These new state laws take effect on July 1
Several new Mississippi laws are scheduled to take effect July 1, bringing major changes to juvenile justice, voting procedures and child custody. One law is partially tied up in federal court, but all three are worth watching.
Mississippi policy guru Hannah Williams is back to tell you what you need to know.
First, Senate Bill 2710 expands penalties for crimes involving firearms.
The new law allows children as young as 10 years old who are charged with certain violent crimes while possessing a firearm to be transferred to adult court and prosecuted as adults. It also creates penalties for adults who knowingly provide firearms used in those crimes.
The measure establishes a new felony offense for shooting into a crowd of two or more people, regardless of whether anyone is actually struck.
Supporters, including Republican Attorney General Lynn Fitch, say the law is needed to address rising youth gun violence and repeat firearm offenses.
Critics argue that prosecuting more children as adults could deepen the school-to-prison pipeline, overlooks research on adolescent brain development and raises concerns about placing children in the adult criminal justice system.
Read more after the video.
Next, House Bill 2588, known as the Shield Act (Safeguard Honesty, Integrity, and Elections for Lasting Democracy Act), was also scheduled to take effect July 1. However, a federal judge has blocked part of the law involving the federal SAVE database while legal challenges continue.
If fully implemented, the law would require election officials to verify a voter’s citizenship through multiple government databases. If citizenship cannot be confirmed, applicants would have to provide documentation proving they are U.S. citizens before completing registration.
The law also requires annual reviews of Mississippi’s voter rolls using the SAVE database. If officials cannot verify a registered voter’s citizenship, that voter’s registration would be flagged while the matter is investigated.
Supporters say the law helps ensure only eligible citizens register to vote.
Opponents warn it could create barriers for eligible voters whose records contain discrepancies, including people who have changed their names after marriage or students who register to vote while attending college in Mississippi.
We’ll continue following the court proceedings and what they mean for implementation.
Finally, House Bill 1662 creates a legal presumption that equal (50/50) physical custody is in a child’s best interest.
The law does not require every custody case to end with equal parenting time. Instead, it shifts the starting point for judges, meaning a parent seeking primary physical custody will generally need to show why an equal custody arrangement would not be in the child’s best interest.
Supporters say the change encourages both parents to remain actively involved in their children’s lives.
Critics question whether a default 50/50 framework adequately accounts for complicated family situations and whether it could create unintended consequences in difficult custody disputes.
Either way, it marks one of the most significant changes to Mississippi child custody law in decades.
Other notable laws taking effect include:
House Bill 525, which sets mandatory minimum sentences for sexual battery, five to 30 years for a first offense and 10 to 40 for a second, scaled by the age of the victim. The law also makes the death penalty available in the most severe cases, where a child 12 or younger is sexually abused and suffers injuries that damage internal organs. Only a few states allow capital punishment for child sexual battery.
Known as Jill’s Law, House Bill 565 requires most health insurance plans in the state, including private plans, Medicaid and the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan, to cover biomarker testing when clinical evidence supports it. Biomarkers are biological indicators, detected through imaging or fluid samples, that can reveal a disease or the risk of developing one.
House Bill 1935, which gives Mississippi teachers a $2,000 raise. Special education teachers receive an additional $2,000, for $4,000 total, and assistant teachers, school psychologists and occupational therapists also receive $2,000. School resource officers get a $5,000 increase.
Senate Bill 2369, which withholds casino and gaming winnings from people who are behind on child support. The law takes effect today, though the Gaming Commission and the Department of Human Services have until Jan. 1, 2027, to build the system. About 170,000 of Mississippi’s roughly 200,000 child support cases involve arrearages.
A complete list of laws taking effect July 1 is available on the legislature’s website.
As always, stay informed. Ask questions. And read the bill—because somebody has to.
Additional reporting by Derrion Arrington
Image: Hannah Williams (courtesy)