Happy New Year – sort of. It’s a new year for legislation in Mississippi. We’ll discuss the new laws that made it through our legislature and got the governor’s signature.Senate Bill 2621: This bill creates a task force to study domestic laws, including those surrounding divorce.Senate Bill 2536: This law mandates that people identified as male at birth cannot participate in female sports activities.Senate Bill 2795: Centers on criminal justice reform. The new law expands parole eligibility and would allow as many as 3,000 of the state’s roughly 17,000 people now in prison to become eligible for parole within three to five years. Those convicted of violations deemed violent crimes committed without a weapon, such as simple robbery or burglary, would be eligible for parole after serving 20 years or 50% of their sentence, whichever is less. They currently have to serve 50%. And some convicted of possession of drugs or of selling drugs and those convicted of some other nonviolent crimes would be eligible after serving 10 years or 25%, whichever is less.House Bill 196: The Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act provides women in prison with minor children more opportunities to see the children and provides additional rights for pregnant women, such as allowing a newborn to remain with the mother for 72 hours unless there are medical concerns and prohibiting invasive searches of pregnant women. The new law also would provide additional rights for all women, such as access to menstrual hygiene products.Senate Bill 2569: This bill makes it a misdemeanor to tamper with urine samples used for testing. A third conviction could result in a felony conviction.House Bill 277: Allows tribal identification cards to be used as identification cards for various activities, such as proving age to purchase liquor or cigarettes or to purchase lottery tickets. The new law also allows the card to be used to purchase hunting and fishing licenses and for other activities. A tribal identification card including a photo already can be used to vote.Senate Bill 2253: Allows a concealed carry permit to be combined with a driver’s license or state-sponsored identification card.Senate Bill 2313: The Mississippi Intercollegiate Athletic Compensation Act allows college athletes to contract with an agent for their names, images or likenesses to be used, for instance, to endorse a product and receive compensation for that endorsement. College athletes have been prohibited from earning income based on their athletic achievements, but the NCAA, college athletics’ governing body, is currently rewriting those rules.Senate Bill 2606: The Mississippi Native Spirits Law allows liquor and wine produced in the state more leeway in its sales, such as allowing sales where it is produced, and allowing direct sales by bypassing the state’s liquor and wine warehouse.http://inlegalterms.mpbonline.org/episodes/in-legal-terms-divorce-and-moneyhttp://inlegalterms.mpbonline.org/episodes/in-legal-terms-divorce-in-mississippihttp://inlegalterms.mpbonline.org/episodes/in-legal-terms-divorce-and-taxesIn Legal Terms: Divorce 2018https://www.si.com/college/2021/07/01/jackson-state-antwan-owens-first-nil-endorsement-dealhttps://247sports.com/Article/Arkansas-Football-Trey-Knox-lands-promotional-deal-with-PetSmart-under-new-NIL-rules-Name-Image-Likeness-167296461/http://inlegalterms.mpbonline.org/episodes/in-legal-terms-real-ids NEW DATE: Beginning May 3, 2023, every air traveler 18 years of age and older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, state-issued enhanced driver’s license, or another acceptable form of ID to fly within the United States. https://www.tsa.gov/real-id"New laws hit the books in Mississippi on Thursday | Mississippi Politics and News - Y'all Politics" https://yallpolitics.com/2021/06/30/new-laws-hit-the-books-in-mississippi-on-thursday/"Several new Mississippi laws going into effect on July 1" https://www.wlox.com/2021/06/30/several-new-mississippi-laws-going-in