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HB1130 • 2026

Trauma-Informed Student Assessment Exemption Act; create.

AN ACT TO BE KNOWN AND CITED AS THE "TRAUMA-INFORMED STUDENT ASSESSMENT EXEMPTION ACT"; TO RECOGNIZE THE ADVERSE ACADEMIC IMPACT OF GRIEF, TRAUMA AND LOSS ON STUDENTS REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN HIGH-STAKES TESTING; TO AUTHORIZE TEMPORARY EXEMPTIONS FROM PARTICIPATION IN HIGH-STAKES ASSESSMENTS FOR STUDENTS EXPERIENCING QUALIFYING TRAUMA-OR-LOSS EVENTS; TO ENSURE THAT SUCH EXEMPTIONS DO NOT NEGATIVELY AFFECT STUDENT PROMOTION, GRADUATION ELIGIBILITY, SCHOLARSHIP OR FINANCIAL AID CONSIDERATION OR ACCESS TO ADVANCED OR SPECIALIZED ACADEMIC PROGRAMS; TO EXCLUDE EXEMPTED STUDENTS FROM STATE AND FEDERAL ACCOUNTABILITY METRICS DURING THE EXEMPTION PERIOD AND AUTHORIZE THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE MEASURES OF STUDENT PROGRESS; TO ESTABLISH PROCEDURES FOR REQUESTING, REVIEWING, APPROVING OR DENYING EXEMPTIONS IN A MANNER THAT IS TIMELY, EQUITABLE, MINIMALLY BURDENSOME AND TRAUMA-SENSITIVE; TO REQUIRE WRITTEN NOTICE OF EXEMPTION DETERMINATIONS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF STUDENT PRIVACY; TO PROHIBIT THE IMPOSITION OF ACCOUNTABILITY PENALTIES ON SCHOOLS OR DISTRICTS FOR HONORING APPROVED EXEMPTIONS; TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ISSUE GUIDANCE AND PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON TRAUMA-RESPONSIVE ASSESSMENT PRACTICES; TO MANDATE ANNUAL REPORTING TO THE LEGISLATURE ON EXEMPTION USAGE AND IMPACT WITHOUT DISCLOSURE OF PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE STUDENT INFORMATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Education Privacy Taxes
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Foster
Last action
2026-02-03
Official status
Dead
Effective date
July 1, 20

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass in its session, so it has no effective date.

Trauma-Informed Student Assessment Exemption Act

This bill allows students who have experienced trauma or loss to be excused from high-stakes tests without affecting their academic progress, and it requires schools to protect student privacy.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows students experiencing grief, trauma, or loss to skip high-stakes tests for up to 30 instructional days plus extensions if needed.
  • Ensures that skipping these tests does not affect a student's ability to move to the next grade level, graduate, get scholarships, financial aid, or access advanced classes.
  • Excludes students from state and federal test-based accountability measures during their exemption period.
  • Requires schools to provide written notice within 5 instructional days about whether an exemption request is approved or denied.
  • Prohibits schools from being penalized for honoring exemptions granted under this act.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Students who have experienced trauma or loss
  • Schools and districts that must follow the new rules

Terms To Know

High-stakes test
A standardized test that can affect a student's grade level, graduation, teacher evaluations, or school ratings.
Trauma-or-loss event
Events like the death of a family member, serious illness, natural disasters, and other significant life changes recognized by professionals.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass in its session.
  • It does not specify how schools should measure student progress during exemption periods beyond high-stakes tests.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-03 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/03 (H) Died In Committee

  2. 2026-01-19 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/19 (H) Referred To Education

Official Summary Text

Trauma-Informed Student Assessment Exemption Act; create.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
H. B. No. 1130 *HR43/R1674* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/HR43/R1674
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To: Education
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Foster

