Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official page posted by the Mississippi Legislature, fetched 2026-08-29. This is the enrolled version. The official bill page.
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE 2026 Regular Session To: Education By: Senator(s) DeBar Senate Bill 2288 (As Sent to Governor) AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-153-15, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO ALLOW CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION INCENTIVE GRANTS TO BE USED FOR PURCHASING NEEDED EQUIPMENT FOR PROGRAMS THAT LEAD TO QUALIFYING INDUSTRY CERTIFICATIONS; TO AMEND SECTION 37-153-17, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO EXTEND THE REPEAL DATE ON CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THE MISSISSIPPI COMPREHENSIVE WORKFORCE TRAINING AND EDUCATION CONSOLIDATION ACT OF 2004; TO AMEND SECTION 37-7-345, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO SPECIFY THAT A REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICE AGENCY MAY ENGAGE IN BULK PURCHASING; TO REQUIRE THAT ALL SERVICES BE COMPETITIVELY BID; TO REQUIRE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS IN THE CASE OF PURCHASES OVER THE HIGHEST THRESHOLD; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: SECTION 1. Section 37-153-15, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows: 37-153-15. (1) As used in this article: (a) The words "industry certification" mean a process through which students are assessed by an independent, third-party certifying entity using predetermined standards for knowledge, skills and competencies, resulting in the award of a credential that is nationally recognized and must be at least one (1) of the following: (i) Within an industry that addresses a critical local, regional or statewide economic need; (ii) Linked to an occupation that is included in the State Department of Employment Security's occupations in high-demand list; or (iii) Linked to an occupation that is identified as emerging. (b) The words "qualifying industry certification" mean an industry certification that is linked to an occupation with wages of at least seventy percent (70%) of the median state income unless the industry certification is stackable to another postsecondary or professional credential which is linked to an occupation which meets the wage criterion. (2) The State Workforce Investment Board shall provide the State Board of Education annually with a list of qualifying industry certifications. If the occupations identified in the list are not substantially the same as those occupations identified in the prior year, the State Board of Education shall provide reasonable notice of the changes to school districts. (3) Beginning in fiscal year 2019-2020 and subject to available funding, the Department of Education shall pay a career and technical education incentive grant to the public school for each student enrolled in the public school who earns a qualifying industry certification. The amount per student for the career and technical education incentive grant shall be Six Hundred Dollars ($600.00). If the statewide sum of the career and technical education incentive grants awarded pursuant to this section exceeds the amount of available funds appropriated for the grants, the grants per student shall be reduced proportionately to cover all eligible grants under this section. Any costs accrued during one (1) fiscal year may be claimed and reimbursed in the following fiscal year. (4) The grants may be used for qualifying industry certification examination fees, professional development for teachers in career and technical education programs under this section, student instructional support for programs that lead to qualifying industry certifications, * * * or to increase access to qualifying industry certifications * * *. Any grants awarded under this section may not be used to supplant funds provided for the basic operation of the career and technical education programs, or to purchase needed equipment for programs that lead to qualifying industry certifications. (5) On or before October 1 of each year, the Department of Education, working in collaboration with the Office of Workforce Development and any other entities as necessary, shall submit a report to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chairmen of the House and Senate Education Committees, the Chairman of the House Workforce Development Committee and the Chairman of the Senate Economic and Workforce Development Committee on the following: (a) The number of students who enrolled in a career and technical education course or program that leads to a qualifying industry certification. (b) The number of students who earned a qualifying industry certification by certification. (c) The amount of career and technical education incentive grants awarded by the school. (d) The amount of career and technical education incentive grants awarded per student. (e) Aggregated demographic data on the students who earned a qualifying industry certification, including the qualifying industry certifications earned by rural and urban students. SECTION 2. Section 37-153-17, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows: 37-153-17. Sections * * * 37‑153‑1, 37‑153‑3, 37‑153‑5, 37‑153‑7, 37-153-9, 37-153-11 * * *, and 37-153-13 * * * and 37‑153‑15 shall stand repealed on July 1, 2026. Sections 37-153-1, 37-153-3, 37-153-5, 37-153-7 and 37-153-15 shall stand repealed on July 1, 2029. SECTION 3. Section 37-7-345, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows: 37-7-345. (1) A regional educational service agency * * * (RESA) may be established in a region of the state when twelve (12) or more school districts determine there are benefits and services that can be derived from the collective and collaborative formation of an agency for the purpose of pooling and leveraging resources for the common benefit of students, teachers, administrators and taxpayers. An educational service agency shall be incorporated in the State of Mississippi and organized under the laws of the State of Mississippi as a nonprofit corporation. The educational service agency shall obtain 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service. (2) The operation and management of the educational service agency shall be the responsibility of a public advisory board composed of the superintendents of schools or their designees from each participating school district. (3) A board of directors shall be elected on an annual basis from the advisory board to oversee the day-to-day operations of the agency. (4) The executive board shall hire an executive director to serve as the executive agent of the board of the regional educational service agency. (5) The board of directors of a regional educational service agency shall have the authority to establish policies for the regional educational service to determine the programs and services to be provided, to employ staff, to prepare and expend the budget, to provide for financing programs and projects of the regional educational service agency, and to annually evaluate the performance of the agency. The board may purchase, hold, encumber and dispose of real property, in the name of the agency, for use as its office or for any educational service provided by the agency. (6) The educational service agency is authorized and empowered to: develop, manage and provide support services and/or programs as determined by the needs of the local school district. Educational service agencies * * * (ESAs) shall: (a) Act primarily as service agencies in providing services and/or programs as identified and requested by member school districts (services may include, but are not limited to, professional development, instructional materials, educational technology, curriculum development and alternative educational programs); (b) Provide for economy, efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the cooperative delivery and purchase or lease of educational services, materials and products (services may include, but are not limited to, purchasing cooperatives, including bulk purchasing, insurance cooperatives, business manager services, auditing and accounting services, school safety/risk prevention, and data processing and student records). All services shall be competitively bid in accordance with Section 31-7-13. In the case of purchases over the highest threshold, a request for proposals shall be done openly to the public. An invite-only bid process shall not be considered competitive. The advertising shall be in accordance with Section 31-7-13 within one or more member districts. This section shall not exclude any school district or community college from exercising the independent rights given in paragraph (dd) or (ww) of Section 37-7-301; (c) Provide administrative services (services may include, but are not limited to, communications/public information, employee background checks, grants management, printing/publications and internships); (d) Provide educational services through leadership, research and development in elementary and secondary education; (e) Act in a cooperative and supportive role, including contracting, with the Mississippi Department of Education, Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, Mississippi community colleges and other state educational organizations in the development and implementation of long-range plans, strategies and goals for the enhancement of educational opportunities in elementary and secondary education; and (f) Serve, when appropriate and as funds become available, as a repository, clearinghouse and administrator of federal, state, local and private funds on behalf of school districts which choose to participate in special programs, projects or grants in order to enhance the quality of education in Mississippi schools. (7) The State Board of Education shall have the authority to contract with and provide funds to regional educational service agencies for any education-related service. SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026.
Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.