Knives; prohibit governmental entities from entering into certain contracts regarding and regulating.

S. B. No. 2382 *SS08/R740.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/SS08/R740.1
PAGE 1 (ens\tb)

To: Judiciary, Division A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Seymour

SENATE BILL NO. 2382

AN ACT TO PROHIBIT A STATE AGENCY OR POLITICAL SUBDIVISION TO 1
ENTER INTO ANY CONTRACT THAT DISCRIMINATES AGAINST CERTAIN 2
ENTITIES OR TRADE ASSOCIATIONS; TO AMEND SECTION 45-9-51, 3
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROHIBIT A COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY 4
FROM ENTERING INTO ANY CONTRACT OR RENTAL AGREEMENT THAT RESTRICTS 5
THE POSSESSION, CARRYING, TRANSPORTATION, SALE, TRANSFER OR 6
OWNERSHIP OF KNIVES; TO PROVIDE THAT STATE AGENCIES MAY NOT 7
INTERFERE WITH THE RIGHT OF CITIZENS TO POSSESS KNIVES; TO CREATE 8
A CIVIL CAUSE OF ACTION TO CHALLENGE ORDINANCES AND REGULATIONS IN 9
VIOLATION OF THAT RIGHT; TO EXEMPT STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES 10
FROM REGULATING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN THE COURSE OF THEIR 11
OFFICIAL DUTIES; TO AMEND SECTION 45-9-53, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 12
1972, TO CONFORM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 13
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 14
SECTION 1. As used in Sections 1 and 2 of this act, the 15
following terms have the meaning herein ascribed unless the 16
context clearly indicates otherwise: 17
(a) "Company" means a for-profit organization, 18
association, corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited 19
partnership, limited liability partnership or limited liability 20
company, including a wholly owned subsidiary, majority-owned 21
subsidiary, parent company, or affiliate of those entities or 22
S. B. No. 2382 *SS08/R740.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R740.1
PAGE 2 (ens\tb)

associations that exists to make a profit. The term does not 23
include a sole proprietorship. 24
(b) "Discriminate against a knife entity or knife trade 25
association": 26
(i) Means, with respect to the entity or 27
association, to: 28
1. Refuse to engage in the trade of any goods 29
or services with the entity or association based solely on its 30
status as a knife entity or knife trade association; 31
2. Refrain from continuing an existing 32
business relationship with the entity or association based solely 33
on its status as a knife entity or knife trade association; or 34
3. Terminate an existing business 35
relationship with the entity or association based solely on its 36
status as a knife entity or knife trade association; and 37
(ii) Does not include: 38
1. The established policies of a merchant, 39
retail seller, or platform that restricts or prohibits the listing 40
or selling of knives; and 41
2. A company's refusal to engage in the trade 42
of any goods or services, decision to refrain from continuing an 43
existing business relationship, or decision to terminate an 44
existing business relationship: 45
S. B. No. 2382 *SS08/R740.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R740.1
PAGE 3 (ens\tb)

a. To comply with federal, state, or 46
local law, policy, or regulations or a directive by a regulatory 47
agency; or 48
b. For any traditional business reason 49
that is specific to the customer or potential customer and not 50
based solely on an entity's or association's status as a knife 51
entity or knife trade association. 52
(c) "Governmental entity" means state agency or 53
political subdivision. 54
(d) "Knife" means a cutting instrument that includes a 55
sharpened or pointed edge. 56
(e) "Knife entity" means a knife manufacturer, 57
distributor, wholesaler, supplier or retailer. 58
(f) "Knife trade association" means any person, 59
corporation, unincorporated association, federation, business, 60
league or business organization that: 61
(i) Is not organized or operated for profit and 62
for which none of its net earnings inures to the benefit of any 63
private shareholder or individual; 64
(ii) Has two (2) or more knife entities as 65
members; and 66
(iii) Is exempt from federal income taxation under 67
Section 501(a), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as an organization 68
described by Section 501(c) of that code. 69
S. B. No. 2382 *SS08/R740.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R740.1
PAGE 4 (ens\tb)

