Summary of several pieces of legislation

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Below is the summary of several pieces of legislation the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office will support in the 2015 Legislative Session.
1.       Autism Advocate Bill– This bill requires health insurance policies to provide coverage for the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. ***HB 885 (sponsored by Rep. Steve Massengill) passed the House and has been transmitted to the Senate. *SB 2581 (sponsored by Sen. Rita Parks) is currently on the Senate calendar for consideration.
2.       Mississippi Uniform Limited Partnership Act – The Mississippi Uniform Limited Partnership Act updates and modernizes limited partnership law in Mississippi. The current laws are based on the Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act (RULPA 1978/1985) and were adopted in 1987. These updates would provide clearer protection for limited partners, perpetual duration for limited partnerships, expanded purposes for limited partnerships (allowing asset protection and estate planning type measures), and the formation of Limited Liability Limited Partnerships (LLLP’s). ***SB 2310 (sponsored by Sen. Sean Tindell) passed the Senate and has been transmitted to the House.
3.       Presidential Primary Date – In an effort to have the Presidential Primary in the southern states on the same date, the proposed legislation would move the Presidential Primary to the first Tuesday in March. We believe the proposed legislation would cause Presidential candidates to focus more closely on southern states. *HB 933 (sponsored by Rep. Bill Denny) is currently on the House calendar for consideration. *SB 2531(sponsored by Sen. Terry Burton) is currently on the Senate calendar for consideration.
4.       Expansion Relocation Tax Credit – Provides a tax credit in the amount of actual relocation costs to existing Mississippi businesses expanding their workforce. The businesses must qualify for the jobs tax credit provided in the Economic Development Reform Act and relocate employees to the State of Mississippi from outside the State. **SB 2782 (sponsored by Sen. Joey Fillingane) has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee.
5.       Employee Pass-Through Jobs Tax Credit – Allows a business receiving a jobs tax credit to pass all, or a portion, of the credit to one or more employees of the company in lieu of claiming the credit at the business level. **SB 2783 (sponsored by Sen. Joey Fillingane) has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee.
6.       Cat Island – Proposes legislation to allow the Secretary of State to negotiate with the United States and its agencies, including the National Park Service, for an in-kind acquisition of land on Cat Island. This acquisition would consolidate current holdings into contiguous tracts of land for the State of Mississippi and United States. ***HB 884 (sponsored by Rep. Casey Eure) passed the House and has been transmitted to the Senate. ***SB 2438 (sponsored by Sen. Sean Tindell) passed the Senate and has been transmitted to the House.
7.       Mississippi Iranian Divestment Act – Based on the “Comprehensive Iran Sanctions Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010” (Public Law 111-195). This federal law expressly prohibits States from contracting with companies involved in the Iranian energy sector. The bill prohibits the state, any agency, or political subdivision from entering into a contract with any company which (1) engages in business valued at $20 million in the Iranian energy sector, or, (2) invests in the Iranian energy sector in an amount of $20 million. The proposal requires the Executive Director of the Department of Finance Administration (DFA) to maintain a list of any company matching these criteria, as well as notice provisions and the ability to challenge the Executive Director’s determination. ***HB 1127 (sponsored by Rep. Jerry Turner) passed the House and has been transmitted to the Senate. *SB 2807 (sponsored by Sen. Nancy Collins) is currently on the Senate calendar for consideration.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Nathan Upchurch, Legislative Director, at (601) 359-3123 or Nathan.Upchurch@sos.ms.gov.
*Indicates the bill is subject to a February 12 deadline for floor action on a bill originating in its own house.
**Indicates the bill is subject to a February 25 deadline for floor action on a bill originating in its own house.
***Indicates the bill is subject to a March 3 deadline for committee action on a bill originating in the other house.