During the 2023 Legislative Session, the legislature focused on the state's struggling
healthcare system and the post-Roe world. After the session ended, 424 bills were
passed into law'. The Center for Mississippi Health Policy identified 33 bills that
were signed into law after the 2023 session that will impact the health and wellness
of Mississippians; these covered areas from hospital financing and the healthcare
workforce to maternal and child health.

m™ HOSPITALS

Rural hospitals in Mississippi have struggled with their finances, due to uncompensated care
and low payments from private insurance companies and government programs. Over half

of all rural hospitals in the state report financial losses on patient services. A report from the
Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform indicates that out of the 74 rural hospitals
in the state, 34 are at risk of closing, and 25 face an immediate risk of closing?. During the 2023
session, the legislature worked to support rural hospitals financially and strengthen the state
healthcare system.

SB 2372 - Mississippi Hospital Sustainability Grant Program; establish & provide eligibility for
funds.
= This bill, along with HB 271, appropriates $103,700,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
Funds from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund to the Mississippi State Department
of Health (MSDH) for the administration of the MS Hospital Sustainability Grant program
- estimated funding distributions below. Use of these funds must comply with ARPA
regulations.

= $700,000 for administrative expenses.

= $13,125,000 - Hospitals with emergency departments (EDs) and less than 100 beds will
receive $625,000.

= $16,000,000 - Critical Access Hospitals in rural areas with EDs will receive $500,000.

= $30,000,000 - Hospitals with EDs and more than 100 beds will receive $1,000,000.

= $8,500,000 - Specialty hospitals with less than 200 beds will receive $500,000.

= $1,800,000 - Acute care hospitals in rural areas with no EDs will receive $300,000.

= $12,000,000 - Hospitals in rural areas with EDs and less than 50 beds will receive an
additional $250,000.

= $21,575,000 - Eligible hospitals will receive an additional allocation based on their
number of licensed beds, except for those beds dedicated to specialty care.

Expenditures from the ARPA = The bed allocation is based on the amount of funds

C 'rus State & Local Fiscal remaining after the aforementioned disbursements have
oronaVirls orate & EOCa! Fisca been designated, divided by the total number of licensed

Recovery Fund are subject to the beds to determine a dollar amount for each bed.

rules and regulations established by The additional allocations for each hospital will be
the US Department of the Treasury $1,961.76 per licensed bed.

under Title 31 CER Part 35.3

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Center for Mississippi Health Policy | Report, Edition 1: 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: A Review of Health-Related Bills & Theirlmpact = JULY 2023
APPROPRIATIONS

Funds allocated for various departments of
government set aside by formal action for
specific use.'

SB 2323 - Community hospitals; allow
consolidation and collaboration involving
other hospitals.

= The intent of this bill is, given the current
financial situation for community hospitals,
Mississippians would best be served by
community hospitals having the legal and
operational flexibilities to take advantage
of opportunities and make the most out of
challenges that may arise. The Legislature
found that the benefits of collaboration and
consolidation outweigh any impacts on
competition.

= The bill amends authorities of the Boards of
Trustees of Community Hospitals allowing
them to:

= Form, establish, fund, and operate
nonprofit corporations - to be jointly
owned by public, private, for-profit,
nonprofit, or other healthcare-related
organizations to conduct operations
within or outside the hospital's service
area. Such operations include but are not
limited to:

= Joint hospital acquisitions

= Group purchasing

= Clinically integrated networks
= Payor contracting

= Joint requests for federal and state
grant funding

= Acquire hospitals, healthcare facilities,
and other healthcare operational assets
with immunity from state and federal
antitrust laws.

= Develop joint ventures between the
Board and public or private health-
related organizations, either directly or
through a nonprofit created or owned
by the community hospital, for the joint
operation and management of services
and facilities.

= Other amendments clarified that the same
authorities and flexibilities may apply to the
University of Mississippi Medical Center
(UMMC) and to private hospitals, rural or
nonrural.

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HB 584 - Qualified Health Center Grant
Program; clarify that amount specified for
grants under is minimum amount to be
issued.

