Bill > HB1438

This bill mandates that the Governor of Mississippi select a private auditing firm, referred to as a "private auditor," to examine the Department of Human Services and the Division of Medicaid. This audit, which must be completed by June 1, 2026, will assess how well these agencies are following federal and state laws related to determining who is eligible for welfare benefits and preventing fraud. The audit will specifically look into areas like the submission of documents to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for integrating eligibility systems, seeking guidance from CMS and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) on eligibility verification, using computerized systems to verify income, assets, and identity to prevent duplicate assistance and fraud, referring suspected fraud cases to appropriate agencies, obtaining federal waivers for work requirements or asset limits, sharing eligibility information with other agencies, the procedures used to verify eligibility factors, the amount and number of benefits used out-of-state, and general compliance with laws like the Medicaid and Human Services Transparency and Fraud Protection Act and the Mississippi Internal Audit Act. The private auditor will have the power to request documents, interview people, and ask written questions, with agencies required to respond within 60 days. Within 180 days of appointment, the auditor will provide a preliminary report on any apparent noncompliance, and agencies will have a chance to respond. Finally, by January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, the private auditor will submit a report detailing their findings to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, and these reports will be considered public records.

Government Affairs

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2026/pdf/history/HB/HB1438.xml