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H. B. No. 545 *HR43/R953* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: Judiciary A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representative Zuber
HOUSE BILL NO. 545
AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF A 1
CERTIFICATE OF TITLE FOR A VEHICLE TO PROVIDE A SPACE FOR THE 2
APPLICANT TO VOLUNTARILY INDICATE THE EXISTENCE OF A CONDITION 3
THAT IMPEDES HIS OR HER ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE WITH A 4
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER; TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE TO 5
REQUEST VERIFICATION OF THE CONDITION THAT CREATES THE IMPEDIMENT 6
IF SUCH IS INDICATED ON THE APPLICATION; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT 7
OF REVENUE TO PROVIDE THE VEHICLE REGISTRATION OF SUCH INDIVIDUALS 8
TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF 9
PUBLIC SAFETY TO ESTABLISH A SYSTEM TO INCLUDE THE REGISTRATION 10
INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE IN THE 11
MISSISSIPPI CRIMINAL INFORMATION CENTER; TO PROHIBIT THE 12
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY FROM MAKING SUCH INFORMATION ABOUT 13
APPLICANTS WITH COMMUNICATION IMPEDIMENTS ACCESSIBLE TO 14
INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ACCESSED THE MISSISSIPPI CRIMINAL INFORMATION 15
CENTER; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 16
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 17
SECTION 1. (1) The application for registration of a 18
certificate of title for a vehicle shall provide space for the 19
applicant to voluntarily indicate that the applicant has a health 20
condition or disability that may impede effective communication 21
with a law enforcement officer. The Department of Revenue may 22
request verification of the condition that impedes effective 23
communication from any person who makes an indication of such 24
impediment under this subsection, in the form of a written 25
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statement from, as appropriate for the person's condition or 26
disability, a: 27
(a) Licensed physician; or 28
(b) Licensed psychologist, nonphysician mental health 29
professional, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, 30
audiologist, school psychologist or other health care provider. 31
For purposes of this paragraph (b), "nonphysician mental health 32
professional" means: 33
(i) A psychologist licensed to practice in this 34
state and designated as a health-service provider; 35
(ii) A registered nurse with a master's or 36
doctoral degree in psychiatric nursing; 37
(iii) A licensed clinical social worker; 38
(iv) A licensed professional counselor licensed to 39
practice in this state; 40
(v) A licensed marriage and family therapist 41
licensed to practice in this state; or 42
(vi) A physician assistant licensed to practice in 43
this state who has expertise in psychiatry or is currently working 44
in a mental health facility. 45
(2) (a) For each person who voluntarily indicated on an 46
application under subsection (1) that the person has a health 47
condition or disability that may impede effective communication, 48
the Department of Revenue shall: 49
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(i) Provide to the Department of Public Safety, 50
the vehicle registration information of the person; 51
(ii) Inform the Department of Public Safety 52
whether the person's health condition or disability is categorized 53
as: 54
1. A speech or language impairment; 55
2. A hearing impairment; or 56
3. Autism spectrum disorder. 57
(b) Except as provided by paragraph (a) of this 58
subsection (2), the department may not provide to the Department 59
of Public Safety information that shows the type of health 60
condition or disability a person has. 61
(3) The Department of Public Safety shall establish a system 62
to include information received under subsection (2) in the 63
Mississippi Criminal Information Center for the purpose of 64
alerting a law enforcement officer who makes a traffic stop that 65
the operator of the stopped vehicle may have a health condition or 66
disability that may impede effective communication. 67
(4) The Department of Public Safety may not make information 68
received under subsection (2) available in the Mississippi 69
Criminal Information Center to a person who has access to the 70
system under a contract unless the contract prohibits the person 71
from disclosing that information to a person who is not subject to 72
the contract. 73
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ST: Vehicle registration; allow persons to
indicate communication impediments on
application form for.
(5) The department may not issue to a person without the 74
person's consent a license plate with a visible marking that 75
indicates to the general public that the person voluntarily 76
indicated on an application under subsection (1) that the person 77
has a health condition or disability that may impede effective 78
communication. 79
(6) Except as provided by subsection (4), information 80
supplied to the department relating to an applicant's health 81
condition or disability is for the confidential use of the 82
department and the Department of Public Safety and may not be 83
disclosed to any person. 84
SECTION 2. A Department of Public Safety contract that 85
allows a person to access the Mississippi Criminal Information 86
Center and that is in effect before the effective date of this act 87
is governed by the law in effect on the date on which the contract 88
was entered into, and that law is continued in effect for that 89
purpose, except that the contract: 90
(a) Continues only for the term of the contract; and 91
(b) May not be renewed unless the renewed contract 92
includes the prohibition required under paragraph (d) of Section 1 93
of this act. 94
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 95
and after July 1, 2026. 96