= Established by the Legislature in 1999,
this program provides two types of grants
to qualified health centers in Mississippi
- public or nonprofit entities that provide
comprehensive primary care services.

= Care Grants: A service grant for centers
to provide care to uninsured or medically
indigent patients in Mississippi.

= Physician Grants: A service grant for
centers to supplement provider salaries

in order to recruit and retain primary
care physicians.

= The program's original legislation indicated
that the amount of Care Grants to be issued
shall be $4,000,000 - this bill provides an
amendment to clarify that $4,000,000 is the
minimum amount to be awarded per State
fiscal year.

m™ WORKFORCE

Mississippi has historically had one of the
lowest provider-to-patient ratios in the
country, and had little success in retaining
additional physicians - especially in rural
areas and in primary care.® Additionally,
the COVID-19 pandemic has led to nursing
shortages across the country. Workforce
programs were established or expounded
during the 2023 session to address these
shortages.

ACTIVE PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS PER 100,000
70 PEOPLE IN MISSISSIPPI

68 67.4
66 44.5 65.9
64| 636 634 Sr O44

6
60

No

 

2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020

Source: AAMC. 2019 State Physician Workforce Data Report.
Washington, DC: AAMC; 2019.

 

Center for Mississippi Health Policy | Report, Edition 1: 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: A Review of Health-Related Bills & Theirlmpact = JULY 2023
HB 518 - Local Provider Innovation Grant

Program; revise certain provisions of.

= The COVID-19 Mississippi Local Provider
Innovation Grant Program provides funding
to local healthcare providers for the purpose
of improving the healthcare system and
increasing access to healthcare services.

= Up to $250,000 per applicant is available
for transitional assistance, which means
assistance for providers in transitioning
from their current model of healthcare
delivery to a more accessible, community-
centered model.

= This bill makes amendments to the
program so that applicants who received
funding in FY2023 are eligible for funding

2. Accelerate Mississippi Physician
Residency and Fellowship Start-Up Grant
Program: Appropriated $3,000,000 to
create new, or increase the capacity
of existing, physician residency and
fellowship programs in hospitals.
Mississippi Allied Health College and
Career Navigator Grant Program

3. Mississippi Allied Health College and
Career Navigator Grant Program: To hire
professional navigators that will provide
individual assistance and guidance
to nursing and allied health students
at community and junior colleges.
Navigators must be at least an RN and
have two years of experience in nursing.

again in FY2024, deletes a requirement
that the program to be funded using
ARPA funds, and provides that MSDH
may use 1.5% of the appropriation for
administrative expenses.

SB 2371 - American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
Nurse/Allied Health Workforce Development
and Retention Act; create.

= Establishes three grant programs under

SB 2373 - Skilled Nursing Home and Hospital
Nurses Retention Loan Repayment Program;
establish.

= This bill, and the program it enacts,
replaces the Forgivable Loan Program for
Baccalaureate and Graduate Students in
Nursing.

= Applicants must be legal residents of
the state and have gained employment

the Office of Workforce Development.
Effective upon passage, grant funds are
available through December 31, 2026, or on
the expenditure deadline provided by the
federal government - whichever comes first.
Awarded projects must be completed upon
the occurrence of either aforementioned
deadlines or be completed with other funds.

= Appropriated in SB 3113, funding for these
three grant programs comes from ARPA
Funds in the Coronavirus State Fiscal
Recovery Fund.

1. Accelerate Mississippi Nursing/Allied
Health Grant Program: To increase
capacity in nursing and allied health
training programs, as well as accredited
paramedic programs. A portion of
the $25,000,000 appropriated to the
Accelerate Mississippi Workforce
Development Program will be allocated to
this program, and is intended to prioritize
high-wage, high-demand jobs, and
75% of the funds that are appropriated
for this program are to be reserved for
community and junior colleges.

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within the past year for the first time as

a Licensed Practical Nurse or Licensed
Registered Nurse at a general acute care
hospital or skilled nursing home and have
outstanding qualifying educational loans.

