Mississippi legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Mississippi HB1404: Fraudulent Utility Conversion; create crime when landlord fails to pay utilities and tenants' utilities are interrupted.
Status: Signed into law, March 25, 2026
AN ACT TO PROHIBIT A PERSON WHO HAS RECEIVED PAYMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH A LEASE TO PAY UTILITY SERVICES FROM KNOWINGLY FAILING TO PAY OR USING AN AGENT OR EMPLOYEE TO USE ANY DECEPTION TO NOT PAY THE AMOUNT OWED TO THE UTILITY SERVICE; TO PROVIDE CRIMINAL PENALTIES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
What the bill says
An act to prohibit a person who has received payment in accordance with a lease to pay utility services from knowingly failing to pay or using an agent or employee to use any deception to not pay the amount owed to the utility service; to provide criminal penalties; and for related purposes.
From the enrolled text, March 19, 2026:
AN ACT TO PROHIBIT A PERSON WHO HAS RECEIVED PAYMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH A LEASE TO PAY UTILITY SERVICES FROM KNOWINGLY FAILING TO PAY OR USING AN AGENT OR EMPLOYEE TO USE ANY DECEPTION TO NOT PAY THE AMOUNT OWED TO THE UTILITY SERVICE; TO PROVIDE CRIMINAL PENALTIES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: SECTION 1. (1) No person who has received money or payment in accordance with a lease contract or rental agreement to pay utility services shall knowingly, willfully and unlawfully: (a) Fail to apply the money or payment as necessary to satisfy the amount owed for the utility services within sixty (60) days of the person's receipt of the bill for utility services. (b) Use or cause an agent or employee to use any deception, false pretense, or false promise in the failure to apply the money or payment as necessary to satisfy the amount owed for the utility services. (2) (a) When the misappropriation or taking amounts to a value of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) or more, the offender, upon conviction, shall be imprisoned for not more than *HR43/R1089SG* H. B. No. 1404 ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2 26/HR43/R1089SG PAGE 1 (GT\KP) twenty (20) years, fined not more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), or both. (b) When the …
Sponsors
- Yates, Shanda (I, 64) · primary sponsor
- Mansell, Clay (R, 56)
- Felsher, Kevin (R, 117)
Latest actions
- : Approved by Governor
- : Enrolled Bill Signed
- : Enrolled Bill Signed
- : Concurred in Amend From Senate
- : Returned For Concurrence
- : Passed As Amended
- : Amended
- : Title Suff Do Pass As Amended
- : Referred To Judiciary, Division B
- : Transmitted To Senate
Votes
- Concurred in Amend From Senate (March 18, 2026): 100 yea, 14 nay, passed
- Passed As Amended (March 9, 2026): 51 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Passed As Amended (February 5, 2026): 85 yea, 28 nay, passed
Subjects: Fraudulent Utility Conversion
Common questions
- What is HB1404?
- HB1404 is a bill in the Mississippi Legislature (2026 Regular Session): Fraudulent Utility Conversion; create crime when landlord fails to pay utilities and tenants' utilities are interrupted.
- What does HB1404 do?
- In its own words: An act to prohibit a person who has received payment in accordance with a lease to pay utility services from knowingly failing to pay or using an agent or employee to use any deception to not pay the amount owed to the utility service; to provide criminal penalties; and for related purposes.
- What is the status of HB1404?
- Signed into law as of March 25, 2026. Latest action: Approved by Governor (March 25, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB1404?
- Yates, Shanda (I, 64), with 2 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HB1404?
- On the Mississippi Legislature website: http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2026/pdf/history/HB/HB1404.xml
Source: official Mississippi record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.