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HB765 • 2026

State advertising; prohibit elected and appointed officers from publicly participating in.

AN ACT TO PROHIBIT ELECTED AND APPOINTED STATE OFFICERS FROM VISUALLY OR AUDIBLY PARTICIPATING IN PUBLIC ADVERTISING THAT HAS BEEN FUNDED, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, WITH LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATIONS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Did Not Pass

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Ban on State Officials in Public Ads

This bill stops elected and appointed state officers from appearing or speaking in public advertisements that use government money.

What This Bill Does

  • Stops state officials from being seen or heard in ads funded by the legislature.
  • Defines 'advertisement' as any form of communication trying to persuade people, like TV ads or social media posts.
  • Allows state officers to help plan and make ads without appearing in them if no government money is used for their image or voice.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Elected and appointed state officials
  • People who create public advertisements

Terms To Know

advertisement
Any form of communication publicly promoting a product or service or intending to persuade an audience, including TV ads, radio, internet, film, newspaper, periodical, direct mail, and outdoor advertising.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and was stopped in committee.
  • It would have taken effect on July 1, 2026, but since it didn't pass, this date is no longer relevant.

Bill History

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

    02/03 (H) Died In Committee

  2. 2026-01-16 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/16 (H) Referred To Apportionment and Elections;Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency

Official Summary Text

State advertising; prohibit elected and appointed officers from publicly participating in.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
H. B. No. 765 *HR43/R871* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/HR43/R871
PAGE 1 (ENK\KP)

To: Apportionment and
Elections; Accountability,
Efficiency, Transparency
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Evans

HOUSE BILL NO. 765

AN ACT TO PROHIBIT ELECTED AND APPOINTED STATE OFFICERS FROM 1
VISUALLY OR AUDIBLY PARTICIPATING IN PUBLIC ADVERTISING THAT HAS 2
BEEN FUNDED, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, WITH LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATIONS; 3
AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 5
SECTION 1. (1) Except as otherwise provided under this 6
section, a person elected or appointed to any state office, 7
agency, department, institution, board or commission may not 8
visually or audibly participate in the making of any public 9
advertisement, regardless of the purpose or intended audience of 10
the advertisement, if any funds appropriated by the Legislature 11
are used to defray the expenses, in whole or in part, of the 12
advertisement. 13
(2) Participation in the making of a public advertisement 14
prohibited under subsection (1) includes the following: 15
(a) The use of any still or motion visual images in 16
which the elected or appointed state officer may be seen; and 17
(b) The use of any advertising medium that allows the 18
elected or appointed state officer's voice to be heard, regardless 19
H. B. No. 765 *HR43/R871* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R871
PAGE 2 (ENK\KP)
ST: State advertising; prohibit elected and
appointed officers from publicly participating
in.
of whether or not a still or motion image of the state officer may 20
be seen. 21
(3) For purposes of this section, the term "advertisement" 22
includes any form of communication publicly promoting a product or 23
service or intending to persuade an audience, including, but not 24
necessarily limited to, television, radio, Internet, film, 25
newspaper, periodical, direct mail or outdoor advertising. 26
(4) This section may not be construed to prohibit any 27
elected or appointed officer from participating in the 28
development, planning and implementation of any advertisement that 29
has been funded, in whole or in part, by legislative 30
appropriations if neither the image nor voice of the state officer 31
are included in the advertisement as it is presented to the 32
public. 33
SECTION 2. Section 1 of this act shall be codified as a new 34
section in Chapter 1, Title 25, Mississippi Code of 1972. 35
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 36
and after July 1, 2026. 37