AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 45-2-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO INCLUDE COUNTY AND MUNICIPALITY ROAD WORKERS DURING AND AFTER EMERGENCIES AS INDIVIDUALS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE BENEFITS FROM THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND FIRE FIGHTERS DEATH AND DISABILITY BENEFITS TRUST FUND; TO AMEND SECTION 45-2-21, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO INCLUDE COUNTY AND MUNICIPALITY ROAD WORKERS DURING AND AFTER EMERGENCIES AS INDIVIDUALS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE BENEFITS FROM THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND FIRE FIGHTERS DISABILITY BENEFIT TRUST FUND; TO AMEND SECTION 45-41-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO ADD CONFORMING DEFINITIONS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
SB 2652 expands Mississippi’s public-safety benefit statutes to cover county and municipal road and public works employees when they are working during and after emergencies. Under the bill, those workers would be added to the definitions of “covered individual” in the state’s death benefits and disability benefits laws, alongside law enforcement officers, firefighters, and volunteer firefighters. The bill also adds a new statutory definition of “road/public works” describing employees trained to maintain and repair public roads and utilities and to respond to disasters by removing debris or controlling hazards involving gas, power, or water.
The measure would make county and municipal road workers eligible for the same death benefit payment structure currently available to other covered public-safety personnel: a $100,000 payment for qualifying line-of-duty deaths, plus $25,000 per child up to a $250,000 cap, paid from the Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters Death Benefits Trust Fund. It would also make those workers eligible for monthly disability benefits equal to 34% of regular base salary, subject to the same line-of-duty, single-incident, and non-self-inflicted injury limitations in the disability benefits statute. The bill makes conforming changes to related definitions in the Silver Alert law, but it does not materially change the alert system’s core procedures.
In practical terms, the bill would broaden state benefit eligibility and potentially increase claims against the death and disability benefit funds administered by the Department of Public Safety and the Attorney General’s office. It would extend financial protections and survivor benefits to a new category of local government employees who may be exposed to emergency conditions while clearing roads, restoring utilities, and supporting disaster response. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.
The general sentiment reflected by the bill’s caption and structure is supportive of first responders and emergency support personnel, with the policy goal of recognizing road and public works employees as part of the emergency response workforce. No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to indicate broader legislative support or opposition. Based on the text alone, the bill appears framed as a worker-protection and public-safety measure rather than a controversial policy change.
The main point of potential contention is fiscal and definitional: expanding eligibility could increase payouts from the death and disability funds, and lawmakers may scrutinize whether county and municipal road workers should be treated the same as traditional first responders for benefit purposes. Another possible issue is the scope of the new “road/public works” definition, especially the reference to emergency deployment during bioterrorism, terrorist attacks, and natural disasters, which may raise questions about which employees qualify and when. However, no specific objections or amendments are documented in the materials provided.
SB 2652 would amend Sections 45-2-1 and 45-2-21 of the Mississippi Code to include county and municipal road/public works employees in the state’s death and disability benefit programs for public-safety personnel. It would also add a conforming definition of “road/public works” in Section 45-41-1, though the Silver Alert provisions themselves remain largely unchanged. The bill would affect the Department of Public Safety, the Attorney General’s office, local governments, and eligible employees and beneficiaries by expanding access to state-funded line-of-duty death and disability benefits.
The bill appears generally favorable toward emergency workers and local public works personnel, with a clear intent to extend protections to employees who respond during disasters and emergency conditions. Because no committee transcript or vote history was provided, there is no direct evidence of opposition or divided sentiment in the legislative record supplied. On its face, the measure is presented as a recognition and support bill for first responders and related emergency support staff.
The likely areas of contention are cost, eligibility scope, and administrative implementation. Expanding the covered class to county and municipal road workers could increase claims on the death and disability trust funds, which may prompt questions about fiscal exposure and whether the existing funding is sufficient. There may also be debate over how broadly “road/public works” should be interpreted, especially for employees who are not routinely deployed in emergency response but may assist during disasters. No specific objections, amendments, or recorded votes are included in the materials.