Mississippi Tort Claims Act; create publicly accessible registry for certain entities subject to.
Summary
SB 2793 would require the Mississippi Secretary of State to create a publicly accessible registry of certain private entities that are treated as employees of a governmental entity under Section 11-46-9 of the Mississippi Tort Claims Act. The bill also requires those private entities to register with the Secretary of State, and it directs that the new provision be codified in Title 11, Chapter 46 of the Mississippi Code.
In practical terms, the bill adds a reporting and transparency requirement for private contractors or other non-governmental entities that fall within the statute’s definition of governmental employees for tort-claims purposes. The registry would be public, and the act would take effect on July 1, 2025.
Impact
The bill would amend the Mississippi Tort Claims Act framework by adding a new administrative registry requirement in Title 11, Chapter 46. It does not change the underlying immunity or liability rules in Section 11-46-9, but it would create a new compliance obligation for covered private entities and a new recordkeeping/public disclosure duty for the Secretary of State.
Sentiment
There is no recorded committee transcript or vote history in the provided materials, so the bill’s support or opposition cannot be directly measured from debate or roll call data. Based on the text alone, the measure appears to be a transparency-focused administrative bill rather than a substantive policy overhaul.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the scope of the phrase “private entities that are employees of a governmental entity under Section 11-46-9,” which could raise questions about which contractors, vendors, or affiliated organizations must register. Another possible concern is whether a public registry could impose administrative burdens or expose sensitive contracting relationships, while supporters would likely view it as a way to clarify which entities are covered by the Tort Claims Act.