2023 Priority Bills
Each year, The Parents’ Campaign closely monitors and takes a position on several education bills. Below are the priority bills for the 2023 legislative session.
Law
House Bill 817 – increases per student funding for Early Learning Collaboratives to no less than $2,500 for full-day and $1,250 for half-day programs.
- Referred to House Education Committee, 1/16/2023
- Passed by House Education Committee, 1/25/2023
- Passed by House; 111 yeas, 5 nays, 3 absent, 1 present/not voting, 2 vacant, 2/6/23 See vote report
- Referred to Senate Education and Appropriations Committees, 2/14/2023
- Passed by Senate Education Committee, 2/28/2023
- Passed by Senate Appropriations Committee, 2/28/2023
- Amended on Senate floor to add reverse repealer, 3/8/2023
- Passed by Senate as amended, 48 yeas, 2 nays, 0 absent, 2 present/not voting, 3/8/2023 See vote report
- Returned to House for concurrence, 3/9/2023
- House declined to concur, invited conference, 3/14/2023
- House conferees named: Bennett, McCarty, Felsher, 3/22/2023
- Senate conferees named: DeBar, Wiggins, Polk, 3/23/2023
- Conference report filed: removes reverse repealer; increases per student funding for Early Learning Collaboratives to no less than $2,500 for full-day and $1,250 for half-day programs, 3/25/2023
- Conference report adopted by House, 3/26/2023
- Conference report adopted by Senate, 3/29/2023
- Sent to governor, 4/3/2023
- Approved by governor, 4/17/2023
The Parents’ Campaign favors a yea vote on this bill.
House Bill 1613 – appropriation for pre-k through grade 12 public schools
- Referred to House Appropriations Committee, 2/13/2023
- Passed by House Appropriations Committee, 2/14/2023
- Passed by House, 2/15/2023
- Referred to Senate Appropriations Committee, 2/20/2023
- Strike-all amendment passed by Senate Appropriations Committee, fully funds the adjusted MAEP formula, increasing school funding by $181.1-million statewide, 3/6/2023
- Passed by Senate; 52 yeas, 0 nays, 0 absent, 0 present/not voting, 3/7/2023 See vote report
- Returned to House for concurrence, 3/8/2023
- House declined to concur, invited conference, 3/14/2023
- House conferees named: Read, Bennett, Eure 3/15/2023
- Senate conferees named: Hopson, DeBar, McCaughn 3/17/2023
- Placeholder conference report filed to meet initial deadline, 3/25/2023
- Conference report recommitted for further work, 3/26/2023
- Suspended from deadlines by House Concurrent Resolution 61, 3/29/2023
- Conference report #2 filed, 3/31/2023
- Conference report #2 recommitted to remove a line item appropriation for Lobaki Inc., 3/31/2023
- Conference report #3 filed: includes level funding of the MAEP; additional $100-million in flexible funding allocated to districts according to enrollment; $240-million for second year of teacher pay raise; full funding of National Board Certification and Chickasaw Cession programs; increased funding for career and technical education; increased funding for Mississippi School for Math and Science, Mississippi School for the Arts, and Mississippi Schools for the Blind and the Deaf; level funding for pre-k, literacy initiatives, math coaches, and teacher supplies, 3/31/2023
- Conference report #3 adopted by Senate, 3/31/2023
- Conference report #3 adopted by House, 3/31/2023
- Sent to governor, 4/5/2023
- Approved by governor, 4/20/2023
House Bill 1671 – includes increase in funding for private schools of $3-million for a total of $12-million, with no restrictions on expenditure of funds and no reporting requirements
- Referred to House Ways & Means Committee, 2/15/2023
- Passed by House Ways & Means Committee, 2/15/2023
- Amended in House to remove $3-million increase for private schools, reverts to existing funding of $9-million for private schools, 2/21/2023
- Passed by House as amended, 2/21/2023
- Held by House on a motion to reconsider, 2/21/2023
- Motion to reconsider tabled, 2/22/2023
- Referred to Senate Finance Committee, 2/23/2023
- Passed by Senate Finance Committee, 3/13/2023
- Amended by Senate Finance Committee to add reverse repealer, ensuring bill goes to conference, 3/13/2023
- Passed by Senate Finance Committee as amended, 3/13/2023
- Passed by Senate, 3/14/2023
- Returned to House for concurrence, 3/15/2023
- House declined to concur, invited conference, 3/16/2023
- House conferees named: Lamar, Steverson, Powell, 3/21/2023
- Senate conferees named: Harkins, Hopson, Polk, 3/21/2023
- Conference report filed: includes $9-million funding stream for private schools with no restrictions on expenditure of funds and no reporting requirements, 3/25/2023
- Conference report recommitted for further work, 3/26/2023
- Conference report #2 filed; removes language related to private school funding, 3/26/2023
- Conference report #2 adopted by Senate, 3/27/2023
- Conference report #2 adopted by House, 3/27/2023
- Sent to governor, 3/31/2023
- Approved by governor, 4/19/2023
The Parents’ Campaign favors amending the bill to eliminate all private school funding.
