Mississippi House Bill HB1227

Mississippi 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/19/26
• Refer: 1/19/26
• Failed: 2/3/26

Caption

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 27-19-56.549, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE THE ISSUANCE OF DISTINCTIVE MOTOR VEHICLE LICENSE TAGS TO SUPPORTERS OF THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD AUXILIARY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Summary

HB 1227 amends Mississippi’s distinctive motor vehicle license tag law to add the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary to the list of eligible beneficiary organizations. Under the bill, Mississippi residents who pay the required vehicle taxes and registration fees may apply for a special license plate showing support for the Coast Guard Auxiliary, subject to an additional $30 annual fee. The bill keeps the existing structure for distinctive tags, including application through county tax collectors, annual renewal, and replacement procedures for lost or stolen tags. The bill also preserves the current distribution formula for the extra fee collected on each tag. Of the $30 surcharge, $24 would go to the beneficiary organization, $1 to the Mississippi Burn Care Fund, $2 to the State Highway Fund, and $1 to another special fund created in state law. The measure would take effect July 1, 2026, and would operate as an amendment to Section 27-19-56.549 of the Mississippi Code, which governs a broad list of specialty license plates for schools, civic groups, nonprofits, and other organizations.

Impact

HB 1227 would expand Mississippi’s specialty license plate program by authorizing a new distinctive tag for supporters of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. It would not change the general licensing framework, but it would add another eligible organization to the statute and direct revenue from the new plate to the designated beneficiary and existing state funds. County tax collectors and the Department of Revenue would continue to administer applications, fee collection, and distribution under the current statutory process.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the bill appears to be a routine, noncontroversial specialty-tag measure. The proposal fits within an established pattern of Mississippi legislation that creates or expands organization-specific license plates to raise funds and provide public recognition. No opposition, amendments, or divided votes are reflected in the available context.

Contention

No specific points of contention are shown in the provided transcripts or voting history. If any concerns were raised, they are not included in the materials. In general, bills of this type can prompt questions about whether specialty tags should continue to expand, how much of the surcharge should go to the beneficiary versus state funds, and whether the administrative burden on county tax collectors is justified, but none of those issues are documented here.