House Concurrent Resolution 121:
The resolution extends regular session of the legislature to May 3 and requires legislators to return on April 20; suspends deadlines for certain bills; and changes deadlines for general bills in conference. It requires a two-thirds vote to pass. House Amendment:
To extend the deadline for Conference Reports on Appropriations and Revenue Bills from March 24 until March 29.
Amendment Failed: 03/23/10 Resolution Failed: 03/23/10 See Vote
Motion to Reconsider Entered: 03/23/10
Reconsidered: 03/24/10
Amended: To pass a balanced budget with or without the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) under Medicaid within the time period in the resolution.
Amended: 03/24/10
Failed: 03/24/10 See Vote
Motion to Reconsider Entered: 03/24/10
Amended: Changes deadlines for conference reports, first consideration of conference reports and adoption of conference reports. Changes the deadline to March 31 to dispose of motions to reconsider conference reports on general bills and constitutional amendments.
Adopted by House as Amended: 03/25/10
Immediate Release: 03/25/10
Transmitted to Senate: 03/25/10
Referred to Rules Committee: 03/25/10
Adopted by Rules Committee: 03/25/10
Adopted by Senate: 03/25/10
Immediate Release: 03/25/10
Transmitted to House: 03/25/10
Enrolled Bill Signed in House: 03/26/10
Enrolled Bill Signed in Senate 03/26/10

Senate Bill 2495: Authorizes the governor to make selective reductions in the budgets of state agencies in an amount not to exceed 10% if he finds that funds will not be available to meet budget expenditures. Senate Vote

Passed Senate: 01/13/10

Transferred to House: 01/13/10

Referred to Appropriations: 01/14/10

House Appropriations Committee passed a Strike-All Amendment: 01/25/10
Amended by the House as follows:
Utilizes $50-million from the Working Cash Stabilization Reserve Fund (Rainy Day) and $50-million from the Health Care Expendable Fund to restore some of the cuts made to various agencies. $43,395,587 is designated for K-12 Education. Of that amount, $40,404,594 would be used to restore a portion of the cuts made to MAEP and $1,925,454 to fully restore the National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) supplement.
Amendment 1 by Representative Gunn Failed. To use $50-million from Health Care Expendable Fund to restore some agencies, NBCT, but did not restore cuts to MAEP.
Amendment 2 by Representative Malone passed on a voice vote. To protect the Department of Corrections from additional budget cuts beyond the 8.193% already cut.
House Passed as Amended: 01/26/10 See Vote
Returned for Concurrence: 01/28/10
Senate Declined to Concur/Invite Conference: 02/01/10 See Vote
Motion to Reconsider Entered:02/01/10
Motion to Reconsider Tabled; Referred to Conference: 02/03/10 See Vote
Senate Conferees: Nunnelee, Davis, Burton
House Conferees: Stringer, Brown, Flaggs
Conference Report Filed by House: 03/02/10 Conference Report Filed by Senate: 03/02/10 Conference Report:
Restores funding to K-12 education in the amount of $37,510,947. Fully restores cut to National Board Certified Teacher Program and the Chickasaw Cession. Conference Report Adopted by Senate: 03/03/10 See Vote
Conference Report Adopted by House: 03/03/10 See Vote
Signed by the Governor: 03/11/10