House Bill 1734 – includes $9-million funding stream for private schools, with no restrictions on expenditure of funds and no reporting requirements
- Referred to House Ways and Means Committee, 2/21/2023
- Passed by House Ways and Means Committee, 2/21/2023
- Passed by House, 2/21/2023
- Referred to Senate Finance Committee, 2/23/2023
- Amended in Senate Finance Committee to remove private school funding, 3/9/2023
- Passed by Senate Finance Committee as amended, 3/9/2023
- Passed by Senate, 3/14/2023
- Returned to House for concurrence, 3/15/2023
- House declined to concur, invited conference, 3/16/2023
- House conferees named: Lamar, Steverson, Massengill, 3/21/2023
- Senate conferees named: Harkins, Hopson, Polk, 3/21/2023
- Conference report filed: includes $9-million funding stream for private schools with no restrictions on expenditure of funds and no reporting requirements, 3/25/2023
- Conference report recommitted for further work, 3/26/2023
- Conference report #2 filed; removes language related to private school funding, 3/26/2023
- Conference report #2 adopted by House, 3/27/2023
- Conference report #2 adopted by Senate, 3/27/2023
- Sent to governor, 3/29/2023
- Approved by governor, 4/19/2023
The Parents’ Campaign favors amending the bill to eliminate all private school funding.
Senate Bill 3052 – includes reappropriation of $10-million in ARPA funds for private school infrastructure grants
- Referred to Senate Appropriations Committee, 2/14/2023
- Passed Senate Appropriations Committee, 2/15/2023
- Amendment 1 proposed on Senate floor, deletes Section 6 in order to eliminate $10-million in private school infrastructure funding, 2/16/2023
- Amendment 1 failed; 19 yeas, 26 nays, 0 absent, 5 present/not voting, 2 pair, 2/16/2023 See vote
- Bill passed by Senate, 2/16/2023
- Referred to House Appropriations Committee, 2/21/2023
- Passed by House Appropriations Committee as amended, 3/07/2023
- Passed by House, 3/9/2023
- Returned to Senate for concurrence, 3/10/2023
- Senate declined to concur, invited conference, 3/13/2023
- Senate conferees named: Hopson, Polk, DeBar, 3/17/2023
- House conferees named: Read, Oliver, Mims, 3/22/2023
- Conference report filed: includes reappropriation of $10-million in ARPA funds for private school infrastructure grants, 3/25/2023
- Conference report adopted by Senate, 3/26/2023
- Conference report adopted by House, 3/26/2023
- Adoption of conference report reconsidered; conference report recommitted to conference committee for further work, 3/27/2023
- Suspended from deadlines by House Concurrent Resolution 61, 3/29/2023
- Conference report #2 filed, 3/27/2023
- Conference report #2 adopted by Senate, 3/30/2023
- Conference report #2 adopted by House, 3/30/2023
- Sent to governor, 4/5/2023
- Approved by governor, 4/19/2023
The Parents’ Campaign favors amending the bill to eliminate private school infrastructure funding.
Dead
House Bill 730 – amends Winter-Reed Teacher Loan Repayment Program, expands eligibility to alternate route teachers, adds graduate level loans to program, program entry no longer limited to first-year teachers.
- Referred to House Education Committee, 1/16/2023
- Passed by House Education Committee, 1/25/2023
- Passed by House; 112 yeas, 5 nays, 3 absent, 0 present/not voting, 2 vacant, 2/6/23 See vote report
- Referred to Senate Education Committee, 2/14/2023
- Died in Senate Education Committee, 2/28/2023
The Parents’ Campaign favors a yea vote on this bill.