= Recipients may be awarded a maximum
of $6,000 per year of employment for up
to 3 years. The awards are to be granted
at the end of the year of employment
that was awarded and paid directly to the
recipient's lender or loan servicer.

= The program is set to repeal on July 1, 2027.

SB 2487 - Mississippi Dual Enrollment/Dual
Credit Scholarship Program; establish.

= This scholarship program is for any public

or charter high school students in the 11th
or 12th grade in the state who attend any
postsecondary educational institution that
is a public state-supported institution of
higher learning, a public state-supported
community or junior college, or any not-for-
profit private institution of higher learning.

= Eligible students may receive scholarships
for up to 6 credit hours prior to high
school graduation.

Center for Mississippi Health Policy | Report, Edition 1: 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: A Review of Health-Related Bills & Theirlmpact = JULY 2023
= Awards will be paid directly to the
postsecondary educational institution
and reimbursed 40% of the average
community college credit hour tuition rate
for the current academic year.

SB 2781 - Mississippi Access to Maternal
Assistance Program; create and provides for
duties and responsibilities.

= This bill instructs the Department of

= Participation is optional for all institutions,
and institutions also have the right to
exclude specific center, branch campuses,
collegiate academies and middle colleges
within their governance.

= The program is set to repeal on July 1, 2025.

™ MATERNAL & CHILD HEALTH

While Mississippi has the highest infant
mortality rate and one of the highest
maternal mortality rates in the United
States, the state's case, Dobbs v Jackson
Women's Health, overturned Roe v. Wade.°
In response, the legislature held hearings
months before the session officially began
to address the necessary resources and
infrastructure were a viable to mother and
babies in Mississippi.

Information Technology Services to develop
and implement a website and mobile app
that includes comprehensive information
regarding services provided by the State of
Mississippi or other entities:

= Adoption Assistance

= Child Care

= Domestic Abuse Protection
= Early Intervention

= Food

= Clothing & Supplies Related to
Pregnancy and Newborn Care

= Job Training & Placement
= Unemployment Benefits
= Paternity

= Parenting Skills

SB 2212 - Recipients of Medicaid; extend = Mental Health
postpartum coverage up to 12 months. = Prenatal & Postpartum Care

= This bill amends the state's Medicaid = The website is required to be completed by

eligibility plan by adding, "The division is
authorized and directed to provide up to
twelve (12) months of continuous coverage
postpartum for any individual who qualifies
for Medicaid coverage under this section as
a pregnant woman, to the extent allowable

October 1, 2023, and the app completed by
January 1, 2024.

= The bill also requires the Attorney General,

certain state agencies, and county health
departments to place a link on their
websites to the website.

under federal law and as determined by the
division."

= All but three states have extended
postpartum Medicaid coverage through

HB 1318 - Baby drop-off and safe haven;
revise provisions that regulate.

= This bill amends the state's child welfare

either a State Plan Amendment (SPA) or

a Section 1115 Waiver. '" The Mississippi
Division of Medicaid submitted SPA 23-0015
on May 25, 2023, to extend postpartum
coverage for pregnant women from sixty
days to twelve months, effective April 1,
2023.

 

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laws regarding baby drop-offs by increasing
the age limit for which emergency medical
providers can take possession of a child
without a court order to 45 days or younger.

The amendments also include additional
allowable methods of surrendering a child
for the purposes of terminating parental
rights, such as baby safety devices.

The bill defines Baby Safety Devices and
outlines the specification requirements for
emergency medical providers that sponsor
and oversee the devices.

Center for Mississippi Health Policy | Report, Edition 1: 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: A Review of Health-Related Bills & Theirlmpact = JULY 2023
SB 2485 - Early Intervention Act for Infants
and Toddlers; add certain individuals to
definition of qualified personnel.

