicants For Eligible Projects In The Gulf Coast Region; To Provide That The Program Shall Be Administered By The Department Of Finance And Administration And The South Mississippi Planning And Development District; To Create A Special Fund In The State Treasury To Be Designated As The Gulf Coast Restoration Revolving Loan Program Fund; To Provide That Monies In The Revolving Fund Shall Be Administered By The Department And The District, And Shall Be Used, Only Upon Appropriation By The Legislature, For The Purpose Of Providing Loan Assistance To Eligible Applicants For Eligible Projects, Which Shall Be Determined By The Legislature By Separate Line Items In An Appropriation Bill; To Provide That After The Mississippi Development Authority Has Presented The Legislature With The Applications For Assistance And Its Recommendations For Assistance To Individual Projects From The Gulf Coast Restoration Fund (gcrf), The Legislature May Authorize Loan Assistance To Eligible Applicants For Individual Eligible Projects Under This Act; To Provide That The Legislature Shall Determine The Individual Projects For Which Loan Assistance Will Be Provided Under This Act By Separate Line Items In The Appropriation Bill For The Department Of Finance And Administration; To Provide That An Eligible Applicant May Receive Loan Assistance Under This Act In Addition To Receiving Assistance From The Gcrf, And An Eligible Applicant May Receive Loan Assistance Under This Act Without Receiving Assistance From The Gcrf; To Provide That It Is Not A Requirement That An Eligible Applicant Be A Recipient Of Assistance From The Gcrf In Order To Receive Loan Assistance Under This Act; To Provide That The Department Shall Provide The District With Monies From The Revolving Fund That Are Sufficient To Make The Loan Assistance That Has Been Authorized By The Legislature In The Appropriation Bill; To Provide That The Interest Rate On Loans Made Under This Section Shall Be Determined By The District, But Not More Than Three And One Half Percent Per Annum Fixed Interest Rate; To Provide That The District Shall Administer The Loans Made Under This Act By Distributing The Funds To The Recipients And Receiving The Repayments Of Principal And Interest Derived From Loans, Which Shall Be Deposited In The Revolving Fund To Be Used For Additional Loan Assistance; To Provide That The Department Shall Promulgate Such Rules, Regulations And Procedures As Necessary To Effectuate The Purposes Of This Act; To Provide That All Expenses Of The Department In Carrying Out Its Duties And Responsibilities Under This Act Shall Be Paid From Funds In The Revolving Fund; To Require The Department To File An Annual Report With The Speaker Of The House, The Lieutenant Governor, The Chairs Of The Appropriations Committees Of The House And The Senate, And The Legislative Budget Office Not Later Than December 1 Of Each Year, Which Shall Include Detailed Information Regarding Certain Specific Areas; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Bring Forward Sections 37-191-1, 37-191-3, 37-191-5, 37-191-7, 37-191-9, 37-191-11, 37-191-13, 37-191-15 And 37-191-17, Mississippi Code Of 1972, Which Regulate Diversity, Equity And Inclusion In K-12, Universities And Colleges, For Purposes Of Amendment; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 1, Chapter 445, Laws Of 2016, To Authorize The Department Of Finance And Administration To Defer The Recommendation Of The University Of Southern Mississippi For The Terms Of Sale As Approved By The Board Of Trustees Of State Institutions Of Higher Learning For Property Under The Possession And Control Of The University Of Southern Mississippi Which Has Been Authorized For Lease; And For Related Purposes.

A Concurrent Resolution Proposing An Amendment To The Mississippi Constitution Of 1890 To Require All Candidates Running For State And County Elections To Secure The Majority Vote To Be Elected; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 93-17-3, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Authorize County Courts And Youth Courts To Have Jurisdiction Over Adoption Proceedings; And For Related Purposes.

An Act To Amend Section 19-25-3, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require That Future Candidates For Sheriff Must Be Certified Law Enforcement Officers; To Provide An Exemption To This Provision For Individuals Elected As Sheriff Prior To July 1, 2026; And For Related Purposes.