SECTION 2. (1) This section applies only to a contract that 70
is between a governmental entity and a company that is paid wholly 71
or partly from public funds of the governmental entity. 72
(2) Except as provided by subsection (3) of this section, a 73
governmental entity may not enter into a contract with a company 74
for the purchase of goods or services unless the contract contains 75
a written verification from the company that it: 76
(a) Does not have a practice, policy, guidance, or 77
directive that discriminates against a knife entity or knife trade 78
association; and 79
(b) Will not discriminate during the term of the 80
contract against a knife entity or knife trade association. 81
(3) Subsection (2) of this section does not apply to a 82
governmental entity that: 83
(a) Contracts with a sole-source provider; or 84
(b) Does not receive any bids from a company that is 85
able to provide the written verification required by that 86
subsection. 87
SECTION 3. Section 45-9-51, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 88
amended as follows: 89
45-9-51. (1) Subject to the provisions of Section 45-9-53, 90
no county or municipality may adopt any ordinance or enter into 91
any contract or rental agreement that restricts the possession, 92
carrying, transportation, sale, transfer or ownership of knives. 93
S. B. No. 2382 *SS08/R740.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R740.1
PAGE 5 (ens\tb)

(2) No public housing authority operating in this state may 94
adopt any rule or regulation restricting a lessee or tenant of a 95
dwelling owned and operated by such public housing authority from 96
lawfully possessing firearms or ammunition or their components 97
within individual dwelling units or the transportation of such 98
firearms or ammunition or their components to and from such 99
dwelling. 100
(3) (a) No state agency may adopt a posted written notice, 101
rule, regulation, order or policy or enter into any contract or 102
rental agreement that restricts the possession, carrying, 103
transportation, sale, transfer or ownership of knives. 104
(b) No state agency, municipality, or county or the 105
officers or employees of such entities may participate in any 106
program in which individuals are given a thing of value provided 107
by another individual or other entity in exchange for surrendering 108
a knife to the state agency or other governmental body. 109
(4) (a) A person who is adversely affected by a posted 110
written notice, rule, regulation, order or policy adopted or 111
verbally imposed by a state agency in violation of this section, 112
may file suit for declarative and injunctive relief against the 113
state agency or state agency head or member of a state agency's 114
governing body in the circuit court. Venue for the action shall 115
be proper against the state agency where the violation of this 116
section occurs. 117
S. B. No. 2382 *SS08/R740.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R740.1
PAGE 6 (ens\tb)

(b) If the circuit court finds that a state agency 118
adopted a posted written notice, rule, regulation, order or policy 119
in violation of this section, the circuit court shall issue a 120
permanent injunction against the state agency prohibiting it from 121
enforcing the posted written notice, rule, regulation, order or 122
policy. Any state agency head or member of a state agency's 123
governing body under whose jurisdiction the violation occurred may 124
be civilly liable in a sum not to exceed One Thousand Dollars 125
($1,000.00), plus all reasonable attorney's fees and costs 126
incurred by the party bringing the suit. Public funds may not be 127
used to defend or reimburse officials who are found by the court 128
to have violated this section. 129
(c) It shall be an affirmative defense to any claim 130
brought against a state agency head or member of a state agency's 131
governing body under this subsection (4) that the state official: 132
(i) Did not vote in the affirmative for, support 133
or adopt the posted written notice, rule, regulation, order or 134
policy deemed by the court to be in violation of this section; and 135
(ii) Attempted to take recorded action to rescind 136
the written notice, rule, regulation, order or policy deemed by 137
the court to be in violation of this section. 138
(5) Notwithstanding this section, a state law enforcement 139
agency may regulate the possession, carrying, transportation, 140
sale, transfer or ownership of knives issued or used by law 141
enforcement officers in the course of their official duties. 142
S. B. No. 2382 *SS08/R740.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R740.1
PAGE 7 (ens\tb)