EARLY INTERVENTION

A system of services that aids
developmentally-delayed and/or disabled
children in the first 3 years of life learn
basic physical, cognitive, communicative,
emotional, and self-reliant skills.®

= This bill amends the definition of qualified
provider personnel to include individuals
with degrees in;

= Human Development and Family Science

= Child and Family Science with a
concentration in child development,
and licensure in pre-kindergarten to
kindergarten.

SB 2167 - Early Intervention Task Force;
establish.

= Establishes the Early 12 Intervention
Task Force to Study the IDEA Part C
Early Intervention System in Mississippi
and Mississippi's Laws Regarding Early
Intervention

= The goal of the task force is to provide
recommendations to the legislature to
reform the state's existing early intervention
system in order to increase access to
services through a First Steps Early
Intervention Program for children from birth
to three years old.

= Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA): Early Intervention
for Babies and Toddlers - a federal grant
program that assists states with the
operation of a statewide, comprehensive
program that offers early intervention
services for infants, toddlers, and their
families?

= First Steps Early Intervention Program
is administered by the MSDH and offers
IDEA Part C Early Intervention services.

= Task force membership will submit
recommendations on or before December
1, 2023 and will consist of the following:

= MS House & Senate Public Health
Committee Chairman

= MS House & Senate Education
Committee Chairman

= MS House & Senate Appropriations
Committee Chairman

= State Health Officer
= Certain other medical professionals

HB 1125 - Regulate Experimental Adolescent
Procedures (REAP) Act; create to regulate
transgender procedures and surgeries.

= This bill restricts the provision of gender
transition procedures by prohibiting persons
from knowingly providing, or knowingly
aiding and abetting the provision of gender
transition procedures for people under 18
years of age, and provides the following
definitions with some exceptions:

= Gender Transition

= Gender Transition Procedure (GTP) -
includes puberty-blocking drugs, cross-
sex hormones, and gender reassignment
surgeries.

= The bill prohibits the use of any public funds
and resources from being used to provide
GTP, and further prohibits healthcare
facilities owned by the state, county, or local
governments, and their employed physicians
from providing GTP.

= The bill also states that the provision of GTP
by a physician or healthcare professional
is to be considered outside the applicable
standard of care and unprofessional conduct,
and requires that a provider in violation of
this act have their license to practice in the
state revoked.

= The bill revises Code Section 73-25-33
to clarify that the definition for "practice
of medicine" does not include GTP, and
prohibits the Division of Medicaid or any
other health plan under an insurance policy
in the state from reimbursing GTP.

 

Center for Mississippi Health Policy | Report, Edition 1: 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: A Review of Health-Related Bills & Theirlmpact = JULY 2023
™ MENTAL HEALTH

Mental healthcare in Mississippi faces
significant challenges. Limited funding, a
shortage of mental health professionals,
and a lack of comprehensive services

have contributed to those challenges.
Mississippi's rural areas are particularly
underserved, exacerbating mental
healthcare disparities. The legislature
passed initiatives to improve mental health

= The bill also creates code section 9-27-21
to provide that the Administrative Office of
Courts be responsible for certification and
monitoring of MHTC, and will create rules
and regulations for a uniform certification
process.

HB 1222 - The Mississippi Collaborative
Response to Mental Health Act; create.

= Requires each municipal or county law
enforcement agency to:

awareness, expand resources, and address
systemic issues to ensure that Mississippians
receive the support and treatment they
need for their mental well-being.

HB 799 - Inmate Welfare Fund; authorize to
expend funds for the treatment of mental
illness for certain inmates.

= Required the Inmate Welfare Fund
Committee to expend funds on outpatient
and community-based mental health
services for parole-eligible inmates.

HB 1218 - Rivers McGraw Mental Health
Treatment Court Act; revise.

= This bill changes the existing statute to be

= Provide mental health first aid training,

= Have at lease on crisis intervention
officer.

= Authorizes an agency with less than five
employees to enter into an agreement
with other agencies to establish a Crisis
Intervention Team

CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM

Provide guidance and support to adults and
children who are experiencing a mental
health crisis. Teams work closely with law
enforcement to reduce the likelihood that a
person experiencing a mental health crisis

called the Rivers McGraw Mental Health
Treatment Court (MHTC) Act instead of the
Rivers McGraw Mental Health Act.

