Mississippi 2022 Regular Session

Mississippi House Bill HB725

Introduced

1/17/22

Refer

1/17/22

Failed

2/1/22

Caption

Delinquent county garbage fees; provide nonrenewal of driver's licenses for nonpayment.

Impact

One significant change introduced by this bill is that individuals who are delinquent on garbage removal fees will not be able to obtain or renew their driver’s licenses. This will serve as a financial pressure point for residents to ensure that they pay their garbage collection fees promptly. Additionally, the board of supervisors is empowered to report delinquent accounts to consumer credit reporting agencies, aiding in the collection of these debts and potentially affecting residents' credit ratings. These measures are intended to enforce payment compliance more rigorously.

Summary

House Bill 725 amends sections of the Mississippi Code to manage garbage and rubbish collection fees more effectively by introducing stricter accountability measures for users of these services. The bill allows any county's board of supervisors to require individuals seeking to open an account for garbage or rubbish collection to provide identification, such as a social security card or driver’s license number, ensuring that accounts are linked to verifiable identities. This change is aimed at preventing service abuse and ensuring that account holders can be held accountable for unpaid fees.

Contention

This legislation has raised concerns among some stakeholders regarding its approach to handling unpaid fees, which some view as overly punitive. Critics argue that linking service fees to essential items like driver’s licenses could disproportionately affect lower-income residents, who might struggle to stay current with their payments. Furthermore, the provision that allows boards to share information about delinquency with credit reporting agencies has been questioned due to privacy concerns and the potential long-term impacts on individuals' creditworthiness.