Bill
Bill > SB2588
MS SB2588
MS SB2588Safeguard Honesty Integrity in Elections for Lasting Democracy (SHIELD) Act; create.
summary
Introduced
01/19/2026
01/19/2026
In Committee
02/13/2026
02/13/2026
Crossed Over
02/05/2026
02/05/2026
Passed
04/01/2026
04/01/2026
Dead
Signed/Enacted/Adopted
04/01/2026
04/01/2026
Introduced Session
Potential new amendment
2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
An Act To Be Known As The "safeguard Honest Integrity In Elections For Lasting Democracy (shield) Act"; To Amend Section 23-15-15, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Revise The Procedure By Which A Registrar Verifies An Applicant's Citizenship Upon Receipt Of A Completed Voter Registration Application; To Require The Registrar To Enter Each Applicant's Information Into The United States Citizenship And Immigration Service's Systematic Alien Verification For Entitlements (save); To Require Registrars To Make Annual Reports To The Secretary Of State Regarding The Number Of Applicants Flagged By A Save System Check And The Number Removed Following Confirmation; To Create New Section 23-15-165.1, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require The Secretary Of State To Conduct An Annual Comparison Of The Statewide Elections Management System Records With The Save Database And To Report Ineligible Matches To The Appropriate Election Commissioner; To Create New Section 23-15-165.2, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require The Secretary Of State To Annually Report To The Legislature On The Results Achieved With The Save System; To Create New Section 23-15-165.3, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Exempt Personally Identifiable Information Collected Through Use Of The Save System From The Mississippi Public Records Act Of 1983; To Create New Section 23-15-165.4, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide For Severability Of The Provisions Of The Preceding Sections; And For Related Purposes.
AI Summary
This bill, known as the Safeguard Honest Integrity in Elections for Lasting Democracy (SHIELD) Act, revises how voter registration applications are verified for citizenship in Mississippi. It mandates that registrars use the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system to check an applicant's citizenship status. If an applicant is flagged as potentially ineligible by SAVE, they will be notified and given an opportunity to provide proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport. The bill also requires registrars to report annually to the Secretary of State on the number of applicants flagged by SAVE and those removed after verification, and the Secretary of State will conduct an annual comparison of election records with the SAVE database, reporting any potential mismatches to election officials. Furthermore, the Secretary of State will report annually to the Legislature on the results of using the SAVE system, and personally identifiable information collected through SAVE will be kept confidential and exempt from public records requests. The bill also includes a severability clause, meaning if any part of these new provisions is found invalid, the rest will remain in effect.
Committee Categories
Government Affairs
Sponsors (2)
Last Action
Approved by Governor (on 04/01/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
Loading...
bill summary
Loading...
bill summary
Loading...