SECTION 4. Section 45-9-53, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 143
amended as follows: 144
45-9-53. (1) This section and Section 45-9-51 do not affect 145
the authority that a county or municipality may have under another 146
law: 147
(a) To require citizens or public employees to be armed 148
for personal or national defense, law enforcement, or another 149
lawful purpose; 150
(b) To regulate the discharge of firearms within the 151
limits of the county or municipality. A county or municipality 152
may not apply a regulation relating to the discharge of firearms 153
or other weapons in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the 154
county or municipality or in an area annexed by the county or 155
municipality after September 1, 1981, if the firearm or other 156
weapon is: 157
(i) A shotgun, air rifle or air pistol, BB gun or 158
bow and arrow discharged: 159
1. On a tract of land of ten (10) acres or 160
more and more than one hundred fifty (150) feet from a residence 161
or occupied building located on another property; and 162
2. In a manner not reasonably expected to 163
cause a projectile to cross the boundary of the tract; or 164
(ii) A center fire or rimfire rifle or pistol or a 165
muzzle-loading rifle or pistol of any caliber discharged: 166
S. B. No. 2382 *SS08/R740.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R740.1
PAGE 8 (ens\tb)

1. On a tract of land of fifty (50) acres or 167
more and more than three hundred (300) feet from a residence or 168
occupied building located on another property; and 169
2. In a manner not reasonably expected to 170
cause a projectile to cross the boundary of the tract; 171
(c) To regulate the use of property or location of 172
businesses for uses therein pursuant to fire code, zoning 173
ordinances, or land-use regulations, so long as such codes, 174
ordinances and regulations are not used to circumvent the intent 175
of Section 45-9-51 or paragraph (e) of this subsection; 176
(d) To regulate the use of firearms or knives in cases 177
of insurrection, riots and natural disasters in which the city 178
finds such regulation necessary to protect the health and safety 179
of the public. However, the provisions of this section shall not 180
apply to the lawful possession, transfer, sale, transportation, 181
storage, display, carry or use of firearms, ammunition or 182
components of firearms or ammunition or knives; 183
(e) To regulate the storage or transportation of 184
explosives in order to protect the health and safety of the 185
public, with the exception of black powder which is exempt up to 186
twenty-five (25) pounds per private residence and fifty (50) 187
pounds per retail dealer; 188
(f) To regulate the carrying of a firearm or knife at: 189
(i) a public park or at a public meeting of a county, municipality 190
or other governmental body; (ii) a political rally, parade or 191
S. B. No. 2382 *SS08/R740.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R740.1
PAGE 9 (ens\tb)

official political meeting; or (iii) a nonfirearm-related school, 192
college or professional athletic event; or 193
(g) To regulate the receipt of firearms or knives by 194
pawnshops. 195
(2) The exception provided by subsection (1)(f) of this 196
section does not apply if the firearm or knife was in or carried 197
to and from an area designated for use in a lawful hunting, 198
fishing or other sporting event and the firearm or knife is of the 199
type commonly used in the activity. 200
(3) This section and Section 45-9-51 do not authorize a 201
county or municipality or their officers or employees to act in 202
contravention of Section 33-7-303. 203
(4) No county or a municipality may use the written notice 204
provisions of Section 45-9-101(13) or any rules, regulations, 205
orders or policies to prohibit concealed firearms on property 206
under their control except: 207
(a) At a location listed in Section 45-9-101(13) 208
indicating that a license issued under Section 45-9-101 does not 209
authorize the holder to carry a firearm into that location, as 210
long as the sign also indicates that carrying a firearm is 211
unauthorized only for license holders without a training 212
endorsement or that it is a location included in Section 213
97-37-7(2) where carrying a firearm is unauthorized for all 214
license holders; and 215
S. B. No. 2382 *SS08/R740.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R740.1
PAGE 10 (ens\tb)

