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To: Elections
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Barrett
SENATE BILL NO. 2346
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 19-25-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
REQUIRE THAT FUTURE CANDIDATES FOR SHERIFF MUST BE CERTIFIED LAW 2
ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS; TO PROVIDE AN EXEMPTION TO THIS PROVISION 3
FOR SHERIFFS ELECTED PRIOR TO JULY 1, 2026; AND FOR RELATED 4
PURPOSES. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 6
SECTION 1. Section 19-25-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 7
amended as follows: 8
19-25-3. (1) A person shall not be eligible to the office 9
of sheriff who shall, at the time of the election, be a defaulter 10
to the state, or any county or municipality thereof, or to the 11
United States. Any person who is not a qualified elector, or who 12
denies the existence of a Supreme Being, shall not be eligible to 13
said office. A sheriff shall be eligible to immediately succeed 14
himself or herself in office. 15
(2) A person shall not be eligible to be a candidate for the 16
office of sheriff if he or she, at the time of the election, is 17
not a certified law enforcement officer. For the purpose of this 18
section, "certified law enforcement officer" means any officer who 19
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has been certified by the Mississippi Board on Law Enforcement 20
Officer Standards and Training, and has ten (10) or more years of 21
service in law enforcement. No sheriff elected prior to July 1, 22
2026, shall be required to comply with the requirements of this 23
subsection. 24
(3) Prior to taking the oath of office and entering into the 25
performance of the duties and obligations of sheriff, or as soon 26
after his or her election as possible, each sheriff-elect, 27
excluding those who have previously served as sheriff, or have had 28
at least five (5) years' experience as a full-time enforcement 29
officer, or have previously successfully completed a course of 30
training at the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers' Training 31
Academy or the Jackson Police Academy, shall, at the expense of 32
the county, attend and complete an appropriate curriculum in the 33
field of law enforcement at the Mississippi Law Enforcement 34
Officers' Training Academy. Any sheriff exempted from attendance 35
because of previous service as sheriff or having five (5) years' 36
full-time law enforcement experience must have served as sheriff 37
or obtained such experience within a period of ten (10) years 38
prior to the date of his or her taking the oath of office. Any 39
sheriff exempted from attendance because of successful completion 40
of a course of training at either of the aforementioned academies 41
must have completed such course within five (5) years prior to the 42
date of his or her taking the oath of office. No sheriff, 43
excluding those specified as being exempt from the initial course 44
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in this section, shall until he or she has attended said Academy 45
be entitled to payment of salary after the first one (1) year in 46
office if he or she fails to attend said academy as herein 47
provided within one (1) year after his or her taking office. All 48
sheriffs shall, on a periodic basis, attend additional advanced 49
courses in law enforcement in order that they will be properly 50
informed and trained in the modern, technical advances of law 51
enforcement. 52
Prior to July 1, 1973, or as soon thereafter as permitted by 53
vacancies at the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers' Training 54
Academy, either the sheriff or one (1) deputy sheriff in each 55
county having two (2) or more full-time deputies shall, at the 56
expense of the county, attend and complete an appropriate 57
curriculum in the field of narcotics and dangerous drugs at the 58
Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers' Training Academy. In the 59
event that a new sheriff is elected who has not previously 60
received such training or at least one (1) of his or her deputies 61
has not previously received such training, or if for any other 62
reason neither the sheriff nor any of the deputy sheriffs in a 63
county shall have received such training, then the sheriff shall 64
promptly notify the director of the Mississippi Law Enforcement 65
Officers' Training Academy and either the sheriff or a deputy 66
sheriff, as soon thereafter as permitted by vacancies at the 67
academy, shall, at the expense of the county, attend and complete 68
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ST: Sheriffs; require candidates for office to
be certified law enforcement officers.
an appropriate curriculum in the field of narcotics and dangerous 69
drugs. 70
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 71
and after July 1, 2026. 72