House Bill 731 – provides $4,000 additional salary supplement to National Board Certified Teachers in geographically critical teacher shortage areas, deletes list of counties designated as critical shortage areas in statute to allow MDE to make those designations in the future.
- Referred to House Education and Appropriations Committees, 1/16/2023
- Passed House Education Committee, 1/25/2023
- Died in House Appropriations Committee, 1/31/2023
The Parents’ Campaign favors a yea vote on this bill.
House Bill 1175 – increases funding percentage for preschool exceptional children in approved programs to 100%.
- Referred to House Education and Appropriations Committees, 1/16/2023
- Passed by House Education Committee, 1/25/2023
- Passed by House Appropriations Committee, 1/31/2023
- Died on calendar, 2/9/2023
The Parents’ Campaign favors a yea vote on this bill.
House Bill 1184 – provides $2,000 annual salary supplement to those employed in designated geographically critical teacher shortage area.
- Referred to House Education and Appropriations Committees, 1/16/2023
- Passed House Education Committee, 1/25/2023
- Died in House Appropriations Committee, 1/31/2023
The Parents’ Campaign favors a yea vote on this bill.
House Bill 1365 – prohibits school districts from paying assistant teachers less in local contribution funds than was paid in such funds in the immediately preceding year.
- Referred to House Education Committee, 1/16/2023
- Passed by House Education Committee, 1/31/2023
- Amended in House to add an annual salary increase of $3,000 for assistant teachers to bring them to a state-funded minimum salary of $20,000 (local supplements can be added), 2/2/2023
- Passed by House as amended; 114 yeas, 3 nays, 3 absent, 0 present/not voting, 2 vacant, 2/2/2023 See vote report
- Referred to Senate Education Committee, 2/14/2023
- Strikeall amendment passed by Senate Education Committee, replaces current bill with language of SB 2811, 2/28/2023
- Passed by Senate, 52 yeas, 0 nays, 0 absent, 0 present/not voting, 3/8/2023 See vote report
- Returned to House for concurrence, 3/9/2023
- House declined to concur, invited conference, 3/23/2023
- House conferees named: Bennett, McCarty, McLean, 3/24/2023
- Senate conferees named: DeBar, Boyd, Polk, 3/24/2023
- Died in conference, 3/27/2023
The Parents’ Campaign favors a yea vote on this bill.
House Bill 1369 – changes method of calculating MAEP base student cost from Average Daily Attendance (ADA) to Average Daily Membership (ADM)
- Referred to House Education Committee, 1/16/2023
- Passed by House Education Committee, 1/31/2023
- Passed by House, 2/2/2023
- Referred to Senate Education and Appropriations Committees, 2/14/2023
- Strikeall amendment passed by Senate Education Committee, removes provision changing ADA to ADM and brings forward MAEP code sections for purposes of later amendments related to full funding of MAEP, 2/28/2023
- Passed by Senate Appropriations Committee as amended, 2/28/2023
- Amended on Senate floor to make technical changes to MAEP for the purposes of fully funding the formula, changes include raising the local contribution cap from 27% to 29.5%, which enhances the equity provision, and adjusting the inflation component enacted during Barbour administration, 3/7/2023
- Passed by Senate as amended; 52 yeas, 0 nays, 0 absent, 0 present/not voting, 3/7/2023 See vote report
- Returned to House for concurrence, 3/8/2023
- House declined to concur, invited conference, 3/23/2023
- House conferees named: Bennett, McCarty, Owen, 3/24/2023
- Senate conferees named: DeBar, Polk, Boyd, 3/24/2023
- Died in conference, 3/27/2023
The Parents’ Campaign favors a yea vote on this bill as amended by the Senate.
House Bill 1373 – diminishes valuable instructional time in public schools; burdens licensed teachers with responsibility for alternate activities for certain students.
- Referred to House Education Committee, 1/16/2023
- Passed by House Education Committee, 1/31/2023
- Amended in House to make it optional for school districts to adopt a policy allowing excused absences for weekly religious or moral instruction and clarify that regular classroom instruction will proceed for students who do not elect to participate in off-campus religious activities, 2/2/2023
- Passed by House as amended, 2/2/2023
- Referred to Senate Education Committee, 2/14/2023
- Died in Senate Education Committee, 2/28/2023
- Suspended from deadlines by House Concurrent Resolution 61, 3/29/2023
- Tabled by Senate Education Committee, 3/30/2023
- Died in Senate Education Committee, 4/1/2023
Senate Bill 2314 – increases per student funding for Early Learning Collaboratives to no less than $2,500 for full-day and $1,250 for half-day programs; sets goal of serving 25% of four-year-olds by the beginning of 2024-2025 school year.
