Mississippi Professional Educators (MPE): 2018 Legislative Bill Tracker

Bills signed by the Governor Bill Companion Short Title Author of Bill Description Action (as of 4:00 p.m. Bill 2/1/2018)

Bills Under Consideration HB 320 Education Enhancement Fund; delete Rep. John Read Deletes the requirement that $25 million of Education Enhancement Funds be Passed House requirement to deposit certain sum from deposited into the Working Cash Stabilization Fund from the balance of Education Appropriations; Passed into Working Cash-Stabilization Enhancement Funds after such funds have been distributed for educational purposes. House; Transmitted to Reserve Fund. Senate

HB 405 "Mississippi Career-Tech Scholars Rep. Nolan Mettetal Establishes the Mississippi Career-Tech Scholars Program to serve as a last dollar Amended and Passed Program"; establish to provide free scholarship program (i.e., other financial aid/scholarship sources are exhausted) to House U & C; Passed tuition at community and junior provide free tuition at community and junior colleges for eligible students enrolled in House; Transmitted to colleges. career and technical programs. Senate

HB 409 Public School Donation Tax Deduction Rep. Jay Hughes Allows a state income tax deduction for contributions to a public school district. Referred to House and Dedicated Use Act; create. Education and House Ways and Means

HB 526 Mississippi Workforce Development Rep. Donnie Bell Creates the 11-member Mississippi Workforce Development Study Committee to Amended and Passed Study Committee; create. review current K-12 workforce development curriculum and to develop/design a House Workforce curriculum to the legislature by November 30, 2018 Development; Amended and Passed House Education; Sent to House

HB 715 Appropriation; Mississippi Community Rep. William Tracy Makes an appropriation to the Mississippi Community College Board to provide mid- Referred to House College Board to provide mid-level Arnold level funding for community and junior colleges. (NOTE: Mid-level funding was Appropriations funding for community colleges. unanimously passed by the 2007 Legislature and brings per-student support at a mid- point between per-student spending for K-12 and regional public universities.)

HB 829 "Mississippi Vision for Better Learning Rep. Richard Bennett Recommends comprehensive eye exams for all students prior to their entering or Amended and Passed Program"; implement to require enrolling in any public, private or parochial school. Parents may opt their child out of House Education; Sent to comprehensive eye examination for first- such exam. House time students.

HB 896 State and School Employees Health Rep. Jason White extends the repealer from July 1, 2018, to July 1, 2021, on the requirement that the Passed House Insurance Plan; extend repealer on state pay certain amounts toward the cost of the State and School Employees Health Appropriations; Passed requirement that state pay certain Insurance Plan. House; Transmitted to amounts toward cost of. Senate Bill Companion Short Title Author of Bill Description Action (as of 4:00 p.m. Bill 2/1/2018) HB 938 Commission on College Accreditation; Rep. Nolan Mettetal Clarifies the powers of the Commission on College Accreditation and transfers the Passed House U & C; enumerate certain powers and transfer regulatory authority over correspondence courses to the Commission. Passed House; Transmitted authority over correspondence courses to Senate to.

HB 957 Education; establish Mississippi Rep. Philip Gunn Eliminates the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) and replaces it with Amended and Passed Uniform Per Student Funding Formula the new Mississippi Uniform Per Student Funding Formula. House Appropriations; Act of 2018. Amended and Passed House; Transmitted to Senate

HB 1035 Mississippi Dyslexia Education Rep. Richard Bennett Amends current law to provide that repayment of the Mississippi Dyslexia Education Amended and Passed Forgivable Loan Program; clarify Forgivable Loan Program may also be rendered in two years’ part-time service for one House Education; Sent to repayment and conversion terms. year’s loan amount, rather than one year’s service as provided for in current law. House