House Bill 1170: Requires school district with a fund balance that falls below 7% of the year’s revenue to submit the district’s annual budget to MDE for approval prior to the local board’s adoption.
Referred to Education: 01/18/10 Passed Education Committee: 02/01/10 Passed House: 02/11/10 See Vote Transmitted to Senate: 02/15/10 Referred to Education: 02/16/10 Passed Senate Education Committee: 02/23/10
Amended by the Senate: The amendment removes the provision that allows a reduction in instructional days. It retains the provision to allow school districts to designate up to 3 furlough days, preferably non-instructional days, for the remainder of this school year. For two years, 2011 and 2012, it allows a reduction in staff development days from 7 to 2, allows a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 5 furlough days and allows local school district to reduce local supplement pay for employees.
Amendment Failed: 03/03/10 See Vote Amended by the Senate: Mandates that all district employees be furloughed for 2 days of the 7 staff development days (not instructional days) that are built into teacher contracts and the salaries be adjusted accordingly; allows an additional 3 furlough days which also must be taken from staff development days; allows local districts flexibility in setting their local supplements; reduces the minimum number of instructional days in the school calendar from 180 to 175 but does not allow a corresponding reduction in teacher salaries. Districts will not be required to fill days required for the 2009-2010 school year lost due to inclement weather.
Passed as Amended: 03/03/10 See Vote Motion to Reconsider: 03/03/10 Motion to Reconsider Tabled: 03/04/10
Returned for Concurrence: 03/05/10
Declined to Concur/Invite Conference: 03/15/10
Senate Conferees: Carmichael, Harden, King
House Conferees: Brown, Warren, Buck, K. Conference Report Filed: 03/26/10
Conference Report: Allows school districts to furlough all employees, including the superintendent, for up to 3 non-instructional days for which employees would not be paid. It further requires that, for every furlough day, employees be allowed an additional 1/2 personal day off with pay. The report does not allow for the reduction of instructional days. The report further provides that when a district’s ending fund balance falls below 7% of the district’s total revenue for the fiscal year, the district must submit a budget plan for the next fiscal year for approval by the Mississippi Department of Education. Read the full conference report.
Conference Report Adopted by House 3/26/10 See Vote
Conference Report Adopted by Senate 3/26/10 See Vote Signed by the Governor: 04/07/10

House Bill 1622: Appropriates general funding for K-12 education for Fiscal Year 2011 (the coming school year). It funds MAEP at 5.5% below the current school year appropriated budget. (An additional $158-million would be required to fully fund MAEP for FY11). The National Board Certification Program and Chickasaw Cession are fully funded for FY11 in this bill.
Amended by House: Removes the section that preventsuse of funds for the high growth formula within MAEP.
Passed as Amended: 02/17/10 See Vote
Transmitted to Senate: 02/19/10
Referred to Appropriations: 02/19/10
Amended by Senate Appropriations Committee: Funds K-12 education at $40-million below the House version. Underfunds National Board Certified Teacher Program by $2-million. Passed Senate Appropriations Committee as Amended: 03/09/10
Amended in Senate: Adds $27-million to the Senate level of funding for MAEP and $2-million to the Senate level of funding for the NBCT program; if federal law changes and the state of Mississippi saves $150-million in Medicaid costs, then the appropriation for MAEP will be increased by $50-million.
Amended: 03/16/10 See Vote
Amended in Senate: The substitute amendment limits expenditures on administrative costs to $150,000 plus 1% of state funds appropriated to a school district.
Passed as Amended: 03/16/10
Returned for Concurrence: 03/17/08
House Declined to Concur/Invite Conference: 03/18/10
House Conferees: Stringer, Brown, Straughter
Senate Conferees: Nunnelee, Carmichael, Flowers Suspended from Deadlines by HC 121: 03/25/10 Conference Report:
Funds K-12 education at $80-million below the FY10 actual appropriation (net after budget cuts) and $232-million below full funding of the Mississippi Adequate Education Program; fully funds the Chickasaw Session interest payment and the National Board Certification Program. Read the Conference Report
Conference Report Filed by Senate: 04/21/10 Conference Report Filed by House: 04/21/10 Conference Report Adopted by House: 04/21/10 A motion to recommit the bill for further conference was introduced by Senator Bryan with the intention of adding $50-million in contingency funding to the K-12 appropriation. Motion to Recommit to Conference Failed: 04/21/10 See Vote
Conference Report Adopted by Senate: 04/21/10 See Vote
Conference Report Adopted by House: 04/21/10 See Vote
Signed by the Governor: 5/21/10

House Bill 1059: Determines the amount of funding available for appropriation.
Referred to Appropriations: 01/18/10
Passed Education Committee: 02/02/10
Committee Substitute Adopted: 02/03/10
Amended by House: 02/03/10
Passed House as Amended: 02/03/10
Transmitted to Senate: 02/05/10
Referred to Appropriations: 02/08/10
Passed Appropriations Committee: 03/02/10
Amended: 03/04/10
Passed Senate as Amended: 03/04/10
Returned for Concurrence: 03/08/10
House Declined to Concur/Invite Conference: 03/16/10
House Conferees: Stringer, Brown, Sullivan
Senate Conferees: Nunnelee, Davis, Hyde-Smith
Suspend from Deadlines by HC 121
Conference Report:
Provides for $82-million in funding to be added to the appropriation for K-12 education should the U.S. Congress extend the reduced state match for Medicaid. Read the Conference Report
Conference Report Filed by Senate: 04/21/10
Conference Report Filed by House: 04/21/10
Conference Report Adopted by House: 04/21/10 See Vote
Conference Report Adopted by Senate: 04/21/10 See Vote
Signed by the Governor: 5/21/10

