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To: Public Health and
Welfare
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Boyd, Blackwell, Gillespie
Isom, Butler
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
SENATE BILL NO. 2446
AN ACT TO CREATE THE "HEALING OUTREACH, PREVENTION AND 1
EDUCATION (HOPE) ACT"; TO SET FORTH LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS; TO 2
REQUIRE THAT, BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2027, EVERY NURSE UNDER THE 3
PURVIEW OF THE MISSISSIPPI BOARD OF NURSING WHO APPLIES FOR A 4
NURSING LICENSE OR LICENSE RENEWAL SHALL CERTIFY TO THE BOARD THAT 5
HE OR SHE HAS COMPLETED ONE HOUR OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING TRAINING 6
THAT INCLUDES A TRAUMA-INFORMED CURRICULUM DESIGNED TO EDUCATE 7
NURSES ON IDENTIFYING, RESPONDING TO AND REPORTING HUMAN 8
TRAFFICKING; TO REQUIRE SUCH NURSES TO REPORT ANY SUSPECTED CASE 9
OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING INVOLVING A MINOR TO THE MISSISSIPPI 10
DEPARTMENT OF CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES, IN ACCORDANCE WITH 11
SECTIONS 43-21-353 AND 97-5-51, AND TO REPORT ANY SUSPECTED CASE 12
OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING INVOLVING AN ADULT TO APPROPRIATE LAW 13
ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES WHEN A VICTIM IS IN IMMINENT DANGER, AFTER 14
CONFIRMING A VICTIM'S CONSENT, OR IN ANY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCE WHEN 15
DISCLOSURE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES IS REQUIRED BY LAW; TO 16
AMEND SECTION 45-33-23, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE SEX 17
OFFENDER REGISTRATION BY PERSONS CONVICTED OF HUMAN SEX 18
TRAFFICKING; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 19
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 20
SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the 21
"Healing Outreach, Prevention and Education (HOPE) Act." 22
SECTION 2. The Legislature finds that: 23
(a) Human trafficking is a pervasive issue affecting 24
individuals across Mississippi, necessitating a comprehensive and 25
informed response; 26
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(b) Nurses are often in a unique position to identify 27
and assist victims of human trafficking; 28
(c) Implementing trauma-informed training will enhance 29
the ability of nurses to recognize and respond to signs of human 30
trafficking; and 31
(d) Establishing clear reporting mechanisms will 32
facilitate timely intervention and support for victims of human 33
trafficking. 34
SECTION 3. (1) Beginning January 1, 2027, every nurse under 35
the purview of the Mississippi Board of Nursing who applies for a 36
nursing license or applies to renew his or her license shall 37
certify to the Board of Nursing that he or she has completed one 38
(1) hour of human trafficking training that includes a 39
trauma-informed curriculum designed to educate nurses on 40
identifying, responding to and reporting human trafficking. 41
(2) (a) Licensed nurses requiring training under this 42
section shall report any suspected case of human trafficking 43
involving a minor to the Mississippi Department of Child 44
Protection Services, in accordance with Sections 43-21-353 and 45
97-5-51. 46
(b) Licensed nurses requiring training under this 47
section shall report any suspected case of human trafficking 48
involving an adult to appropriate law enforcement authorities when 49
a victim is in imminent danger, after confirming a victim's 50
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consent, or in any other circumstance when disclosure to law 51
enforcement authorities is required by law. 52
SECTION 4. Section 45-33-23, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 53
amended as follows: 54
45-33-23. For the purposes of this chapter, the following 55
words shall have the meanings ascribed herein unless the context 56
clearly requires otherwise: 57
(a) "Conviction" means that, regarding the person's 58
offense, there has been a determination or judgment of guilt as a 59
result of a trial or the entry of a plea of guilty or nolo 60
contendere regardless of whether adjudication is withheld. 61
"Conviction of similar offenses" includes, but is not limited to, 62
a conviction by a federal or military tribunal, including a 63
court-martial conducted by the Armed Forces of the United States, 64
a conviction for an offense committed on an Indian Reservation or 65
other federal property, a conviction in any state of the United 66
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 67
Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Marianna Islands or the United 68
States Virgin Islands, and a conviction in a foreign country if 69
the foreign country's judicial system is such that it satisfies 70
minimum due process set forth in the guidelines under Section 71
111(5)(B) Public Law 109-248. 72
(b) "Department" means the Mississippi Department of 73
Public Safety unless otherwise specified. 74
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(c) "Jurisdiction" means any court or locality 75
including any state court, federal court, military court, Indian 76
tribunal or foreign court, the fifty (50) states, the District of 77
Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, 78
the Northern Marianna Islands or the United States Virgin Islands, 79
and Indian tribes that elect to function as registration 80
jurisdictions under Title 1, SORNA Section 127 of the Adam Walsh 81
Child Safety Act. 82
(d) "Permanent residence" means a place where the 83
person abides, lodges, or resides for a period of fourteen (14) or 84
more aggregate days in a six (6) month period. 85
(e) "Registration" means providing information to the 86
appropriate agency within the timeframe specified as required by 87
this chapter. 88
(f) "Registration duties" means obtaining the 89
registration information required on the form specified by the 90
department as well as the photograph, fingerprints and biological 91
sample of the registrant. Biological samples are to be forwarded 92
to the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory pursuant to Section 93
45-33-37; the photograph, fingerprints and other registration 94
information are to be forwarded to the Department of Public Safety 95
immediately. 96
