Education; provide pay increases, revise counseling ethical requirements, and reform school attendance law.

{"id": "ocd-bill/1f3f18a7-80d7-49a4-bae9-bb1c2ca387cd", "session": "2026", "jurisdiction": {"id": "ocd-jurisdiction/country:us/state:ms/government", "name": "Mississippi", "classification": "state"}, "from_organization": {"id": "ocd-organization/7e3c07c9-91ff-4445-8cef-57f85ab6ae9f", "name": "Senate", "classification": "upper"}, "identifier": "SB 2103", "title": "Education; provide pay increases, revise counseling ethical requirements, and reform school attendance law.", "classification": ["bill"], "subject": ["Education"], "extras": {"summary": "AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-9-79, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DELETE THE PROVISION THAT REQUIRES PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELORS TO ABIDE BY THE AMERICAN SCHOOL COUNSELOR ASSOCIATION CODE OF ETHICS; TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ADOPT REGULATIONS REGARDING THE ACTIVITIES OF PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELORS, INCLUDING A MODEL CODE OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS; TO AMEND SECTION 37-19-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE FOR AN INCREASE TO THE MINIMUM TEACHER SALARY SCALE; TO PROVIDE AN ANNUAL SALARY SUPPLEMENT TO LICENSED SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS EMPLOYED BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT ON A FULL-TIME BASIS TO PROVIDE SPECIAL EDUCATION INSTRUCTION, TO LICENSED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS AND TO CERTIFIED SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS; TO AMEND SECTION 37-21-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT NO SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL REDUCE THE LOCAL SUPPLEMENT OR PAY AN INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANT TEACHER LESS THAN THE STATE MINIMUM SALARY IN A YEAR IN WHICH THE STATE MINIMUM SALARY IS INCREASED; TO PROVIDE FOR A REDUCTION IN FUNDS FOR DISTRICTS THAT VIOLATE THIS SECTION; TO PROVIDE THAT NO DISTRICT SHALL PAY ANY ASSISTANT TEACHER LESS THAN THE STATE MINIMUM SALARY UNLESS DONE SO BY A PRO RATA DAILY AMOUNT WHERE THERE HAS BEEN A REDUCTION IN TOTAL FUNDING FORMULA ALLOCATIONS FOR SUCH DISTRICT IN SUCH YEAR OR IN THE AMOUNT OF FEDERAL FUNDS TO SUCH DISTRICT FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR; TO PROVIDE FOR AN INCREASE TO THE MINIMUM BASE SALARY FOR ASSISTANT TEACHERS; TO AMEND SECTION 37-151-203, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF THE BASE STUDENT COST; TO AMEND SECTIONS 37-13-89 AND 37-13-91, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE QUALIFICATIONS FOR SCHOOL ATTENDANCE OFFICERS; TO DIRECT THE STATE TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR ONE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE OFFICER FOR EVERY 4,000 COMPULSORY-SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN IN ENROLLMENT IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS; TO INSTITUTE A NEW MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE FOR SCHOOL ATTENDANCE OFFICERS; TO PROVIDE THAT EACH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE OFFICER MAY RECEIVE AN ANNUAL SALARY SUPPLEMENT FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN WHICH HE OR SHE SERVES, AT THE DISCRETION OF THE DISTRICT; TO REFORM THE MISSISSIPPI COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE LAW; TO AMEND SECTIONS 37-9-39 and 37-151-103, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE TIME IN DECEMBER WHEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL PROCESS PAYROLL FOR ALL EMPLOYEES FROM THE LAST WORKING DAY TO A TIME CONSISTENT WITH OTHER MONTHLY INSTALLMENTS AS A MEANS OF PREVENTING THE 45-DAY GAP BETWEEN TEACHER PAY PERIODS FROM THE DECEMBER PAY DATE TO JANUARY PAY DATE;\u00a0TO REPEAL SECTION 25-11-126, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH CONTAINS PROVISIONS FOR RETIRED TEACHERS RETURNING TO WORK WHILE CONTINUING TO DRAW RETIREMENT BENEFITS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES."}, "created_at": "2026-01-09T19:08:00.730222+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-04-14T01:33:16.775277+00:00", "openstates_url": "https://openstates.org/ms/bills/2026/SB2103/", "first_action_date": "2026-01-09T06:00:00+00:00", "latest_action_date": "2026-04-08T05:00:00+00:00", "latest_action_description": "Approved by Governor", "latest_passage_date": "2026-03-06T06:00:00+00:00"}