Tasers and stun guns; prohibit use of by law enforcement officers.
House Bill 1596 would prohibit Mississippi law enforcement officers, including state, county, municipal, special agency, and school resource officers, from using, possessing, or deploying tasers or stun guns in the course of official duties beginning July 1, 2025. It would also require agencies to remove those devices from active service by June 30, 2025, transfer them to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety for destruction or approved non-law-enforcement redistribution, and subject violators to discipline and civil penalties.
The bill also amends several related code sections to conform to the new prohibition. In the concealed-carry statutes, it adds language clarifying that law-enforcement equipment does not include tasers, stun guns, or other electronic incapacitation devices prohibited under the act, and it updates the law-enforcement training statute to bar academy training on taser or stun-gun use. In the school security statute, it expressly bars school resource officers from carrying or using tasers or stun guns on school premises or in official duties. The bill leaves Mississippi’s civilian stun-gun and concealed-carry licensing framework largely intact, but it carves out law-enforcement use from that framework and aligns related definitions and exemptions with the new ban.
The bill would amend Sections 97-37-1, 45-9-101, 45-6-11, and 37-7-321 of the Mississippi Code to remove tasers and stun guns from authorized law-enforcement equipment and to prohibit their use by officers and school resource officers. It would also impose administrative consequences, including suspension or termination for officers and civil fines of up to $10,000 per violation for agencies, while directing the Department of Public Safety to manage confiscated devices. The measure would not eliminate civilian possession or licensing of stun guns, but it would narrow the statutory treatment of these devices by excluding them from law-enforcement training and official use.
No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to gauge support or opposition. Based on the bill text alone, the proposal appears to take a strong regulatory stance against electronic incapacitation devices in policing, which suggests it would likely draw significant attention from law-enforcement stakeholders and public-safety advocates. The absence of recorded votes or discussion means the overall legislative sentiment cannot be measured from the available context.
The main point of contention is the categorical prohibition on tasers and stun guns for all Mississippi law-enforcement officers, including school resource officers, rather than a more limited regulation or training requirement. Potential opponents would likely include police agencies, sheriffs, and school districts that view these devices as less-lethal tools useful for officer and public safety, while supporters would likely argue the devices pose unacceptable risks and should not be used by government officers. A secondary issue is the bill’s requirement that agencies surrender existing devices for destruction or non-law-enforcement redistribution, along with the possibility of disciplinary action and substantial civil penalties.