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Bill

SR 5

Senate Rules; amend Rules 28 and 35C to provide floor restrictions for members of the news media.

2026 Regular Session

The bill would restrict Senate floor access and require credentialing for news media to photograph or transcribe proceedings, tightening decorum and visitor rules.

Died In Committee
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Bill Summary · SR 5

Summary of Senate Resolution 5 (2026) — Mississippi

Purpose and intent

Senate Resolution 5 seeks to amend Senate Rules 28 and 35C to impose restrictions on activities and access for members of the news media on the Senate floor and in related areas. The changes are intended to regulate who may be on the Senate floor during sessions and how the news media may operate within the Senate Gallery and surrounding spaces.

Key provisions

Rule 28 — Visitors to the Senate floor

  • Current rule language is updated to specify who may enter the Senate floor while in session.
  • Eligible persons include:
    • Members and their immediate families
    • Elected state officials
    • Former members of the Legislature (with an exception: former members who are registered lobbyists are excluded)
    • Officers and employees of the Senate
    • Members, officers, and employees of the House of Representatives
    • Joint legislative employees
    • Ministers or other official guests invited by the President on behalf of the Senate
    • Other individuals designated by the Rules Committee by name
  • The Sergeant-at-Arms is authorized to clear the Senate of all other visitors 30 minutes before each session and must not allow additional visitors on the floor for 10 minutes after the session recesses.

Rule 35C — Decorum and media rules

  • Access to the Senate floor for transcribing debates and proceedings is restricted.
  • News media may take photographs or transcribe debates and proceedings in the Senate Gallery only if they possess proper credentials issued by the Rules Committee.
  • No one may be admitted to the Senate floor for the purpose of transcribing debates and proceedings unless they are authorized as above.
  • Additional decorum restrictions include:
    • No eating on the Senate Gallery floor during a session
    • No display of banners or signs in the Senate Gallery while the Senate is in session
    • In Senate committee rooms, audience members may not consume food or display banners or signs during committee meetings

Who/what is affected

  • News media personnel seeking access to the Senate floor or Gallery for recording, photographing, or transcription.
  • Individuals (visitors) attempting to enter the Senate floor during sessions.
  • The Rules Committee, which would issue credentials for news media and designate other visitors.
  • The Sergeant-at-Arms, charged with enforcing floor access restrictions.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Status: Died In Committee on April 15, 2026.
  • Origination: Referred to Rules on January 9, 2026.
  • As a resolution, these provisions would amend the Senate Rules (not statutes) and would take effect if subsequently adopted or enacted by the Senate in its rules process, subject to any relevant constitutional or internal procedural requirements.
  • Given the “Died In Committee” disposition, the bill did not advance to the Senate floor for action in the 2026 session unless revived or reintroduced in a future session.

Potential impact (high-level)

  • Creates explicit floor access limitations, potentially reducing informal/unscheduled press presence on the Senate floor.
  • Establishes credential-based access for news media in the Senate Gallery, framing what activities (photography, transcription) are permissible during sessions.
  • Strengthens decorum rules in galleries and committee rooms, potentially affecting media coverage and audience interactions during legislative proceedings.
  • Shifts visitor management toward tighter control by the Rules Committee and the Sergeant-at-Arms, with designated time windows for floor access.

If you’d like, I can compare these proposed rules to current Mississippi Senate rules or provide a brief impact assessment for journalists and observers.

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

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