Senate Bill 2809 Summary

• Creates the Uniform Power of Attorney Act as Chapter 4 of Title 87, Mississippi Code, replacing the previous Uniform Durable Power of Attorney Act effective July 1, 2014.

• Establishes comprehensive rules for executing, validating, and terminating powers of attorney, including provisions that powers of attorney are durable by default unless expressly stated otherwise.

• Defines agent duties requiring agents to act in the principal's best interest, in good faith, within the scope of granted authority, and maintain records of all transactions.

• Specifies 16 categories of agent authority requiring explicit grant (such as creating trusts, making gifts, changing beneficiary designations) and 13 subjects of general authority (real property, financial institutions, retirement plans, taxes, etc.).

• Provides statutory form power of attorney and agent certification forms, establishes seven-business-day acceptance deadlines for acknowledged powers of attorney, and allows agents and third parties broad reliance protections without actual knowledge of termination or invalidity.