Read the full stored bill text
H. B. No. 1282 *HR43/R1071* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/HR43/R1071
PAGE 1 (OM\KP)
To: Judiciary B;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representative Harness
HOUSE BILL NO. 1282
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE SUPPLEMENTAL SALARY PAY FOR LAW 1
ENFORCEMENT ACT OF 2026; TO DEFINE CERTAIN TERMS; TO PROVIDE THAT 2
ANY CERTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WHO HAS BEEN EMPLOYED IN LAW 3
ENFORCEMENT FOR AT LEAST A YEAR SHALL BE ENTITLED TO ADDITIONAL 4
COMPENSATION IN THE AMOUNT OF SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS PER YEAR; TO 5
PROVIDE THAT SUCH SUPPLEMENTAL SALARY SHALL BE PAID BY THE STATE 6
OF MISSISSIPPI; TO PROVIDE THAT IF SUCH ADDITIONAL PAY IS DENIED 7
TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, THEN SUCH OFFICER SHALL HAVE A 8
CERTAIN RIGHT OF APPEAL; TO CREATE A BOARD OF REVIEW TO ADDRESS 9
QUESTIONS OF ELIGIBILITY FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL SALARY; TO CREATE A 10
SPECIAL FUND ENTITLED THE "SUPPLEMENTAL SALARY PAY FOR LAW 11
ENFORCEMENT FUND"; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 12
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 13
SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the 14
"Supplemental Salary Pay for Law Enforcement Act of 2026." 15
SECTION 2. Whenever used in this act, the term: 16
(a) "Law enforcement officer" means any person employed 17
full time by the state or any political subdivision thereof, who 18
is duly sworn and vested with authority to bear arms and make 19
arrests, and whose primary responsibility is the prevention and 20
detection of crime, the apprehension of criminals and the 21
enforcement of the criminal and traffic laws of this state and/or 22
the ordinances of any political subdivision thereof. The term 23
H. B. No. 1282 *HR43/R1071* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1071
PAGE 2 (OM\KP)
"law enforcement officer" also includes employees of the 24
Department of Corrections who are designated as law enforcement 25
officers by the Commissioner of Corrections pursuant to Section 26
47-5-54, those district attorney criminal investigators who are 27
designated as law enforcement officers, the acting Commissioner of 28
Public Safety, the acting Director of Mississippi Bureau of 29
Narcotics, the acting Director of the Office of Homeland Security, 30
and any employee of the Department of Public Safety designated by 31
the commissioner who has previously served as a law enforcement 32
officer and who would not otherwise be disqualified to serve in 33
such capacity. However, the term "law enforcement officer" shall 34
not mean or include any elected official or any person employed as 35
a legal assistant to a district attorney in this state, compliance 36
agents of the State Board of Pharmacy, or any person or elected 37
official who, subject to approval by the board, provides some 38
criminal justice related services for a law enforcement agency. 39
(b) "Employed full time" means any person, other than a 40
deputy sheriff or municipal law enforcement officer, who is 41
receiving gross compensation for his or her duties as a law 42
enforcement officer of Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00) or more 43
per week or One Thousand Seventy-five Dollars ($1,075.00) or more 44
per month; for a deputy sheriff or municipal law enforcement 45
officer, the term "employed full time" means a deputy sheriff or 46
municipal law enforcement officer who is receiving gross 47
compensation for his or her duties as a law enforcement officer of 48
H. B. No. 1282 *HR43/R1071* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1071
PAGE 3 (OM\KP)
Four Hundred Seventy-five Dollars ($475.00) or more per week or 49
Two Thousand Fifty Dollars ($2,050.00) or more per month. 50
(c) "Certified law enforcement officer" means any 51
officer who has been certified by the Mississippi Board on Law 52
Enforcement Officer Standards and Training. 53
SECTION 3. (1) In addition to the compensation now paid by 54
any law enforcement agency of the state or any law enforcement 55
agency of a political subdivision of the state that employs one or 56
more certified law enforcement officers on a full-time basis and 57
who have been employed for a minimum of one (1) year with such 58
agency shall be paid by the state extra compensation in the amount 59
of Six Hundred Dollars ($600.00) per year for each full-time law 60
enforcement officer and such payment shall be in addition to the 61
compensation now paid to him or her by his or her employer out of 62
self-generated revenue attributable to the agency employing such 63
officers. 64
(2) If any certified law enforcement officer employed on a 65
full-time basis transfers or begins employment with any other law 66
enforcement agency, the officer shall receive credit for prior 67
service with any such agency. 68
(3) Any law enforcement agency of the state or any law 69
enforcement agency of a political subdivision of the state shall 70
disclose, in writing, at the time the law enforcement officer is 71
hired that such state supplemental pay is entitled to be received 72
by an officer after completing one (1) year of service. 73
H. B. No. 1282 *HR43/R1071* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1071
PAGE 4 (OM\KP)
(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the 74
