2022 House Education Bill Summaries

The summaries attempt to highlight major components of each bill. Click on the bill number to read the bill in its entirety and to view the latest action.

HB 530
The “Strategically Accelerating the Recruitment and Retention of Teachers (START) Act of 2022”; create.

• Minimum starting pay of $41,500 teachers with a bachelor’s degree and no experience​
• Average salary increase of $5,140​
• Annual step increases of $400 (A), $525 (AA), $550 (AAA), $600 (AAAA)​
• Larger step increases at years 5, 10, 15, and 20:​
• $1,200 (A)​
• $1,250 (AA)​
• $1,300 (AAA)​
• $1,350 (AAAA)​
• $2,500 increase at year 25 for all classifications​
• $2,000 pay raise for assistant teachers​
• The full pay raise would take effect July 1, 2022. It will not be phased in. See the proposed salary schedule.​
• Mississippi First One-Pager about Teacher Pay Raise
• Provides salary supplement to athletic trainers who work in a school district
• Deleted caps on certified nurses and certified academic language therapist (CALT)
• Approved by the Governor

HB 881
University-based programs of education for children with developmental disabilities; revise certain provisions.

• An Act to amend Section 37-23-31, Mississippi Code of 1972, to authorize students with significant developmental disabilities, complex communication needs, significant language or learning deficits, who are unable to sufficiently have their educational needs met within their public school’s regular or special education program, to receive educational instruction, training and special education services from a state-supported university or college authorized by the State Department of Education to provide such instruction and training
• To authorize qualified instructors who hold the appropriate licensure endorsements to serve as the lead teacher for children enrolled within the University Based Program (UBP) through the Idea-Part C and Idea-Part B eligibility and placement process
• To allow certain speech language pathologists and educational audiologists to serve as the lead instructor with an educator serving as a related service provider as necessary to meet the educational needs of the child
• To provide that the justification for the placement of exceptional students ages 3 to 21 is determined in conjunction with the local school district through the student’s IEP
• To amend Section 37-23-33, Mississippi Code of 1972, to authorize speech-language pathologists, educational audiologists and special and early childhood educators who meet certain qualifications to serve as a lead teacher in a University-Based Program
• To require University-Based Programs to submit reports to the State Department of Education at the same time that such reports are submitted by local school districts
• To amend Section 37-23-35, Mississippi Code of 1972, to require Idea-Part B and preschool allocations for the educational instruction for public school students enrolled in a UBP to be calculated by the State Department of Education based on the number of students placed in the UBP by the local public school district
• To require the department to inform the local school district of the amount of funds to be forwarded to the UBP providing the educational services on instruction and training
• To require a collaborative agreement between the local public school district and the UBP if the state-supported university or college charges the school district an amount that is in excess of the state and federal funds allocated for each enrolled special education student
• To require the department to distribute all necessary state funds directly to the state-supported university or college
• And for related purposes
• Approved by the Governor

HB 1313
Fostering Access and Inspiring True Hope (FAITH) Scholarship Program Act; create to provide postsecondary financial assistance to foster children.

• An Act to create the “Fostering Access and Inspiring True Hope (FAITH) Scholarship Program Act,” to provide tuition assistance for attendance at approved postsecondary educational institutions or public workforce training programs to eligible students who were entered into foster care on or after reaching 14 years of age and who have not reached 26 years of age or lived at a qualified residential child care agency after reaching 13 years of age and who have not reached 25 years of age
• To provide that the Mississippi Postsecondary Student Financial Assistance Board shall administer the program
• To prescribe the criteria for initial and continued eligibility for receipt of a Faith Scholarship
• To provide for up to $1M in scholarships per year
• To require approved postsecondary educational institution to provide summer and holiday room and board accommodation for recipients of Faith Scholarships
• And for related purposes
• Approved by the Governor

HB 1388
Comprehensive Career and Technical Reform Act; create.

