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HB 1372

Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters Death Benefits Trust Fund; include county road and public works.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Dan Eubanks

HB 1372 would expand Mississippi's death benefits trust fund from law enforcement and firefighters to include county road and public works employees, increasing state benefit obligations.

Died In Committee
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Bill Summary · HB 1372

Legislative bill overview

HB 1372 proposes to expand Mississippi's Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters Death Benefits Trust Fund to include county road and public works employees. The bill would extend death benefit protections—originally limited to law enforcement and firefighters—to workers in county road departments and other public works operations who may face occupational hazards.

Why is this important

This expansion directly affects how Mississippi funds and structures death benefits for public sector workers, potentially increasing costs to the state budget while broadening safety net coverage. County road and public works employees face genuine workplace risks (traffic incidents, equipment accidents, hazardous material exposure), making this a question of whether their families deserve comparable protection to emergency responders.

Potential points of contention

  • Fiscal impact: Expanding the trust fund requires identifying funding sources; opponents may argue this strains state budgets during competing priorities, while supporters contend the costs are justified for worker protection
  • Category definition ambiguity: Determining which public works positions qualify (maintenance workers, engineers, supervisors?) could lead to disputes over eligibility and fairness
  • Precedent concerns: Expanding the fund may invite requests from other public employee groups (sanitation, utilities, parks), creating pressure for further expansions that could grow program costs significantly

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

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