Mississippi leaders near deal on youth court reform; special session likely

Legislative leaders and negotiators said they are close to finalizing a deal on reforming Mississippi’s youth court system and expect Gov. Tate Reeves to call a special legislative session soon, according to multiple lawmakers and negotiators involved in the discussions.

It is unclear how wide-ranging the reforms will be or exactly when the special session would take place, and several legislators said they expect it later this month. Reeves’ office did not respond to a request for comment.

The push for a special session stems from debate during the Legislature’s 2026 regular session over a youth court reform package that included a measure extending a “repealer” that governs how confidential youth court records can be shared between courts, state agencies, attorneys and law enforcement, legislative sources said. Because lawmakers did not pass an extension, those confidentiality measures and other youth court provisions expired.

The state Supreme Court issued an order earlier this month that state officials said will allow youth court business to proceed as usual. That order is set to expire on July 24, though the court could choose to extend it, state officials said.

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