House Bill 1349: Establishes a bridge loan program for school districts.
Referred to Education and Ways and Means: 01/18/10
Passed Committee: 02/02/10
Amended by House: A school district which has a minimum grade policy shall be prohibited from receiving any state resources until all grades have been corrected and verified. An administrator that established a minimum grade policy will be removed and prohibited from receiving state resources for a period of one year.
Passed as Amended: 02/11/10
Transmitted to Senate: 02/17/10
Referred to Education: 02.17/10
Passed Senate Education Committee as Amended: 02/25/10
Amended: 03/08/10
Passed as Amended: 03/08/10
Returned for Concurrence: 03/10/10
House Concurred: 03/17/10
Signed by the Governor: 03/25/10

Senate Bill 2389: Establishes dual track (college preparatory and career tracks) to obtain standard diploma. Authorizes dual enrollment and dual credit. Passed Senate Education Committee 01/28/10
Referred to Colleges and Universities: 01/29/10
Referred to Education Committee: 02/01/10
Committee Substitute Adopted: 02/08/10
Amended in Senate: Students may participate in dual enrollment with a technical college with the approval of the school district and the State Department of Education.
Passed as Amended: 02/08/10
Transmitted to House: 02/10/10
Referred to Education: 02/11/10
Passed House Education Committee as Amended: 02/24/10
Amended in House: The transportation for the student to participate in a dual enrollment program is the responsibility of the parent or legal guardian of the student. However, transportation costs may be paid from public or private sources or from local school district. Grades and college credits must be maintained on transcripts at the high school and the college where student attends classes.
Passed as Amended: 03/02/10
Returned for Concurrence: 03/03/10
Concurred as Amended from House: 03/08/10
Enrolled Bill Signed in Senate: 03/11/10
Enrolled Bill Signed in House: 03/11/10
Signed by the Governor: 03/17/10

Senate Bill 2293:Provides authorization for new open-enrollment public charter schools and for conversion charter schools.
Passed Senate Education Committee: 01/28/10
Committee Substitute Adopted: 02/09/10
Amended by Senate: The number of charter schools increased from two to three to be approved by the State Board of Education. The number of years a charter school must show significant student performance above regular school student was increased from two to five years.
Passed Senate as Amended: 02/09/10See Vote
Motion to Reconsider Entered: 02/09/10
Motion to Reconsider Tabled: 02/11/10
Transmitted to House: 02/15/10
Referred to Education: 02/17/10
Passed House Education Committee as Amended: 03/02/10
Amended in House: The amendment addresses only Innovative Schools. A petition and innovative plan for the Innovative School must be approved by 50% of the families of the students enrolled in a chronically at-risk of failing school. The process of establishing the Innovative School, local management boards, employment of personnel, financial requirements, and requirements for adequate yearly progress are outlined in the amendment. The Department of Education may approve up to 12 Innovative Schools within a period of 6 years beginning July 2010.
Passed as Amended: 03/09/10 See Vote
Motion to Reconsider: 03/10/10
Motion to Reconsider Tabled: 03/11/10
Returned for Concurrence: 03/12/10
Declined to Concur/Invite Conference: 03/17/10
Senate Conferees: Carmichael, Burton, Watson
House Conferees: Brown, Warren, Burnett
Conference Report Filed: 03/26/10
Conference Report:
Requires that schools that have been rated as failing for 3 consecutive years be converted to New Start Schools and be placed under the administration of the Recovery School District. The report further provides that schools that have been rated as failing, low performing or at risk of failing for 3 consecutive years may be converted to charter status upon a majority vote of the parents of the children enrolled in the school and upon approval of the State Board of Education. Parents would elect a management board to oversee the operation of the charter school. Read the full conference report.
Conference Report Adopted by House: 3/27/10 See Vote
Conference Report Adopted by Senate: 3/27/10 See Vote
Signed by the Governor: 4/27/10