(b) At any location under the control of the county or 216
municipality aside from a location listed in subsection (1)(f) of 217
this section or Section 45-9-101(13) indicating that the 218
possession of a firearm is prohibited on the premises, as long as 219
the sign also indicates that it does not apply to a person 220
properly licensed under Section 45-9-101 or Section 97-37-7(2) to 221
carry a concealed firearm or to a person lawfully carrying a 222
firearm that is not concealed. 223
(5) (a) A citizen of this state, or a person licensed to 224
carry a concealed pistol or revolver under Section 45-9-101, or a 225
person licensed to carry a concealed pistol or revolver with the 226
endorsement under Section 97-37-7, who is adversely affected by an 227
ordinance * * *, posted written notice or any other rule, 228
regulation, order or policy adopted or verbally imposed by a 229
county or municipality in violation of this section may file suit 230
for declarative and injunctive relief against a county or 231
municipality in the circuit court which shall have jurisdiction 232
over the county or municipality where the violation of this 233
section occurs. 234
(b) Before instituting suit under this subsection, the 235
party adversely impacted by the ordinance or posted written notice 236
shall notify the Attorney General in writing of the violation and 237
include evidence of the violation. The Attorney General shall, 238
within thirty (30) days, investigate whether the county or 239
municipality adopted an ordinance or posted written notice in 240
S. B. No. 2382 *SS08/R740.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R740.1
PAGE 11 (ens\tb)

violation of this section and provide the chief administrative 241
officer of the county or municipality notice of his findings, 242
including, if applicable, a description of the violation and 243
specific language of the ordinance or posted written notice found 244
to be in violation. The county or municipality shall have thirty 245
(30) days from receipt of that notice to cure the violation. If 246
the county or municipality fails to cure the violation within that 247
thirty-day time period, a suit under paragraph (a) of this 248
subsection may proceed. The findings of the Attorney General 249
shall constitute a "Public Record" as defined by the Mississippi 250
Public Records Act of 1983, Section 25-61-1 et seq. 251
(c) If the circuit court finds that a county or 252
municipality adopted an ordinance or posted written notice or 253
imposed any rule, regulation, order or policy in violation of this 254
section and failed to cure that violation in accordance with 255
paragraph (b) of this subsection, the circuit court shall issue a 256
permanent injunction against a county or municipality prohibiting 257
it from enforcing the ordinance, rule, regulation, order, policy 258
or posted written notice. Any elected county or municipal 259
official under whose jurisdiction the violation occurred may be 260
civilly liable in a sum not to exceed One Thousand Dollars 261
($1,000.00), plus all reasonable attorney's fees and costs 262
incurred by the party bringing the suit. Public funds may not be 263
used to defend or reimburse officials who are found by the court 264
to have violated this section. 265
S. B. No. 2382 *SS08/R740.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R740.1
PAGE 12 (ens\tb)

(d) It shall be an affirmative defense to any claim 266
brought against an elected county or municipal official under this 267
subsection (5) that the elected official: 268
(i) Did not vote in the affirmative for the 269
adopted ordinance * * *, posted written notice, rule, regulation, 270
order or policy deemed by the court to be in violation of this 271
section; 272
(ii) Did attempt to take recorded action to cure 273
the violation as noticed by the Attorney General in paragraph (b) 274
of this subsection; or 275
(iii) Did attempt to take recorded action to 276
rescind the ordinance, rule, regulation, order or policy or remove 277
the posted written notice deemed by the court to be in violation 278
of this section. 279
(6) No county or municipality or their officers or employees 280
may participate in any program in which individuals are given a 281
thing of value provided by another individual or other entity in 282
exchange for surrendering a firearm or knife to the county, 283
municipality or other governmental body * * *. 284
* * * 285
SECTION 5. The change in law made by this act applies only 286
to a contract entered into on or after the effective date of this 287
act. A contract entered into before the effective date of this 288
act is governed by the law as it existed immediately before the 289
S. B. No. 2382 *SS08/R740.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R740.1
PAGE 13 (ens\tb)
ST: Knives; prohibit governmental entities from
entering into certain contracts regarding and
regulating.
effective date of this act, and that law is continued in effect 290
for that purpose. 291
SECTION 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from 292
and after July 1, 2026. 293