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To: Accountability,
Efficiency, Transparency
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Norwood
SENATE BILL NO. 2280
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 25-41-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
REVISE THE DEFINITION OF PUBLIC BODY; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 2
25-41-4, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE PUBLIC BODIES TO 3
CREATE AND MAINTAIN A PUBLIC NOTICE LIST; TO AMEND SECTION 4
25-41-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE NOTICE BY EMAIL OF 5
MEETING TIMES TO THOSE ON THE PUBLIC NOTICE LIST; TO AMEND SECTION 6
25-41-11, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE REQUIREMENTS 7
RELATING TO THE AVAILABILITY OF MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS OF PUBLIC 8
BODIES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 9
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 10
SECTION 1. Section 25-41-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 11
amended as follows: 12
25-41-3. For purposes of this chapter, the following words 13
shall have the meaning ascribed herein, to wit: 14
(a) "Public body" means any executive or administrative 15
board, commission, authority, council, department, agency, bureau 16
or any other policymaking entity, or committee thereof, of the 17
State of Mississippi, or any political subdivision or municipal 18
corporation of the state, whether the entity be created by statute 19
or executive order, and whether elected by the voters of 20
Mississippi or not, or appointed by any elected public official or 21
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officials or other public body or bodies, which is supported 22
wholly or in part by public funds or expends public funds, and any 23
standing, interim or special committee of the Mississippi 24
Legislature. The term "public body" includes the governing board 25
of a charter school authorized by the Mississippi Charter School 26
Authorizer Board and the board of trustees of a community hospital 27
as defined in Section 41-13-10 and, without limitation, a 28
municipality, county, the state, a school district, a levee 29
district, community and junior colleges, university officials, and 30
all committees and subcommittees, including advisory or 31
professional committees related to any public entity that 32
discusses and recommends or votes on any public issue. The term 33
"public body" includes the Mississippi Lottery Corporation. There 34
shall be exempted from the provisions of this chapter: 35
(i) The judiciary, including all jury 36
deliberations; 37
(ii) Law enforcement officials; 38
(iii) The military; 39
(iv) The State Probation and Parole Board; 40
(v) The Workers' Compensation Commission; 41
(vi) Legislative subcommittees and legislative 42
conference committees; 43
(vii) The arbitration council established in 44
Section 69-3-19; 45
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(viii) License revocation, suspension and 46
disciplinary proceedings held by the Mississippi State Board of 47
Dental Examiners; and 48
(ix) Hearings and meetings of the Board of Tax 49
Appeals and of the hearing officers and the board of review of the 50
Department of Revenue as provided in Section 27-77-15. 51
(b) "Meeting" means an assemblage of members of a 52
public body at which official acts may be taken upon a matter over 53
which the public body has supervision, control, jurisdiction or 54
advisory power, including an assemblage through the use of video 55
or teleconference devices that conforms to Section 25-41-5. 56
SECTION 2. The following shall be codified as Section 57
25-41-4, Mississippi Code of 1972: 58
25-41-4. (1) All pubic bodies must create and maintain a 59
public notice list of email addresses of Mississippi residents who 60
ask to be notified of the day, date, time and place of all regular 61
and special meetings of the body. The public body must email to 62
all addresses on the public notice list notice of the day, date, 63
time and place of all regular and special meetings of the body, 64
and an agenda reflecting the topics that will be discussed, not 65
less than seventy-two (72) hours before the convening of each 66
meeting or within one (1) business day of the time the meeting is 67
set, whichever is earlier. 68
(2) All public bodies must create and maintain a 69
members and key staff list of the names, area or entity 70
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represented, and email addresses of the members, and the names and 71
email addresses of the key staff of the body. The list must be 72
maintained on the webpage of the appointing body, or be accessible 73
by a link to the list clearly visible near the top of the webpage. 74
SECTION 3. Section 25-41-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 75
amended as follows: 76
25-41-5. (1) All official meetings of any public body, 77
unless otherwise provided in this chapter or in the Constitutions 78
of the United States of America or the State of Mississippi, are 79
declared to be public meetings and shall be open to the public at 80
all times unless declared an executive session as provided in 81
Section 25-41-7. 82
(2) A public body may conduct any meeting through 83
teleconference or video means. A quorum of a public body as 84
prescribed by law may be at different locations for the purpose of 85
conducting a meeting through teleconference or video means 86
provided that the equipment used is located at the place where the 87
public body normally meets or at a public location specified in 88
any notice of a special meeting, and provided that the equipment 89
allows all members of the public body and members of the public 90
who attend the meeting to hear the deliberations of the public 91
body. 92
(3) An agenda and materials that will be distributed to 93
members of the public body and that have been made available to 94
the staff of the public body in sufficient time for duplication 95
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and forwarding to the members of the public body shall be made 96
available to the public at the time of the meeting and also by 97
compliance with Section 25-41-4. Votes taken during any meeting 98
conducted through teleconference or video means shall be taken in 99
a manner that is clearly audible or visible to all members of the 100
public body and to members of the public present at the public 101
location. 102
(4) The public body must also include an email address or 103
phone number at which to contact staff to be added to the public 104
notice list on its webpage. 105
SECTION 4. Section 25-41-11, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 106
amended as follows: 107
25-41-11. (1) Minutes shall be kept of all meetings of a 108
public body, whether in open or executive session, showing the 109
members present and absent; the date, time and place of the 110
meeting; an accurate recording of any final actions taken at such 111
meeting; and a record, by individual member, of any votes taken; 112
and any other information that the public body requests be 113
included or reflected in the minutes. The minutes shall be 114
recorded within * * * forty-eight (48) hours after recess or 115
adjournment * * *, shall be open to public inspection during 116
regular business hours, and shall be emailed to all the addresses 117
on the public notice list and posted on the webpage within 118
forty-eight (48) hours. 119
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ST: Open meetings; revise accessibility to
information on meeting times, agendas and
minutes.
(2) Minutes of a meeting conducted by teleconference or 120
video means shall comply with the requirements of Section 25-41-5. 121
(3) Minutes of legislative committee meetings shall consist 122
of a written record of attendance and final actions taken at such 123
meetings. 124
SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from 125
and after July 1, 2026. 126