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HB 349

Mental health; delete requirement for chancery clerks to provide certain records to DMH each quarter.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Sam Creekmore

HB 349 eliminates chancery clerks' quarterly reporting requirement to Mississippi's Department of Mental Health regarding court-ordered commitments and guardianships.

Referred To Public Health and Human Services
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Bill Summary · HB 349

Legislative bill overview

HB 349 would eliminate a requirement for Mississippi chancery clerks to submit certain records to the Department of Mental Health (DMH) on a quarterly basis. The bill removes a data collection and reporting obligation that currently exists in state law.

Why is this important

This administrative change affects how the DMH monitors mental health-related legal matters, court commitments, and guardianship cases. The quarterly reporting requirement currently provides the state with data on involuntary psychiatric commitments and conservatorships, which informs public health tracking and resource allocation.

Potential points of contention

  • Data loss: Removing the reporting requirement eliminates systematic state-level tracking of involuntary commitments and guardianships, potentially hindering the DMH's ability to monitor trends and plan services
  • Administrative burden vs. public health: While the bill reduces workload for chancery clerks, critics may argue the burden is minimal relative to the public health value of the data
  • Unclear rationale: The bill provides no stated justification for why this requirement should be deleted, making it unclear if this removes duplicative reporting or eliminates valuable oversight

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

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