Private auditor; direct appointment of auditing DOH and Board of Medical Licensure for compliance with certain provisions.

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To: Public Health and
Welfare
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Hill

SENATE BILL NO. 2534

AN ACT TO DIRECT THE GOVERNOR TO SELECT AND APPOINT A PRIVATE 1
AUDITOR TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE MISSISSIPPI STATE 2
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THE MISSISSIPPI STATE BOARD OF MEDICAL 3
LICENSURE HAVE COMPLIED WITH FEDERAL AND STATE ABSTINENCE 4
EDUCATION LAW, THE REAP ACT AND THE WOMEN'S HEALTH DEFENSE ACT OF 5
2013; TO AUTHORIZE THE PRIVATE AUDITOR TO REQUEST DOCUMENTS, 6
CONDUCT INTERVIEWS AND POSE WRITTEN QUESTIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT 7
AND THE BOARD THAT MUST BE ANSWERED WITHIN 60 DAYS; TO REQUIRE 8
REPORTS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 9
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 10
SECTION 1. (1) The following terms have the following 11
meanings as used in this act: 12
(a) "Board" means the Mississippi State Board of 13
Medical Licensure. 14
(b) "Department" means the Mississippi State Department 15
of Health. 16
(c) "Federal and state abstinence education law" means 17
the requirements of Section 510 of the Social Security Act, 42 USC 18
§ 710, and Section 37-13-171. 19
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(d) "Private auditor" means a private auditing firm 20
selected and appointed by and serving at the will and pleasure of 21
the Governor. 22
(e) "REAP Act" means Chapter 141, Title 41, Mississippi 23
Code of 1972. 24
(f) "Women's Health Defense Act of 2013" means Sections 25
41-41-101 through 41-41-117, Mississippi Code of 1972. 26
(2) On or before June 1, 2026, the Governor shall select and 27
appoint a private auditor to perform an audit of the board and the 28
department. The audit shall determine the extent to which the 29
board and the department has complied with, and made efforts to 30
comply with, as applicable: 31
(a) Federal and state abstinence education law; 32
(b) The REAP Act; and 33
(c) The Women's Health Defense Act of 2013. 34
(3) As part of the audit, the private auditor shall have the 35
authority to request documents from the audited agency, to conduct 36
interviews of agency personnel and other interested parties and to 37
pose written questions to the agency, which shall be answered by 38
agency personnel within sixty (60) days of receipt of the written 39
questions. 40
(4) Not later than one hundred eighty (180) days after the 41
private auditor's appointment, the private auditor shall provide 42
to the board and the department a preliminary report detailing any 43
apparent noncompliance with federal and state law regarding 44
S. B. No. 2534 *SS08/R879* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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ST: Private auditor; direct appointment of
auditing DOH and Board of Medical Licensure for
compliance with certain provisions.
welfare eligibility and fraud prevention by the board or the 45
department, as the case may be. The board and the department 46
shall provide reasons for any cited noncompliance and may provide 47
the private auditor with objections, audit findings and any 48
supporting documentation. 49
(5) On or before January 1, 2027, and on January 1 of each 50
year thereafter, the private auditor shall provide a report to the 51
Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House of 52
Representatives detailing the findings of the audit required under 53
this act. These reports shall be considered public records under 54
the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983, Sections 25-61-1 55
through 25-61-19. 56
SECTION 2. This act shall be effective from and after its 57
passage. 58