HB 1036 Mississippi Compulsory School Rep. Richard Bennett Amends current law to conform to federal law by providing that a student must be Amended and Passed Attendance Law; clarify student considered absent for the entire school day if he/she misses more than 50% (NOTE: House Education; Sent to participation in authorized school Current law specifies 37%) of the instructional day. The bill also clarifies that a House activities student is considered present for average daily attendance reporting purposes when the student is participating in authorized school activities (i.e., field trips, athletic contests, choral competition, robotics competition, etc.…) approved by a district’s superintendent. HB 1037 SB 2763 MS Virtual School Program; require Rep. Richard Bennett Provides that the provider of the Mississippi Virtual Public School Program be chosen Passed House Education; private provider of services to be by local districts from a list of vendors approved via the Mississippi Online Course Passed House selected through the MS Online Application Process. The bill was double referred to the House Appropriations Appropriations; Sent to Learning Application Process. Committee. House

SB 2003 Natchez-Adams Special Municipal Sen. Bob Dearing Provides that all members of the Natchez-Adams School Board be elected. Passed Senate Education; Separate School District; elect members Passed Senate of school board.

SB 2170 Consolidation of Lumberton School Sen. John A. Polk Ratifies the consolidation agreement between Lumberton and Lamar County school Passed Senate Education; District with Lamar County School districts. Passed Senate District; ratify agreement between districts.

SB 2194 Debts; authorize community and junior Sen. Josh Harkins Defines Community and Junior Colleges as a “claimant agency” and allows them to Passed Senate U & C, colleges to collect through setoff against collect certain debts through setoff against a debtor’s income tax refund. Passed Senate Finance; a debtor's income tax return. Sent to Senate Bill Companion Short Title Author of Bill Description Action (as of 4:00 p.m. Bill 2/1/2018) SB 2220 Community colleges; county taxes Sen. David Parker Provides that the Tax Collector of each county belonging to a community college Amended and Passed collected for shall be transmitted directly district shall transmit revenues from taxes levied by the county for the community Senate U & C; Passed to instead of to chancery clerk. college district directly to the community college district, rather than to the Chancery Senate Clerk.

SB 2397 Appropriation FY19; University of Sen. Deborah Dawkins Appropriates $2,000,000 in grant funds to the University of Mississippi School of Referred to Senate Mississippi School of Education grant Education to recruit, enroll and educate AP teachers on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Appropriations funds for AP teachers on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

SB 2400 School board members; uniform Sen. Kevin Blackwell Provides for school board members to be elected in nonpartisan elections beginning Amended and Passed nonpartisan school board election with the November 2023 general election. Senate Education; beginning with the November 2023 Amended and Passed general election. Senate Election; Sent to Senate SB 2579 Provision of educational services to Sen. W. Briggs Provides that the sponsoring school district or private provider agreed upon by the Passed Senate Education; detained students while school is in Hopson III Youth Court shall be responsible for providing instructional services to youth court Sent to Senate session; clarify. detainees while they are in detention during the academic school year when school is in session.

SB 2609 State Department of Education to Sen. Sally Doty Authorizes the MDE to provide central business services for the Mississippi School Amended and Passed provide central business services for for the Arts, as well as the Mississippi School for the Deaf and the Mississippi School Senate Education; MSA and MSB/MSD; authorize. for the Blind. The bill was double referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Amended and Passed Senate Appropriations; Passed Senate SB 2623 Education Scholarship Account (ESA) Sen. Gray Tollison Amends current law to allow any student in our state to apply for a voucher to use Amended and Passed program; revise. state funds to pay for tuition at private schools. Current law only allows these Senate Education; Sent to vouchers to be used by a student who has had an IEP within the past five years. The Senate bill prohibits holding private schools accountable for state funds or services to students who use these vouchers. SB 2763 HB 1037 Mississippi Virtual Public School Sen. Gray Tollison Provides that the provider of the Mississippi Virtual Public School Program be chosen Passed Senate Education; Program; provider chosen by districts by local districts from a list of vendors approved via the Mississippi Online Course Passed Senate under Mississippi Online Course Application Process. Application Process.