AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 79-11-513, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE PERIOD OF EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION FOR A PROFESSIONAL FUND-RAISER OR FUND-RAISING COUNSEL FOR A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION FROM ONE YEAR, OR A PART THEREOF, TO THREE TO FIVE YEARS, AS DETERMINED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE; TO AMEND SECTION 79-11-503, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE RENEWAL PERIOD FOR CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS WHICH SOLICIT OR INTEND TO SOLICIT CONTRIBUTIONS FROM EVERY YEAR TO EVERY THREE TO FIVE YEARS, AS DETERMINED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE; TO AMEND SECTION 79-11-517, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE PERIOD OF EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION FOR A PROFESSIONAL SOLICITOR IN THE EMPLOY OF A PROFESSIONAL FUND-RAISER FROM ONE YEAR, OR A PART THEREOF, TO THREE TO FIVE YEARS, AS DETERMINED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE; TO AMEND SECTIONS 79-11-507 AND 79-11-505, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
HB 516 revises Mississippi’s charitable solicitation registration and reporting framework by lengthening the registration and renewal cycle for several regulated entities from an annual schedule to a three-to-five-year schedule, as determined by the Secretary of State. The bill applies this change to professional fund-raisers, fundraising counsel, professional solicitors employed by professional fund-raisers, and charitable organizations that solicit or intend to solicit contributions. It also updates related reporting provisions so that required filings, including financial statements and reports, follow the same three-to-five-year cadence rather than being annual.
The bill keeps the existing registration structure in place, including filing fees, bonding requirements for professional fund-raisers, and the Secretary of State’s authority to prescribe forms, request additional information, impose penalties, and grant extensions. It also makes conforming changes to the statute governing financial reporting thresholds for charitable organizations, while leaving the underlying disclosure tiers and exemption categories largely intact. The effective date is July 1, 2026.
HB 516 would amend Sections 79-11-503, 79-11-505, 79-11-507, 79-11-513, and 79-11-517 of the Mississippi Code to replace annual registration and reporting deadlines with a three-to-five-year renewal and filing cycle for covered charitable organizations and professional fundraising entities. In practical terms, this would reduce the frequency of routine filings with the Secretary of State, while preserving oversight tools such as registration certificates, financial disclosures, bond requirements, administrative penalties, and exemption notices. The Secretary of State would gain discretion to determine the exact interval within the three-to-five-year range by rule.
The bill’s stated purpose and caption suggest a generally favorable, administrative-efficiency-oriented approach, and the available context shows no recorded opposition, committee debate, or vote history. Based on the text, the measure appears intended to reduce paperwork and compliance frequency for charities and fundraising professionals while maintaining regulatory oversight. The absence of recorded votes or transcripts limits any deeper assessment of legislative sentiment, but the bill reads as a low-contention streamlining measure.
The main policy question raised by the bill is whether extending registration and reporting intervals from one year to as long as five years could reduce administrative burden enough to justify less frequent state oversight of charitable solicitation activity. Potentially affected parties include charitable organizations, professional fund-raisers, fundraising counsel, and professional solicitors, all of whom would file less often under the new framework. Another point of interest is the broad discretion given to the Secretary of State to set the exact renewal period within the three-to-five-year range, which could affect how much relief organizations actually receive and how much monitoring the state retains.