Bill > HB1285

This bill makes several key amendments to Mississippi's bail and bail bond laws, primarily focusing on three main areas: felony warrant tracking, surety licensing, and bail forfeiture processes. First, the bill requires that all felony warrants issued for a defendant's nonappearance must be placed on the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) index with no restrictions until the defendant is returned to custody. Second, the bill extends the notification period for bail bond surety license revocation from 10 to 20 working days, giving sureties more time to respond to potential revocation notices. Third, the bill provides sureties with an opportunity to submit proof to the Department of Insurance that a defendant has been surrendered to authorities or that a bond has been paid directly to the court before their license is revoked, which can include payment receipts, surrender certificates, or notices of surrender from proper authorities. These changes aim to improve the efficiency and fairness of bail bond processes by providing clearer guidelines for tracking defendants, allowing more time for sureties to rectify bond issues, and creating a more transparent mechanism for license revocation. The bill will take effect on July 1, 2025.

Justice

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2025/pdf/history/HB/HB1285.xml