(g) "Responsible agency" is defined as the person or 97
government entity whose duty it is to obtain information from a 98
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criminal sex offender upon conviction and to transmit that 99
information to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. 100
(i) For a criminal sex offender being released 101
from the custody of the Department of Corrections, the responsible 102
agency is the Department of Corrections. 103
(ii) For a criminal sex offender being released 104
from a county jail, the responsible agency is the sheriff of that 105
county. 106
(iii) For a criminal sex offender being released 107
from a municipal jail, the responsible agency is the police 108
department of that municipality. 109
(iv) For a sex offender in the custody of the 110
youth court, the responsible agency is the youth court. 111
(v) For a criminal sex offender who is being 112
placed on probation, including conditional discharge or 113
unconditional discharge, without any sentence of incarceration, 114
the responsible agency is the sentencing court. 115
(vi) For an offender who has been committed to a 116
mental institution following an acquittal by reason of insanity, 117
the responsible agency is the facility from which the offender is 118
released. Specifically, the director of the facility shall notify 119
the Department of Public Safety before the offender's release. 120
(vii) For a criminal sex offender who is being 121
released from a jurisdiction outside this state or who has a prior 122
conviction in another jurisdiction and who is to reside, work or 123
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attend school in this state, the responsible agency is both the 124
sheriff of the proposed county of residence and the department. 125
(h) "Sex offense" or "registrable offense" means any of 126
the following offenses: 127
(i) Section 97-3-53 relating to kidnapping, if the 128
victim was below the age of eighteen (18); 129
(ii) Section 97-3-65 relating to rape; however, 130
conviction or adjudication under Section 97-3-65(1)(a) when the 131
offender was eighteen (18) years of age or younger at the time of 132
the alleged offense, shall not be a registrable sex offense; 133
(iii) Section 97-3-71 relating to rape and assault 134
with intent to ravish; 135
(iv) Section 97-3-95 relating to sexual battery; 136
however, conviction or adjudication under Section 97-3-95(1)(c) 137
when the offender was eighteen (18) years of age or younger at the 138
time of the alleged offense, shall not be a registrable sex 139
offense; 140
(v) Section 97-5-5 relating to enticing a child 141
for concealment, prostitution or marriage; 142
(vi) Section 97-5-23 relating to the touching of a 143
child, mentally defective or incapacitated person or physically 144
helpless person for lustful purposes; 145
(vii) Section 97-5-27 relating to the 146
dissemination of sexually oriented material to children; 147
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(viii) Section 97-5-33 relating to the 148
exploitation of children; 149
(ix) Section 97-5-41 relating to the carnal 150
knowledge of a stepchild, adopted child or child of a cohabiting 151
partner; 152
(x) Section 97-29-3 relating to sexual intercourse 153
between teacher and student; 154
(xi) Section 97-29-59 relating to unnatural 155
intercourse; 156
(xii) Section 43-47-18 relating to sexual abuse of 157
a vulnerable person; 158
(xiii) Section 97-3-54.1(1)(c) relating to 159
procuring sexual servitude of a minor and Section 97-3-54.3 160
relating to aiding, abetting or conspiring to violate Section 161
97-3-54.1(1)(c); 162
(xiv) Section 97-29-61(2) relating to voyeurism 163
when the victim is a child under sixteen (16) years of age; 164
(xv) Section 97-29-63 relating to filming another 165
without permission where there is an expectation of privacy; 166
(xvi) Section 97-29-45(1)(a) relating to obscene 167
electronic communication; 168
(xvii) Section 97-3-104 relating to the crime of 169
sexual activity between law enforcement, correctional or custodial 170
personnel and prisoners; 171
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(xviii) Section 97-5-39(1)(e) relating to 172
contributing to the neglect or delinquency of a child, felonious 173
abuse or battery of a child, if the victim was sexually abused; 174
(xix) Section 97-29-51 relating to procuring or 175
promoting prostitution when the victim is a child under eighteen 176
(18) years of age; 177
(xx) Section 97-1-7 relating to attempt to commit 178
any of the offenses referenced in this paragraph (h); 179
(xxi) Section 97-3-54.1(1)(a) relating to human 180
trafficking where commercial sexual activity, as defined in 181
Section 97-3-54.4, is involved; 182
( * * *xxii) Any other offense resulting in a 183
conviction in another jurisdiction which, if committed in this 184
state, would be deemed to be such a crime without regard to its 185
designation elsewhere; 186
( * * *xxiii) Any offense resulting in a 187
conviction in another jurisdiction for which registration is 188
required in the jurisdiction where the conviction was had; 189
( * * *xxiv) Any conviction of conspiracy to 190
commit, accessory to commission, or attempt to commit any offense 191
listed in this section; or 192
( * * *xxv) Capital murder when one (1) of the 193
above-described offenses is the underlying crime. 194
(i) "Temporary residence" is defined as any place where 195
the person abides, lodges, or resides for a period of seven (7) or 196
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ST: Healing Outreach, Prevention and Education
(HOPE) Act; enact to require nurse training on
and reporting of suspected human trafficking.
more aggregate days in a six (6) month period which is not the 197
person's permanent residence. 198
(j) "Address" means the actual physical street address 199
of a person's permanent or temporary residence. For a person who 200
is homeless but is subject to registration under this chapter, the 201
address information must provide a specific description of where 202
the person habitually lives; the term "homeless" or similar 203
description does not constitute an address within the 204
contemplation of this chapter. 205
SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from 206
and after July 1, 2026. 207