= The bill also adds the terms and provides
definitions of:

= Behavioral Health

= Clinical Assessment

= Co-Occurring Disorder

= Diagnostic & Statistical Manual (DSM)
= Evidence-Based Practices

= Mental Health

= Mental Health Disorder

= Mental Health Treatment Program
= Risk & Needs Assessment

= Risk & Needs Screening

= Substance Use Disorder

= The bill requires all providers that directly
administer services to MHTC participants

to be properly licensed or certified, and
provides MHTC Coordinators immunity from
certain civil liabilities.

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is unnecessarily placed in a more restrictive

environment, like jail, a holding facility, a

hospital, or inpatient treatment.'°

= Requires Court Liaisons for certain counties
(specific counties not indicated).

= Revises the term limits for members of the
State Board of Mental Health to no more
than two consecutive terms.

= Requires regional commissions to employ
or contract an accountant for management
of finances and the completion of an annual
audit.

= Requires regional commissioners to attend
certain trainings and provides for their
removal from that position if trainings are
not attended.

= Requires Chancery Clerks to maintain
records of:

= Number of persons ordered for
admission to treatment

= Number of determination hearings

= Number of affidavits filed for the
purpose of admission into a treatment
facility

Center for Mississippi Health Policy | Report, Edition 1: 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: A Review of Health-Related Bills & Theirlmpact = JULY 2023
= Requires each county to submit to the
Mississippi Department of Mental Health
(MDMH), on or before December 1, 2023,
a report of data relating to the placement
of individuals before and after a hearing in
which an involuntary commitment order has
been entered.

™ DRUG POLICY

Drug policies that were signed into law

aim to address dangerous situations, make
certain drugs legal, and increase public
awareness and education about the risks of
drug abuse and addiction. The legislature
also amended regulations for the Mississippi
Medical Marijuana Program and updated its
controlled substance schedules. Substances
are placed on certain schedules based on
their medical use, the potential for abuse,

and the likelihood of dependency.

SB 2336 - Prevention of overdoses; authorize
administration of opioid antagonists by
certain persons, provide immunity to.

= This bill authorizes the MSDH to distribute
opioid antagonists, such as Narcan, and to
educate employees. The bill also authorizes
education employees to administer the
opioid antagonists, and provides immunity
from criminal and civil liabilities encounter
while administering the antagonists.

HB 231 - Tobacco education, prevention and
cessation program; add fentanyl and drug
abuse prevention education.

= This bill directs the MDMH to develop
and implement a comprehensive program
for fentanyl and drug abuse education,
prevention, and cessation.

= The program is to include media marketing,
curricula for schools, community-level
programs, and cessation assistance
programs.

HB 1158 - Medical Cannabis Act; revise
certain provisions of.

= Authorizes practitioners to assist patients in
the registration and certification processes.

= Allows for the purchase and sale of topical
cannabis products.

= Prohibits practitioners from requiring
patients be drug tested as a condition for
certification.

= Clarifies that practitioners are not required
to hold additional or special credentials,
or be registered or licensed with any other
entity except for the MSDH.

= Allows qualified patients to see a different
provider for follow-up appointments, i.e.,
qualified patients do not have to see the
same practitioner that originally certified
them.

= Clarifies that certification is valid for six
months.

= Requires the prescription monitoring
program to submit to the legislature on an
annual basis, a report detailing the number
of opioid prescriptions provided in the state
that year.

= Adds the following terms and definitions:
= Artificially Derived Cannabinoid
= Cannabinoid
= Cannabis Waste

HB 4 - Tianeptine; include in Schedule |
controlled substance list.

= Originally introduced to include Tianeptine
as a Schedule | Controlled Substance (drugs
with no current medical use with high
potential for abuse and/or addiction), the
version of this bill that was enacted includes
Tianeptine as a Schedule Ill Controlled
Substances.

