The Mississippi legislature entered its third week of the 2019 Legislative Session when it gavaled in on Monday afternoon. The deadline for introducing bills was Monday night, so the calendar quickly became full with bills and resolutions to discuss. Although most work is still happening in committees, several pieces of legislation reached the House floor.
On Tuesday, House Bill 571 was introduced to the House as a whole. HB 571 would work to end the commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking of children. More significantly, Section 97-29-49 of the Mississippi Code of 1972 was amended in the bill to decriminalize prostitution so minors under 18 cannot be charged with prostitution. The bill comes after Speaker Philip Gunn’s Commission on Public Policy hosted a summit on human trafficking in Mississippi on October 3, 2018. HB 571 passed with a bipartisan vote of 116-3, and it will be sent to the Senate for consideration.
Other relatively uncontested bills brought to the House floor included a bill prohibiting any food product that contains animal tissue and plant or insect-based products from being labeled as meat (HB 793), legislation increasing the maximum annual gross sales of a cottage food operation (HB 702) and a bill that would exclude equipment operated and owned by the Mississippi Military Department from the definition of commercial motor vehicle under the Commercial Driver’s License Act (HB 751).
Below is a list of bills I’ve authored for the 2019 session.
HB 633
Motor vehicle; remove prohibition on leaving unattended without first stopping the engine and removing the key. 01/16 (H) Referred To Transportation
HB 634
Tax Credit Scholarship Act; create. 01/16 (H) Referred To Education;Ways and Means
HB 856
Deputy sheriffs; remove requirement to be qualified elector of the state. 01/21 (H) Referred To Judiciary B
HB 857
State and United States flag; require state universities to display when in session. 01/21 (H) Referred To Rules
HB 858
Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship Program; prescribe standards for participation. 01/21 (H) Referred To Education
HB 859
Local and private bills proposing to extend local tax for second time; require direct referendum. 01/21 (H) Referred To Local and Private Legislation
HB 909
School term; revise to prohibit beginning before last Monday in August. 01/21 (H) Referred To Education
HB 910
Firearms Protection Act; create. 01/21 (H) Referred To Judiciary B
HB1012
Stun gun; remove the term from the prohibited firearms category. 01/21 (H) Referred To Judiciary B
HB1202
Bureau of Narcotics; revise list of information required to be listed on its seizure and disposition website. 01/21 (H) Referred To Judiciary B
HB1267
Industrial hemp; legalize and regulate for certain purposes. 01/21 (H) Referred To Agriculture
HB1268
Appeal from judgement by a county or municipal authority; revise standard of construction for determining constitutionality. 01/21 (H) Referred To Judiciary A
If you have any questions, concerns, or request, please email me at criswelldana@yahoo.com or give me a call on my cell phone at (901) 275-4191.
It is an honor to serve you, and I humbly ask for your prayers as we seek to make decisions that help the people of our state.
Dana
