Many bills have died since the legislative session began. These bills we are following are still alive. You can see that Governor Tate Reeves has signed some bills into law; others are awaiting his signature or have become law without his signature.
Legislators often amend bills as they go through the legislative process. Sometimes, these amendments significantly change, add to or take away from the bill’s original intention. When a bill is “returned for concurrence,” it means that one chamber (the House or the Senate) has returned a bill to the chamber it originated in (the House or the Senate). Legislators in the originating chamber will now vote on whether they concur (agree) with the bill’s current version.
If the members of the originating chamber do not concur with the bill’s current version, they can invite a conference. If so, Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann will appoint three senators, and Speaker Jason White will appoint three representatives to craft an acceptable bill for both sides. Rule 23A in the Joint Rules of the Senate and House states that conference committee meetings are open to the public. Bills with reverse repealers in them are more likely to go to conference than other bills.
If you have feedback about a bill, call the Capitol switchboard at 601-359-3770 and leave a message for your Senator (senate bills) or Representative (house bills). You can find out who your legislators are at this link.
