2021 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 135 – MS Critical Teacher Shortage Act of 1998; extend repealer on.

• An act to reenact sections 37-159-1, 37-159-5, 37-159-7, 37-159-9, 37-159-11, 37-159-13 and 37-159-17, Mississippi Code of 1972, which constitute the Mississippi Critical Teacher Shortage Act of 1998 and include the university assisted teacher recruitment and retention grant program, the Mississippi Employer-Assisted Housing Teacher Program, and a pilot program to provide for the construction of rental housing for teachers in West Tallahatchie School District
• To amend reenacted sections 37-159-1 and 37-159-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, to make nonsubstantive revisions to outdated statutory language
• To amend section 37-159-19, Mississippi Code of 1972, to extend the date of the repealer on the Mississippi Critical Teacher Shortage Act of 1998
• And for related purposes
• Approved by Governor

HB 487 – County and public libraries; repeal certain provisions related to.

• An act to repeal sections 37-55-1, 37-55-3 and 37-55-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, which respectively establish County Library Commissions and the required annual library report to be included with the Annual County School Report, provides for grants of aid to school libraries from school funds and authorizes County Boards of Supervisors to appropriate amounts not to exceed $300.00 per year to the support of public libraries
• And for related purposes
• Approved by Governor

HB 504 – Commission on School Accreditation; clarify membership composition.

• An act to amend section 37-17-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, to clarify the composition of the Commission on School Accreditation to reflect the four congressional districts and appointment of three members from the state at large
• And for related purposes
• Approved by Governor

HB 633 – Computer science curriculum; require State Department of Education to implement in K-12 public schools.

• An act to create the Mississippi Computer Science and Cyber Education Equality Act
• To authorize and direct the State Department of Education to implement a mandatory K-12 Computer Science Curriculum based on the Mississippi College and Career-Readiness Standards for computer science, which includes instruction in, but not limited to, computational thinking, cyber-related, programming, cyber security, data science, robotics and other computer science and cyber-related content
• To prescribe minimum components of the curriculum at each grade level
• And to provide for teacher training as needed at all grade levels
• Approved by Governor

HB 754 – Dyslexia education; revise provisions for determining student eligibility for IEP or 504 Plan.

• An act to create new section 37-173-16, Mississippi Code of 1972, to provide the steps schools must take for the education and care of students with dyslexia and other related disorders
• To provide that the Department of Education shall require school districts to conduct two hours of awareness training for dyslexia and other related disorders to all licensed educators and paraprofessionals responsible for instruction
• To amend section 37-173-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, to delete certain provisions relating to school’s determination of students with dyslexia
• And for related purposes
• Approved by Governor

HB 852 – Teachers’ and teacher’s assistants’ salaries; provide increase to minimum salary.

• An act to amend section 37-19-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, to revise the minimum teacher salary scale by increasing the minimum salary
• To amend section 37-21-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, to increase the minimum annual salary for teacher assistants
• And for related purposes
• Approved by Governor

HB 1047 – Nationally certified licensed school employees; delete caps on nurses and speech pathologist and add athletic trainers for salary supplements.

• An act to amend section 37-19-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, to delete the cap on the number of National Board Certified Nurses and Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists employed by school districts who are allowed to receive the salary supplement for national board certification
• To require the payment of an annual salary supplement to state-licensed athletic trainers employed by a school district who have acquired national board certification
• And for related purposes
• Approved by Governor

HB 1123 – Early Learning Collaborative Act of 2013; revise funding and specify teaching standards.

• An act to amend section 37-21-51, Mississippi Code of 1972, under the Early Learning Collaborative Act
• To prescribe minimum funding levels for prekindergarten programs
• To authorize technical teacher and teacher assistant support services
• To require individualized professional development plans and approved curriculum
• To require the Department of Education to provide the Governor and the Legislature with an evaluation of program effectiveness
• To require the peer committee to review the department of Education’s Evaluations and annual reports and submit a summary of its findings to the Legislature
• To state the intent of the Legislature to increase appropriated funds annually
• And for related purposes
• Approved by Governor

HB 1179 – William F. Winter and Jack Reed Sr., Teacher Loan Repayment Program; create.

• An act to codify new section 37-106-36, Mississippi Code of 1972, to create the “William F. Winter and Jack Reed, Sr., Teacher Loan Repayment Program” to be administered by the State Financial Aid Board
• To provide for the qualifications for applicants under the loan program
• To establish the William F. Winter And Jack Reed, Sr., Loan Repayment Program Fund
• To repeal section 37-106-35, Mississippi Code of 1972, which creates the Assistant Teacher Forgivable Loan Program
• To repeal section 37-106-37, Mississippi Code of 1972, which creates the Teacher Education Scholars Forgivable Loan Program
• To repeal section 37-106-57, Mississippi Code of 1972, which creates the William F. Winter Teacher Forgivable Loan Program
• To repeal section 37-106-77, Mississippi Code of 1972, which creates the Mississippi Teaching Fellows Forgivable Loan Program
• To repeal section 37-106-79, Mississippi Code of 1972, which creates the Teacher Education Alternate Route Certification Program
• And for related purposes
• Approved by Governor

HB 1387 – 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 2022.

• The last committee deadline has passed and now bills that have made it through the process will either be concurred and sent to the
• An act to amend section 37-17-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, to clarify the composition of the Commission on School Accreditation to
• An act to repeal sections 37-55-1, 37-55-3 and 37-55-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, which respectively establish County Library
• Approved by Governor