Mississippi Senate Introduces Bill to Ban Weather Modification
Mississippi lawmakers have introduced legislation that would explicitly ban geoengineering statewide, define atmospheric chemical dispersal as a form of pollution under state law, and impose felony criminal penalties—including prison time and fines of at least $500,000—on any individual or entity conducting geoengineering within Mississippi
The bill, Senate Bill 2418, was introduced during the 2026 Regular Session by Republican Senators Jason Barrett, Chad McMahan, and Bart Williams and has been referred to the Senate Environment Protection, Conservation, and Water Resources Committee.
If enacted, SB2418 would take effect July 1, 2026.
While the bill targets intentional geoengineering and weather-modification activities, it does not address the federally acknowledged sun-blocking contrail emissions from routine commercial aviation, which the FAA, NASA, and NOAA have identified as having the most significant impact on atmospheric and weather modification.
Legislature Acknowledges Potential Federal Geoengineering Activity
SB2418 opens with legislative findings that place concerns about geoengineering activity—including possible federal involvement—directly into the statutory record.
The bill states that “The Legislature finds and declares that…”:
“It is documented that the federal government or other entities acting on the federal government’s behalf or at the federal government’s request may conduct geoengineering experiments by intentionally dispersing chemicals into the atmosphere, and those activities may occur within the State of Mississippi.”
Lawmakers further state:
“The risk to human health and environmental welfare from broad scale geoengineering is currently not well understood.”
The findings also emphasize the state’s environmental oversight role, noting that the Mississippi Air and Water Pollution Control Commission is responsible for:
“Monitoring air, soil and water quality, and regulating industrial and agricultural emissions into the air, soil and water within the State of Mississippi to ensure the safety of the public.”
Geoengineering Defined in Mississippi Law
SB2418 amends Mississippi’s Air and Water Pollution Control Law to add a formal definition of geoengineering for the first time.
The bill defines “geoengineering” as:
“The intentional injection, release or dispersion, by any means, of chemicals, chemical compounds, substances or apparatus within the borders of this state into the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather or the intensity of the sunlight.”
The definition focuses on purpose, not scale, method, or the identity of the actor.
State Regulators Authorized to Prohibit Geoengineering
The bill expands the powers of the Mississippi Air and Water Pollution Control Commission, granting it explicit authority to act against geoengineering.
Among the Commission’s enumerated powers, SB2418 authorizes it to issue orders:
“Prohibiting all instances of geoengineering in the State of Mississippi.”
This authority is added alongside existing powers to regulate air contamination, air pollution, and the discharge of contaminants into the environment.
Mandatory Statewide Ban
Unlike regulatory frameworks that permit geoengineering under certain conditions, SB2418 requires a total prohibition.
The bill mandates:
“The commission shall enact regulations to prohibit all instances of geoengineering in the State of Mississippi.”
The statutory language does not provide exemptions for federal agencies, contractors, universities, or research institutions.
Felony Penalties for Violations
SB2418 establishes severe criminal penalties for violations of the geoengineering ban.
Any entity or individual who violates the prohibition:
“Has committed a felony and shall pay a fine of not less than $500,000.00 or be imprisoned for not less than two years, or both.”
The bill further specifies:
“Each day during which violative activity has been conducted, repeated or continued” shall constitute a separate offense.
In addition, violators:
“Shall be deemed in violation of and subject to the penalties of any other applicable pollution laws of the State of Mississippi.”
Similar Laws in Other States
Mississippi’s proposal follows similar legislation enacted in Tennessee, Florida, and Louisiana, where lawmakers have already signed bills restricting or prohibiting geoengineering and weather-modification activities.
Those laws, however, have not resulted in the cessation of persistent sun- and sky-blocking aircraft emissions in those states, according to publicly observable air-traffic and atmospheric data.
Legal analysts note that many state bans—including SB2418—define prohibited activity using qualifying language such as “intentional” or “express purpose.”
Intentional Geoengineering Projects Acknowledged by Federal Government
Explicitly intentional geoengineering activities are not hypothetical.
In June 2023, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released a congressionally mandated report acknowledging that geoengineering projects may already be underway.
The report states that both global and regional geoengineering efforts may be occurring “covertly,” without public awareness, and on page 43 confirms that the U.S. government:
“Conducts or funds limited research into solar radiation modification.”
There are also small-scale, openly intentional weather-modification projects in operation, including cloud-seeding programs that disperse silver iodide to influence precipitation.
These activities fall squarely within the type of conduct contemplated by state geoengineering bans.
Commercial Aviation & Incidental Atmospheric Modification
At the same time, federal agencies have acknowledged that the largest impact on weather and sunlight does not come from niche or experimental projects, but from routine commercial aviation.
According to air-traffic data, approximately 3,500 to 5,500 commercial flights are typically airborne over U.S. airspace at any given moment.
The FAA, NASA, and NOAA have officially and explicitly confirmed in print that jet airplanes—including commercial jets—create emissions that linger in the sky and alter the weather.
- These metal nanoparticle- and sulfur-laced contrails from jets “form in ice supersaturated regions of the atmosphere and can last for hours to days,” according to the three U.S. agencies.
- They “are characterized by their tendency to widen and spread, eventually covering areas that can span several hundred kilometers.”
- Because of their long lifespan and massive coverage area, these jet emissions are “likely to have the most significant impact on the atmosphere.”
- The government openly states that “contrail cirrus can be difficult to distinguish from naturally occurring cirrus clouds.”
Intent-Based Definitions Leave Weather-Modifying Aviation Emissions Outside Scope
Commercial airlines do not state that their emissions are released for the intentional or deliberate purpose of modifying weather or sunlight.
As a result, aviation-related atmospheric effects—despite being acknowledged by federal agencies as having the most significant impact on the atmosphere—generally fall outside the scope of state geoengineering bans that hinge on intent.
If airliner emissions were included, it would mean a total ban on any aircraft flying anywhere in the state.
Supporters of SB2418 argue that the bill is necessary to prevent explicit atmospheric experimentation within Mississippi.
Critics counter that, as written, the legislation does not address the incidental but federally acknowledged weather modification already occurring through routine commercial aviation.
SB2418 formalizes Mississippi’s opposition to intentional geoengineering, while leaving unresolved broader questions about how incidental atmospheric modification acknowledged by federal agencies should be treated under state law.
See more here substack.com
Bold emphasis added
Header image: Newschannel 6 Now