The Legislature is set to host Conference Weekend this Saturday and Sunday, so lawmakers are preparing to discuss bills that have not yet been resolved. Legislators are saying that they could potentially end the session a few days early, but everything is still up in the air for the time being.
Here is what has been going on this week in the Capitol!
Gov. Tate Reeves has been busy signing and approving bills that have come across his desk.
Post-partum Medicaid coverage has officially been enacted into law after Reeves signed SB 2212. This bill provides Medicaid coverage to mothers for an entire year after giving birth, compared to the two months of coverage previously provided.
Post-partum coverage will begin in July.
Aside from approving legislation, Reeves has also vetoed a few bills that he believes are not good policies for Mississippi.
SB 2224 would have authorized the Insurance Commissioner to adopt rules and regulations addressing particular provider reimbursement rates. After passing the Senate unanimously and the House by a vote of 111 to 5, Reeves vetoed the bill, citing it was anti-free market.
Reeves said this bill gives the Commissioner too much power in overseeing healthcare rates and establishing contracts between private parties, and if passed, he feared it would have violated several constitutional provisions.
Reeves vetoed another bill this week that dealt with insurance. SB 2622 focused on the Medicaid program known as the "Mississippi Prior Authorization Reform Act."
While the bill would force insurance companies to give an answer faster than they had been, Reeves said, it has a few unintended consequences such as increased costs and incorrectly placed administrative hearings.
Along with new bills arriving on the governor's desk daily, lawmakers are still working hard to ensure the final few pieces of legislation survive during the last few weeks of the session.
HB 1723 from Rep. Trey Lamar would grant tax credits to businesses that support food banks. Businesses now can get a dollar-for-dollar credit from the Department of Revenue for donating to one of the state's four food banks.
While we would like to see full income tax elimination when dealing with tax policy, tax credits such as this are a step in the right direction. This bill has passed both chambers and is awaiting approval from the governor.
Mississippi could soon see Safe Haven Baby Box protection in the state. If HB 1318 passes out of conference, mothers, as a last resort during desperate times, will have 45 days after birth to drop off their child in a safe location without legal repercussions. It will also allow for an easier installation process for these boxes.
In a Post-Dobbs era, we believe that having a resource such as this will save the lives of many babies.
Both SB 2346 and HB 1315 would ban minors from accessing pornographic material. The wording differs in the two bills, with each being taken to conference for further discussion.