HB 722 - Controlled substances; exclude
fentanyl testing materials from definition of
"paraphernalia" under.

= Fentanyl testing strips are used to test
controlled substances and illegal drugs for
the presence of fentanyl. This bill clarifies
that such testing strips are not illegal, and
removes these and any other such materials
from the definition of "paraphernalia" under
the Uniform Controlled Substance Law.

 

Center for Mississippi Health Policy | Report, Edition 1: 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: A Review of Health-Related Bills & Theirlmpact = JULY 2023
HB 1071 - Uniform Controlled Substances
Act; Revise schedules

= This bill adds 13 Substances to the Schedule
| List

= 4F-MDMB-BINACA ® 4-MEAP

= 5F-EDMB-PINACA = = MPHP

= 5F-MDMB-PICA = PV8

= FUB-AKB48 = 4-chloro-a-PVP
= FUB-144 = methoxetamine
= N-ethylhexedrone & SGT-25

= a-PHP

= This bill also adds serdexmethylphenidate
to the Schedule IV List.

™ WATER & SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE

The quality of air we breathe and water
we drink, and the safety and affordability
of neighborhoods we live in have direct
impacts on individuals' health. Physical
infrastructure such as transportation and
water systems can either enhance or
diminish quality of life. Legislation was
passed to allow for certain flexibilities
and provides increased opportunities

to upgrade or improve water and sewer
infrastructure.

SB 2512 - Counties; authorize to designate
ARPA funds to rural water and sewer
associations for infrastructure projects.

= This bill allows county boards of supervisors
to directly allocate Coronavirus State and
Local Fiscal Recovery Funds from ARPA to
fund water and sewer infrastructure projects.

SB 2444 - ARPA programs; revise provisions
related to certain programs.

= Section 2 of this bill makes amendments
to the ARPA Rural Water Associations
Infrastructure Grant Program, administered
by MSDH, so that any entity receiving
funding from the program or the Mississippi
Municipality and County Water Infrastructure
(MCWI) Grant Program before April 14,
2023, is ineligible for additional grants.
Additionally, for the second round of awards,
the bill caps the awards at $2 million to each
entity, and greater weight should be given to
applications that promote the consolidation
of separate systems or have already
consolidated.

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= Section 3 provides that the Department
of Finance and Administration shall make
a second round of grants to disburse $3
million to the MS Main Street Association for
community revitalization:

= 8 communities with a population greater
than 25,000 will receive $68,000 each,
and

= 40 communities with a population of less
than 25,000 will receive $61,400 each.

HB 698 - Municipal water, wastewater and
sewer services; require equity-based billing
based on the use of.

= This bill amends the governing authorities
of municipal waterworks to provide that the
rates at which water, wastewater, and sewer
services are calculated shall only be based
on the volumetric usage of each customer,
plus any reasonable fees, and shall be
consistent in application. The amendment
provides that if a municipality is unable to
meet the volumetric billing requirements,
the may bill a flat fee rate but only if that flat
fee rate was established prior to passage -
July 1, 2023.

SB 2433 - Regulation of public utilities;
exempt distribution of water by eligible
homeowners association to its own residents
from.

™ TAX CREDITS

Tax credits help to incentivize charitable
contributions and can help to alleviate
expenses related to certain issues. During
the 2023 Legislative Session, the following
tax credits were passed to do just that.

SB 2696 - Income tax credit for qualified
adoption expenses; increase amount
for Mississippi children and remove CPS
requirement.

HB 261 - Income tax; extend credit for
qualified contributions to an endowed fund
at qualified community foundations.

HB 1723 - Tax credits; authorize for business
contributions to certain organizations
supporting food pantries or soup kitchens.

HB 1734 - Use tax; revise distribution of
revenue, provide income tax credit for
employer making payments for employee
dependent care.

Center for Mississippi Health Policy | Report, Edition 1: 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: A Review of Health-Related Bills & Theirlmpact = JULY 2023
™ OTHER

HB 1390 - Abstinence education; delete
repealer on school board requirement
to adopt a policy on abstinence-only or
abstinence-plus.

