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HB1669 • 2026

Youth court jurisdiction; exclude youth previously adjudicated delinquent for committing certain acts with firearm.

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 43-21-151, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE EXCLUSIVE ORIGINAL JURISDICTION OF THE YOUTH COURT BY PROVIDING THAT THE CIRCUIT COURT SHALL HAVE ORIGINAL JURISDICTION OF A CHILD IF THE CHILD HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY ADJUDICATED A DELINQUENT FOR COMMITTING AN ACT WITH A FIREARM, IF SUCH ACT WOULD BE A FELONY IF COMMITTED BY AN ADULT, AND THE CHILD COMMITS A SUBSEQUENT ACT WITH A FIREARM AFTER BEING PREVIOUSLY ADJUDICATED A DELINQUENT IN THE YOUTH COURT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Children Firearms
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Yates
Last action
2026-02-03
Official status
Dead
Effective date
July 1, 20

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass and therefore its provisions are not currently enforceable.

Youth Court Rules for Firearm Offenses

This bill changes the rules about which court can hear cases involving young people who have used firearms in crimes if they were previously found guilty of similar offenses.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes when a circuit court, not a youth court, has to handle cases of children using guns if they were already found guilty for similar offenses before.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Children who have used guns while committing crimes and were previously punished by the youth court for similar offenses.
  • Courts that handle juvenile delinquency cases, specifically youth courts and circuit courts.

Terms To Know

youth court
A special court designed to deal with young people who break laws or are in trouble.
circuit court
A general court that handles many types of cases, including serious crimes and civil disputes.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass during the session it was introduced.
  • It only applies to children who have been previously found guilty by a youth court for using firearms in criminal acts.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-03 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/03 (H) Died In Committee

  2. 2026-01-19 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/19 (H) Referred To Judiciary A

Official Summary Text

Youth court jurisdiction; exclude youth previously adjudicated delinquent for committing certain acts with firearm.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
H. B. No. 1669 *HR26/R1087* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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PAGE 1 (OM\KW)

To: Judiciary A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Yates

HOUSE BILL NO. 1669

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 43-21-151, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
TO REVISE THE EXCLUSIVE ORIGINAL JURISDICTION OF THE YOUTH COURT 2
BY PROVIDING THAT THE CIRCUIT COURT SHALL HAVE ORIGINAL 3
JURISDICTION OF A CHILD IF THE CHILD HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY 4
ADJUDICATED A DELINQUENT FOR COMMITTING AN ACT WITH A FIREARM, IF 5
SUCH ACT WOULD BE A FELONY IF COMMITTED BY AN ADULT, AND THE CHILD 6
COMMITS A SUBSEQUENT ACT WITH A FIREARM AFTER BEING PREVIOUSLY 7
ADJUDICATED A DELINQUENT IN THE YOUTH COURT; AND FOR RELATED 8
PURPOSES. 9
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 10
SECTION 1. Section 43-21-151, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 11
amended as follows: 12
43-21-151. (1) The youth court shall have exclusive 13
original jurisdiction in all proceedings concerning a delinquent 14
child, a child in need of supervision, a neglected child, an 15
abused child or a dependent child except in the following 16
circumstances: 17
(a) Any act attempted or committed by a child, which if 18
committed by an adult would be punishable under state or federal 19
law by life imprisonment or death, will be in the original 20
jurisdiction of the circuit court; 21
H. B. No. 1669 *HR26/R1087* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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(b) (i) Any act attempted or committed by a child with 22
the use of a deadly weapon, the carrying of which concealed is 23
prohibited by Section 97-37-1, or a shotgun or a rifle, which 24
would be a felony if committed by an adult, will be in the 25
original jurisdiction of the circuit court * * *. 26
(ii) Any act attempted or committed by a child 27
with the use of a firearm while committing such act, which would 28
be a felony if committed by an adult, and the child has been 29
adjudicated once delinquent previously for such an act by the 30
youth court, will be in the original jurisdiction of the circuit 31
court; 32
(c) When a charge of abuse or neglect of a child first 33
arises in the course of a custody action between the parents of 34
the child already pending in the chancery court and no notice of 35
such abuse was provided prior to such chancery proceedings, the 36
chancery court may proceed with the investigation, hearing and 37
determination of such abuse or neglect charge as a part of its 38
hearing and determination of the custody issue as between the 39
parents, notwithstanding the other provisions of the Youth Court 40
Law. The proceedings in chancery court on the abuse or neglect 41
charge shall be confidential in the same manner as provided in 42
youth court proceedings. 43
When a child is expelled from the public schools, the youth 44
court shall be notified of the act of expulsion and the act or 45
acts constituting the basis for expulsion. 46
H. B. No. 1669 *HR26/R1087* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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(2) Jurisdiction of the child in the cause shall attach at 47
the time of the offense, or at the time of the allegation of 48
abuse, neglect or exploitation, and shall continue thereafter for 49
that offense or the allegations of abuse, neglect or exploitation 50
until the child's twentieth birthday, unless sooner terminated by 51
order of the youth court. The youth court shall not have 52
jurisdiction over offenses committed by a child on or after his 53
eighteenth birthday, nor have jurisdiction of abuse, neglect, or 54
exploitation committed against a child after their eighteenth 55
birthday. 56
(3) No child who has not reached his thirteenth birthday 57
shall be held criminally responsible or criminally prosecuted for 58
a misdemeanor or felony; however, the parent, guardian or 59
custodian of such child may be civilly liable for any criminal 60
acts of such child. No child under the jurisdiction of the youth 61
court shall be held criminally responsible or criminally 62
prosecuted by any court for any act designated as a delinquent 63
act, unless jurisdiction is transferred to another court under 64
Section 43-21-157. 65
(4) The youth court shall also have jurisdiction of offenses 66
committed by a child which have been transferred to the youth 67
court by an order of a circuit court of this state having original 68
jurisdiction of the offense, as provided by Section 43-21-159. 69
(5) The youth court shall regulate and approve the use of 70
teen court as provided in Section 43-21-753. 71
H. B. No. 1669 *HR26/R1087* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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ST: Youth court jurisdiction; exclude youth
previously adjudicated delinquent for committing
certain acts with firearm.
(6) Nothing in this section shall prevent the circuit court 72
from assuming jurisdiction over a youth who has committed an act 73
of delinquency upon a youth court's ruling that a transfer is 74
appropriate pursuant to Section 43-21-157. 75
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 76
and after July 1, 2026. 77