• An Act to create the “Comprehensive Career and Technical Education Reform” Act
• To amend Section 37-17-6, Mississippi Code of 1972, to provide that the accreditation system shall include student performance on the administration of the act WorkKeys Assessment, which shall be weighted in the same percentage as the standard act assessment
• To require the Office of Workforce Development to pilot a Career Coaching Program to support middle school and high schools as students are exposed, prepared and connected to career avenues within and beyond the classroom setting
• To require the Mississippi Department of Education to work in conjunction with the Mississippi Community College Board to ensure alignment of career and technical education courses across the public school system and community college system, which includes dual enrollment courses
• To require the state workforce investment board to create a single list of nationally recognized industry certifications for use in the Mississippi Accreditation System, in diploma endorsement requirements and for certain reimbursements
• To amend Section 37-153-15, Mississippi Code of 1972, to revise the definition of “Qualifying Industry Certification”
• To require the Office of Workforce Development to work in partnership with the Mississippi Department of Education and the Mississippi Community College Board to complete a program inventory and return on investment analysis of Workforce Development Programs in the state
• To require the Office of Workforce Development to develop cross-sector partnerships among K-12 education, employers and industry and postsecondary education to complete certain objectives
• To amend Section 37-16-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, to provide that the Uniform Statewide Testing Program shall provide for the administration of the Act WorkKeys Assessment, or a Career-Readiness Assessment deemed appropriate by the Mississippi Department of Education working in coordination with the office of workforce development, to any students electing to take the assessment
• To provide that each individual school district shall determine whether the assessment is administered in the ninth, tenth, eleventh or twelfth grade
• To amend Section 37-16-17, Mississippi Code of 1972, to require the State Board of Education to provide notice to all incoming middle school and junior high students of the Career and Technical Education Programs offered by local school boards
• To require certain students to take the Act WorkKeys Assessment
• To provide that each individual school district shall determine whether the Act WorkKeys Assessment is administered in the ninth, tenth or eleventh grade
• To provide the curriculum that may be included in Career Technical Education Pathways
• To amend Section 37-3-2, Mississippi Code of 1972, to provide that local business or other professional personnel shall not be required to hold an associate or bachelor’s degree in order to be granted an expert citizen-teacher license
• To expand the expert Citizen-Teacher License from one year to five years
• Establishes standards with the approval of State Board to provided supplemental endorsements
• Allows for international reciprocity
• Provides for the MDE to renew or grant new licenses with 21 days of a completed application
• And for related purposes
• Approved by the Governor

HB 1416
“Student Protected Equal Access Rights Act”; establish to provide students to organize partisan political groups in public schools.

• An Act to create the “Student Protected Equal Access Rights (SPEAR) Act”
• To provide equal access to the use of school property to students in public schools for purposes of engaging in political activities or political or philosophical expression before, during and after the school day in the same manner and to the same extent that students may engage in nonpolitical activities or expression
• To allow students in public schools to organize partisan or nonpartisan political groups, political clubs, political rallies, or other politically themed gatherings before, during and after school to the same extent that students are permitted to organize other noncurricular student activities and groups
• To allow school districts to disclaim school sponsorship of noncurricular groups and events in a manner that neither favors nor disfavors groups
• To prohibit public schools which have limited open forums from denying equal access or a fair opportunity to, or discriminating against students who wish to conduct a meeting within that limited open forum on the basis of the political, philosophical, ideological or other content of the speech
• To provide that a public school is deemed to have limited open forum when such school grants an opportunity for one or more noncurricular-related student groups to meet on school premises during noninstructional time
• To specify the criteria that would constitute a school being deemed as offering a fair opportunity for students as a limited open forum
• To provide that the construction of this act is not authorizing the state of Mississippi or any political subdivision thereof to take any official action or position with regard to promoting or supporting any particular groups efforts to seek a limited open forum
• To provide for the severability of unenforceable provisions
• And for related purposes
• Approved by the Governor

HB 1600
Appropriations; Education, Department of.

• An Act making an Appropriation for the purpose of funding K-12 and other related Educational Activities, including certain agencies and programs, in the state of Mississippi, for the fiscal year 2023.
• Approved by the Governor (April 19, 2022)