Registered agents; authorize Secretary of State to remove fraudulent address and expand timeframe for returning documents refused for filing.
Summary
HB 1467 would add a new section to Mississippi law giving the Secretary of State authority to remove a registered agent’s residence address from public record when the current occupant of that residence requests removal and swears that the listed person or entity is not associated with the address. The request must be made on a Secretary of State form, signed under penalty of perjury, and treated as confidential rather than subject to the Public Records Act. After receiving the request, the Secretary of State must try to contact the entity and registered agent to request an updated address, and the entity must then designate and certify a proper resident agent address.
The bill also extends the deadline for the Secretary of State to return documents that are refused for filing from 10 days to 30 days for both corporations and limited liability companies. Those changes apply to corporate filings under the Mississippi Business Corporation Act and LLC filings under the Mississippi Limited Liability Company Act. The act would take effect July 1, 2025.
Impact
HB 1467 would amend Mississippi’s business entity filing statutes by changing the Secretary of State’s handling of refused filings and by creating a new process to protect residential addresses used improperly as registered office addresses. It affects the public record for registered agents, the confidentiality of certain removal requests, and the filing timelines for corporations and LLCs. The bill primarily impacts the Secretary of State’s office, business entities, registered agents, and current occupants of residences whose addresses may have been used without permission.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears generally administrative and protective in nature, with no recorded committee debate or votes provided in the materials. The overall tone suggests support for preventing misuse of residential addresses and for giving filers more time to receive notice when a filing is rejected. There is no evidence in the supplied record of organized opposition or divided sentiment.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the balance between privacy and public filing transparency: the bill allows a current occupant to trigger removal of a residence address from public record based on a sworn statement, and the form is made confidential. Another possible issue is the Secretary of State’s expanded discretion and workload in contacting entities and processing removals. The longer 30-day return period for refused filings could also be debated by those who prefer faster notice and resolution of filing defects versus those who want more administrative flexibility for corporations and LLCs.