- Referred to Senate Education and Appropriations Committees, 1/16/2023
- Died in Senate Education Committee, 1/31/2023
The Parents’ Campaign favors a yea vote on this bill.
Senate Bill 2319 – provides $2,000 annual salary supplement to licensed teachers in geographical critical teacher shortage areas.
- Referred to Senate Education and Appropriations Committees, 1/16/2023
- Died in Senate Education Committee, 1/31/2023
The Parents’ Campaign favors a yea vote on this bill.
Senate Bill 2367 – amends Educational Facilities Revolving Loan Program from loans to grants that do not have to be repaid. Any funds awarded as loans prior to July 1, 2023, immediately converted to grants; maximum grant of $2-million per school district per fiscal year; applicants demonstrating emergency or critical infrastructure needs to receive first priority.
- Referred to Senate Education and Appropriations Committees, 1/16/2023
- Passed by Senate Education Committee, 1/31/2023
- Committee substitute bill passed Senate Appropriations Committee, returns program to loans rather than grants, 1/31/2023
- Died on calendar, 2/9/2023
The Parents’ Campaign favors a yea vote on the original version of this bill.
Senate Bill 2585 – amends Winter-Reed Teacher Loan Repayment Program; expands eligibility to alternate route teachers; adds graduate level loans to program; program entry no longer limited to first-year teachers.
- Referred to Senate Education Committee, 1/16/2023
- Passed by Senate Education Committee, 1/31/2023
- Passed by Senate; 40 yeas, 8 nays, 0 absent, 4 present/not voting, 2/7/2023 See vote report
- Referred to House Education Committee, 2/13/2023
- Strikeall amendment passed by House Education Committee, replaces current bill with language of HB 730 and adds language of HB 729, 2/28/2023
- Passed by House; 111 yeas, 6 nays, 2 absent, 2 present/not voting, 3/7/2023 See vote report
- Returned to Senate for concurrence, 3/8/2023
- Senate declined to concur, invited conference, 3/23/2023
- Senate conferees named: DeBar, Blount, Johnson, 3/23/2023
- House conferees named: Bennett, McCarty, Porter, 3/24/2023
- Died in conference, 3/27/2023
The Parents’ Campaign favors a yea vote on this bill.
Senate Bill 2811 – prohibits school districts from paying assistant teachers below statewide minimum salary; specifically prohibits salary reductions in the school year following a state-funded salary increase.
- Referred to Senate Education Committee, 1/16/2023
- Committee substitute bill passed by Senate Education Committee, adds that any district violating provision will have MAEP funds reduced, 1/31/2023
- Passed by Senate; 52 yeas, 0 nays, 0 absent, 0 present/not voting, 2/7/2023 See vote report
- Referred to House Education Committee, 2/13/2023
- Died in House Education Committee, 2/28/2023
The Parents’ Campaign favors a yea vote on this bill.
Bureaucratic Overreach
The Parents’ Campaign opposes legislation that would add bureaucratic burdens to public school educators, subject educators to lawsuits, and take time away from students in the classroom, including the following bills:
DEAD HB 278 – OPPOSE
DEAD HB 509 – OPPOSE
DEAD HB 1489 – OPPOSE
DEAD SB 2141 – OPPOSE
DEAD SB 2765 – OPPOSE
DEAD SB 2820 – OPPOSE
DEAD SB 2792 – OPPOSE
School Immunizations
The Parents’ Campaign opposes any legislation that would weaken Mississippi’s strong school immunization requirements and endanger students and teachers, including the following bills:
DEAD HB 1302 – OPPOSE
DEAD HB 1314 – OPPOSE
DEAD HB 1486 – OPPOSE
DEAD HB 1487 – OPPOSE
DEAD HB 1488 – OPPOSE
DEAD SB 2766 – OPPOSE
DEAD SB 2767 – OPPOSE
DEAD SB 2769 – OPPOSE