contrary, no law enforcement agency of the state or any law 75
enforcement agency of a political subdivision of the state shall 76
be subject to penalty for reducing the portion of the salary that 77
represents the state supplemental pay of any law enforcement 78
officer whose salary has been enhanced pursuant to this act for 79
one year by an amount not exceeding the amount of such 80
enhancement. 81
SECTION 4. (1) In the event the additional pay authorized 82
under this act is denied to any person previously receiving the 83
same, such person shall have the right to an appeal to the board 84
of review, created under Section 13 of this act, which may 85
reinstate the additional pay, provided notice of such appeal is 86
filed in writing with the board within thirty (30) days following 87
the denial of the additional pay. The board shall hold a hearing 88
and render a decision within thirty (30) days of the filing of the 89
notice of appeal. 90
(2) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, any person who 91
receives additional pay out of state funds as provided for under 92
this act shall continue to receive such additional state pay 93
during any period of disability resulting from an injury sustained 94
in the line of duty. The additional pay out of state funds shall 95
continue to be paid to such person until such time that such 96
person is determined to be permanently disabled and no longer able 97
to return and perform the duties of his or her employment and is 98
H. B. No. 1282 *HR43/R1071* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1071
PAGE 5 (OM\KP)
separated from his or her employment either through normal 99
retirement or is determined to be eligible for disability 100
retirement benefits. 101
SECTION 5. For purposes of this act the following classes of 102
persons, whether or not duly commissioned as law enforcement 103
officers or having the power to make arrests, shall not be deemed 104
to be a law enforcement officer entitled to additional pay out of 105
state funds: 106
(a) Personnel employed primarily to perform purely 107
clerical or nonenforcement duties, including, but not necessarily 108
restricted to, the following types of duties of persons: 109
typographical; office machine operators; switchboard operators; 110
filing clerks; steno clerks; stenographers; dog pound keepers; 111
school crossing guards; and secretaries except those classified 112
under the municipal fire and police civil service law and those 113
classified as secretary to the chief of police in a classified 114
municipal police employees civil service system or a classified 115
municipal employees civil service system created by legislative 116
act. 117
(b) Personnel whose compensation for the performance of 118
law enforcement work is not paid solely from municipal or tribal 119
funds, except town marshals, city marshals, and constables 120
employed and paid partially by the municipality or tribe and 121
partially by the parish; or 122
H. B. No. 1282 *HR43/R1071* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1071
PAGE 6 (OM\KP)
(c) Personnel employed as law enforcement officers on 123
less than a full-time basis or on an hourly basis. 124
SECTION 6. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the 125
state shall not be liable for any action of the officers based on 126
the payments of the supplemental pay provided for under this act. 127
SECTION 7. For the payment of the supplemental salaries 128
provided under this act, there is hereby created a special fund in 129
the State Treasury, to be known as the "Supplemental Salary Pay 130
for Law Enforcement Fund." The fund shall consist of monies 131
appropriated by an act of the Legislature, to which the 132
appropriations hereinafter made shall be credited, and the funds 133
so credited shall be and remain dedicated to the payment of such 134
supplemental salaries, as provided under this act. 135
SECTION 8. (1) The funds appropriated and dedicated as 136
herein provided shall be disbursed upon warrants approved and 137
certified by any law enforcement agency of the state or any law 138
enforcement agency of a political subdivision of the state of the 139
respective agencies of law enforcement officers under the 140
provisions of this act, and the warrants shall have attached to 141
them a detailed list of the names of the individuals for whose 142
benefit any particular warrant is drawn and such other information 143
as the Department of Finance and Administration may require. 144
(2) If a person who is required to sign a warrant fails to 145
sign it, the person shall forward by certified mail to the 146
Department of Finance and Administration a letter which includes a 147
H. B. No. 1282 *HR43/R1071* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1071
PAGE 7 (OM\KP)
justification for the failure to sign the warrant and supporting 148
documentation. The board of review may approve a warrant that 149
does not include all required signatures. 150
SECTION 9. Any law enforcement agency of the state or any 151
law enforcement agency of a political subdivision of the state 152
shall forward the approved and certified warrants to the 153
Department of Finance and Administration and, on the basis of such 154
warrants, the Department of Finance and Administration shall issue 155
payments in accordance with the provisions of this act. 156
