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SB2427 • 2026

Hunting on streets and railroads; clarify prohibition on for compliance with United States and Mississippi Constitutions.

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 97-15-13, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CLARIFY THE PROHIBITION AGAINST HUNTING ON ANY STREET, PUBLIC ROAD, PUBLIC HIGHWAY, LEVEE OR RAILROAD IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH SECTION 12 OF THE MISSISSIPPI CONSTITUTION AND THE SECOND AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AS INTERPRETED BY THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT IN DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA V. HELLER, 554 U.S. 570 (2008), AND NEW YORK RIFLE & PISTOL ASSOCIATION, INC. V. BRUEN, 597 U.S. 1 (2022); AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Firearms
Did Not Pass

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass and was not signed into law. Therefore, its provisions are not currently in effect.

Clarifying Rules for Hunting on Streets and Railroads

This bill aims to clarify the ban on hunting on streets, public roads, highways, levees, and railroads in Mississippi to comply with state and federal constitutional requirements.

What This Bill Does

  • Amends Section 97-15-13 of the Mississippi Code to make clear that it is illegal to hunt on any street, public road, highway, levee, or railroad.
  • Defines 'right-of-way' as the part of a street, road, highway, levee, or railroad maintained by local, state, federal entities, or railroads up to property lines.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who hunt or use firearms
  • Law enforcement agencies

Terms To Know

Right-of-way
The part of a street, road, highway, levee, or railroad maintained by local, state, federal entities, or railroads up to property lines.
Firearm
Any type of gun.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and was not signed into law.
  • It only applies if it becomes law after July 1, 2026.

Bill History

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

    02/03 (S) Died In Committee

  2. 2026-01-19 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/19 (S) Referred To Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks

Official Summary Text

Hunting on streets and railroads; clarify prohibition on for compliance with United States and Mississippi Constitutions.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
S. B. No. 2427 *SS26/R737* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/SS26/R737
PAGE 1 (baf\kr)

To: Wildlife, Fisheries and
Parks
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Seymour

SENATE BILL NO. 2427

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 97-15-13, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
TO CLARIFY THE PROHIBITION AGAINST HUNTING ON ANY STREET, PUBLIC 2
ROAD, PUBLIC HIGHWAY, LEVEE OR RAILROAD IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH 3
SECTION 12 OF THE MISSISSIPPI CONSTITUTION AND THE SECOND 4
AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AS INTERPRETED BY THE 5
UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT IN DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA V. HELLER, 554 6
U.S. 570 (2008), AND NEW YORK RIFLE & PISTOL ASSOCIATION, INC. V. 7
BRUEN, 597 U.S. 1 (2022); AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 8
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 9
SECTION 1. Section 97-15-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 10
amended as follows: 11
97-15-13. (1) * * * For purposes of this section, the 12
following terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them herein: 13
(a) "Right-of-way" means that part of a street, public 14
road, public highway, levee or railroad maintained by a city, 15
county, levee board, state or federal entity or railroad 16
corporation and including that portion up to the adjacent property 17
line or fence line. 18
* * * 19
( * * *b) "Firearm" means any firearm * * *. 20
* * * 21
S. B. No. 2427 *SS26/R737* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R737
PAGE 2 (baf\kr)

( * * *2) If any person * * * discharges or attempts to 22
discharge any firearm in, on or across any street, public road, 23
public highway, levee, railroad or the right-of-way thereof, such 24
person is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be 25
punished by a fine not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) nor 26
more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment in the 27
county jail for not less than sixty (60) days nor more than six 28
(6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. This 29
subsection shall not apply to any law enforcement officer while in 30
the performance of his official duty or to any person engaged in a 31
lawful action of self-defense or protection of his property or 32
livestock. It shall not be a violation of this section to 33
lawfully be in possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle, or to 34
ingress or egress from a motor vehicle parked on a right-of-way to 35
lawfully access a site off the right-of-way or return from a 36
lawfully accessed site off the right-of-way. 37
( * * *3) If any person shall willfully shoot any firearms 38
or hurl any missile at any street, highway or railroad traffic 39
light; street, highway or railroad marker or other sign for the 40
regulation or designation of street, highway or railroad travel, 41
such person, upon conviction, shall be fined not less than One 42
Hundred Dollars ($100.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars 43
($500.00), or be imprisoned not longer than thirty (30) days in 44
the county jail, or both. 45
S. B. No. 2427 *SS26/R737* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R737
PAGE 3 (baf\kr)
ST: Hunting on streets and railroads; clarify
prohibition on for compliance with United States
and Mississippi Constitutions.
( * * *4) It shall be the duty of all sheriffs, deputy 46
sheriffs, constables, conservation officers and peace officers of 47
this state to enforce the provisions of this section. 48
( * * *5) If any subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause, 49
phrase or any part of this section is hereafter declared to be 50
unconstitutional or void, or if for any reason is declared to be 51
invalid or of no effect, the remaining subsections, paragraphs, 52
sentences, clauses, phrases or parts thereof shall be in no manner 53
affected thereby but shall remain in full force and effect. 54
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 55
and after July 1, 2026. 56