= Abstinence-based sex education is the
standard for Mississippi public schools,
where schools have the option of adopting
abstinence-only or abstinence-plus curricula.

= Abstinence-Only: "Abstinence education
refers to programs that promote abstinence-
until-marriage as the expected standard of
behavior. These programs provide students
with information on building healthy
relationships, the benefits of abstinence,
and the consequences of premarital sexual
behavior."

= Abstinence-Plus: "Abstinence Plus education
describes programs that encourage
abstinence but includes information on
contraception, and resources available for
safer sex practices." "

HB 485 - Sexual assault evidence kit; regulate
the processing of.

= This bill outlines the timeframes in which the
steps required for processing sexual assault
evidence kits should be completed.

= Medical facilities must contact
appropriate law enforcement agencies
no later than 4 hours after the
completion of any examination.

= Law enforcement must collect the
evidence kit within 24 hours of being
notified.

= Evidence kits must be delivered to the
Mississippi Forensics Laboratory no later
than 7 days after they were collected by
law enforcement.

= The Mississippi Forensics Laboratory
shall have completed testing of evidence
kits within 60 days of receiving them.

HB 995 - Rape; revise elements for the crime
of and remove spousal exception.

= This bill repeals code section 97-3-99 which
stated that a person cannot be considered
guilty of rape or sexual battery if the victim
is that person's legal spouse.

= The bill also repeals the evidentiary
requirement that a woman be of "chaste

character" for the corroboration of a rape
accusation, and revises the elements of rape
by replacing "forcibly ravish any female" with
"forcible sexual penetration of any person"

™ VETOED

A "vetoed bill" is a bill that has been
rejected by the governor. This bill will not
become law.

SB 2622 - Mississippi Prior Authorization
Reform Act; enact.

= This bill would have implemented rules
and regulations for insurance companies'
prior authorization process to speed
up the overall process, provide greater
transparency for patients, and require more
accountability from insurers.

= In his Veto Message for Senate Bill 2622,
Governor Reeves cited several issues he
found with the legislation, including:

= Regulatory Authority: The Governor
wrote that the MSDH has no experience
regulating insurance companies and to
avoid conflicts of interest, oversight of
this act should lie within the Department
of Insurance, not the State Department
of Health.

= Regulatory Authority: The Governor also
wrote that the Department of Insurance
has no authority over the investigation
or prosecution of suspected healthcare
fraud, but that federal law requires
the Division of Medicaid to report
such cases to the Mississippi Attorney
General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit
which, along with State District and US
Attorneys, have authority to investigate
and prosecute.

= The Governor wrote that SB 2622's
time limits for prior authorizations
and the disclosure requirements for
insurers would lead to the unintended
impacts of unnecessary administrative
expenses and interruptions in access to
medication.

 

Center for Mississippi Health Policy | Report, Edition 1: 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: A Review of Health-Related Bills & Theirlmpact = JULY 2023
™ SOURCES

1.

Summary of General Legislation - 2023
Regular Session. (2023). Legislative Services
Office, Mississippi State Senate.

Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment
Reform. (2023). Rural hospitals at risk of
closing. https://ruralhospitals.chqpr.org/
downloads/Rural_Hospitals_at_Risk_of_
Closing.pdf

Coronavirus State & Local Fiscal Recovery
Funds, 31 CFR § 35 (2021).

Glossary of Legislative Terms. (2023).
National Conference of State Legislatures.
https://www.ncsl.org/resources/details/
glossary-of-legislative-terms

Health Resources and Services
Administration. (n.d.). Area Health Resources
Files. Retrieved from data.hrsa.gov website:
https://data.hrsa. gov/topics/health-
workforce/ahrf.

The Commonwealth Fund. (2020,
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Center for
Mississippi
Healt
Policy

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provides objective information to
inform health policy decisions.

 

Center for Mississippi Health Policy | Report, Edition 1: 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: A Review of Health-Related Bills & Theirlmpact = JULY 2023