SECTION 10. Any law enforcement agency of the state or any 157
law enforcement agency of a political subdivision of the state 158
employing the individuals entitled to additional compensation from 159
the state under the provisions of this act and who is charged with 160
the responsibility of preparing the payrolls for such individuals, 161
shall include the additional compensation paid by the state to 162
such individuals in the calculation and deduction from the pay of 163
such individuals the sums required by state or federal law to be 164
withheld by an employer, such as federal income tax and social 165
security tax or contributions to state or local retirement 166
systems. Any officials so charged with withholding sums from the 167
pay of the individuals shall be further charged with the 168
responsibility of transmitting the sums so withheld in accordance 169
with the law or laws requiring the withholding. 170
SECTION 11. The additional compensation paid by the state to 171
individuals as authorized under this act shall be included in the 172
H. B. No. 1282 *HR43/R1071* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1071
PAGE 8 (OM\KP)
calculation and computation of the total wages paid to the 173
individual in the determination of employer contributions to any 174
retirement system or pension fund of which the individual may be a 175
member as well as in the determination of retirement eligibility 176
and benefits which may accrue to the individual under any 177
retirement system or pension fund, as well as in the determination 178
of any other employee benefits, sick leave, or disability pay to 179
which the individual might be entitled with the exception of 180
workers' compensation benefits. 181
SECTION 12. Any reduction of the salary of any individual, 182
which salary is in effect on July 1, 2026, whether by the 183
governing authority or by any pay plan under the provisions of any 184
civil service law, or otherwise, shall be void where it is made 185
solely by reason of the additional compensation by the state under 186
this act. Any appropriation made by the Legislature which results 187
in a salary adjustment to the state supplemental pay program under 188
this act shall not have the effect of reducing or replacing any 189
base salary or benefits paid by the local governing authority from 190
other sources. 191
SECTION 13. (1) There is hereby created a board of review 192
which shall be composed of nine (9) members as follows: 193
(a) The Executive Director of the Department of Finance 194
and Administration or his or her designee. 195
(b) A member of the Mississippi Association of Chiefs 196
of Police, appointed by the president of the association. 197
H. B. No. 1282 *HR43/R1071* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1071
PAGE 9 (OM\KP)
(c) The Executive Director of the Department of Public 198
Safety or his or her designee. 199
(d) A member of the Mississippi Law Enforcement 200
Officer's Association, appointed by the association's president. 201
(e) A member of the Mississippi Board on Officer Law 202
Enforcement Officer Standards and Training, appointed by the 203
Governor. 204
(f) A member of the Mississippi Municipal League, 205
appointed by the executive director of the league. 206
(g) A member of the Mississippi Constables Association, 207
appointed by the president of the association. 208
(h) A member of the Mississippi Sheriffs' Association, 209
appointed by the president of the association. 210
(i) A member of the Mississippi State Troopers 211
Association, appointed by the Governor. 212
(2) Members of the board of review shall serve for terms of 213
four (4) years, with no member being appointed for more than three 214
(3) consecutive terms. Vacancies on the board of review shall be 215
filled by appointment in like manner for the balance of the 216
unexpired term and each member shall serve until his or her 217
successor is appointed in like manner for the balance of an 218
unexpired term and each member shall serve until his or her 219
successor is appointed. 220
(3) Whenever any question arises as to the eligibility of 221
any person to receive additional pay out of state funds as 222
H. B. No. 1282 *HR43/R1071* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1071
PAGE 10 (OM\KP)
ST: Supplemental Salary Pay for Law Enforcement
Act of 2026; establish.
provided under this act, the question thereof, together with all 223
of the facts relating thereto, shall be submitted to the board of 224
review, created under this section, for determination, and the 225
decision of the board with regard to eligibility shall be final. 226
(4) If it is determined by the board of review, as 227
established by this section, that supplemental salaries are due to 228
eligible recipients for back periods of time, the board shall 229
certify to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee that such 230
payment is due. Upon receipt of such certification, the Joint 231
Legislative Budget Committee may, in its discretion, approve 232
payment of all or a portion of such supplemental salary from the 233
special fund created under Section 7 of this act; however, no 234
payment shall be made to any one recipient in excess of Ten 235
Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) at any one time. 236
SECTION 14. This act shall take effect and be in force from 237
and after July 1, 2026. 238