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Bill

HB 995

First Responder Halo Act of 2025; create to require a 25-feet area of noninterference around first responders engaged in their lawful duty.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Kevin Horan and 1 co-sponsor

Mississippi bill creating 25-foot exclusion zones around active first responders to prevent interference, balancing officer safety against public access and accountability concerns.

Died In Committee
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 995

Legislative bill overview

HB 995 would establish a 25-foot exclusion zone around first responders actively performing their duties, during which unauthorized individuals would be prohibited from entering or interfering. The bill aims to protect emergency personnel from physical obstruction, distraction, or confrontation while they work at incident scenes.

Why is this important

First responder safety during emergency operations is a genuine occupational hazard—interference can delay critical medical care, compromise scene security, or escalate dangerous situations. However, this type of legislation intersects with broader debates about public access, transparency, and accountability of law enforcement activities.

Potential points of contention

  • Definition and enforcement clarity: "Noninterference" and "lawful duty" require precise legal definitions to avoid vague application; unclear boundaries could be used to exclude journalists, witnesses, or accountability observers
  • Constitutional concerns: Courts have previously scrutinized restrictions on proximity to public officials performing public functions, particularly regarding First Amendment protections for recording and observation
  • Practical implementation: The fixed 25-foot radius may be arbitrary for different incident types (traffic stop vs. crowd control vs. medical emergency), potentially creating enforcement inconsistencies

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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