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MississippiHB 19302026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

Appropriation; State Public Defender, Office of.

Sponsored By: Mims

Signed by Governor

Appropriations DAppropriations AAppropriations

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

More funding and staff for public defenders

The Office of State Public Defender gets $4.678 million from the state General Fund and $728,677 from special funds for July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. The office can have 25 permanent positions during this year. $446,521 pays for three full-time assistant public defenders. General Fund money cannot replace federal or other special funds used for salaries that are withdrawn.

More help for families in youth court

The law provides $572,500 to hire trained attorneys for indigent parents and guardians in abuse, neglect, and termination cases. It also funds $235,926 to employ a Youth Defender and a legal assistant for training and appeals. Family Defenders in Youth Court get $150,000 for the same fiscal year. To spend the $150,000, the office must file two reports: one for July–December 2026 due January 15, 2027, and one for January–June 2027 due July 15, 2027, listing attorneys, caseloads, cases over one year, case outcomes, termination cases, and counts of children adjudicated neglected or abused.

Rural and Hinds County defense funding

A rural public defense pilot program gets $578,677 from the Capital Expense Fund for July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. These funds cannot be used to replace county‑paid public defenders. The law also reappropriates $200,000 for the Rural Legal Defense Pilot and $36,000 for the Hinds County Public Defender, limited to unspent balances as of June 30, 2026 and keeping the original purposes.

Spending limits and performance rules for defenders

The Public Defender must meet FY2027 targets for capital cases, including opening 75% of trial cases within a year and reporting reversals for ineffective counsel, and must report results in its FY2028 budget request. When bids tie, purchases favor Mississippi Industries for the Blind; a similar preference applies to noncompetitive buys. State agencies cannot spend or promise more than their approved budget, and officials can be held personally responsible if they do.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Mims

    Affiliation unavailable

Cosponsors

  • Manly Barton

    Republican • House

  • Angela Cockerham

    Independent • House

  • John G. Faulkner

    Democratic • House

  • Jay McKnight

    Republican • House

  • John Read

    Republican • House

  • Randy Rushing

    Republican • House

  • Percy W. Watson

    Democratic • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 334 • No: 0

House vote • 3/29/2026

Conference Report Adopted

Yes: 116 • No: 0

Senate vote • 3/29/2026

Conference Report Adopted

Yes: 46 • No: 0 • Other: 4

Senate vote • 3/12/2026

Passed As Amended

Yes: 51 • No: 0

House vote • 2/19/2026

Passed

Yes: 121 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Approved by Governor

    4/6/2026legislature

  2. Enrolled Bill Signed

    4/1/2026Senate

  3. Enrolled Bill Signed

    4/1/2026House

  4. Conference Report Adopted

    3/29/2026Senate

  5. Conference Report Adopted

    3/29/2026House

  6. Conference Report Filed

    3/27/2026Senate

  7. Conference Report Filed

    3/27/2026House

  8. Conferees Named Hopson,Wiggins,Turner-Ford

    3/19/2026Senate

  9. Conferees Named Mims,Hood,Cockerham

    3/19/2026House

  10. Decline to Concur/Invite Conf

    3/18/2026House

  11. Returned For Concurrence

    3/13/2026Senate

  12. Passed As Amended

    3/12/2026Senate

  13. Amended

    3/12/2026Senate

  14. Title Suff Do Pass As Amended

    3/12/2026Senate

  15. Referred To Appropriations

    2/27/2026Senate

  16. Transmitted To Senate

    2/20/2026House

  17. Passed

    2/19/2026House

  18. Title Suff Do Pass

    2/18/2026House

  19. DR - TSDP: AP To A3

    2/18/2026House

  20. DR - TSDP: A3 To AP

    2/17/2026House

  21. Referred To Appropriations D;Appropriations A

    2/16/2026House

Bill Text

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