HOUSE BILL NO. 1130

AN ACT TO BE KNOWN AND CITED AS THE "TRAUMA-INFORMED STUDENT 1
ASSESSMENT EXEMPTION ACT"; TO RECOGNIZE THE ADVERSE ACADEMIC 2
IMPACT OF GRIEF, TRAUMA AND LOSS ON STUDENTS REQUIRED TO 3
PARTICIPATE IN HIGH-STAKES TESTING; TO AUTHORIZE TEMPORARY 4
EXEMPTIONS FROM PARTICIPATION IN HIGH-STAKES ASSESSMENTS FOR 5
STUDENTS EXPERIENCING QUALIFYING TRAUMA-OR-LOSS EVENTS; TO ENSURE 6
THAT SUCH EXEMPTIONS DO NOT NEGATIVELY AFFECT STUDENT PROMOTION, 7
GRADUATION ELIGIBILITY, SCHOLARSHIP OR FINANCIAL AID CONSIDERATION 8
OR ACCESS TO ADVANCED OR SPECIALIZED ACADEMIC PROGRAMS; TO EXCLUDE 9
EXEMPTED STUDENTS FROM STATE AND FEDERAL ACCOUNTABILITY METRICS 10
DURING THE EXEMPTION PERIOD AND AUTHORIZE THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE 11
MEASURES OF STUDENT PROGRESS; TO ESTABLISH PROCEDURES FOR 12
REQUESTING, REVIEWING, APPROVING OR DENYING EXEMPTIONS IN A MANNER 13
THAT IS TIMELY, EQUITABLE, MINIMALLY BURDENSOME AND 14
TRAUMA-SENSITIVE; TO REQUIRE WRITTEN NOTICE OF EXEMPTION 15
DETERMINATIONS AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF STUDENT PRIVACY; TO 16
PROHIBIT THE IMPOSITION OF ACCOUNTABILITY PENALTIES ON SCHOOLS OR 17
DISTRICTS FOR HONORING APPROVED EXEMPTIONS; TO REQUIRE THE STATE 18
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ISSUE GUIDANCE AND PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL 19
DEVELOPMENT ON TRAUMA-RESPONSIVE ASSESSMENT PRACTICES; TO MANDATE 20
ANNUAL REPORTING TO THE LEGISLATURE ON EXEMPTION USAGE AND IMPACT 21
WITHOUT DISCLOSURE OF PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE STUDENT INFORMATION; 22
AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 23
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 24
SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the 25
"Trauma-Informed Student Assessment Exemption Act." 26
SECTION 2. The Legislature finds that: 27
H. B. No. 1130 *HR43/R1674* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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(a) Students experiencing grief, trauma, or loss are at 28
heightened risk of academic harm when required to participate in 29
high-stakes testing; 30
(b) Trauma-informed educational practices promote 31
healing, equity and long-term student 32
success; and 33
(c) Schools and districts must be empowered to support 34
students compassionately without fear of accountability penalties. 35
SECTION 3. As used in this act, the following terms shall 36
have the meanings ascribed in the section, unless context of use 37
clearly requires otherwise: 38
(a) "High-stakes test" means any standardized 39
assessment mandated by state or federal law that significantly 40
impacts student promotion, graduation, teacher evaluation or 41
school/district accountability ratings. 42
(b) "Trauma-or-loss event" includes, but is not limited 43
to: 44
(i) Death of a parent, guardian or immediate 45
family member; 46
(ii) Serious illness or injury of the student or 47
immediate family member; 48
(iii) Displacement due to natural disaster or 49
emergency; and 50
(iv) Other events recognized by a licensed 51
counselor, social worker or school administrator. 52
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(c) "Exemption period" means the duration of time 53
during which a student is excused from testing, beginning at the 54
time of the trauma event and extending for not less than thirty 55
(30) instructional days, with extensions available upon 56
professional recommendation. 57
SECTION 4. (1) A student experiencing a trauma-or-loss 58
event shall be exempt from participation in high-stakes testing 59
during the exemption period. The exemption granted under the 60
authority of this section shall not negatively impact: 61
(a) The affected student's eligibility for promotion or 62
graduation eligibility; 63
(b) The affected student's consideration for 64
scholarship or financial aid; and 65
(c) The affected student's access to advanced 66
coursework or specialized programs. 67
(2) (a) Students exempted under this section shall be 68
excluded from accountability metrics during the exemption period. 69
Alternative measures of student progress, including formative 70
assessments, portfolio reviews or teacher evaluations may be used 71
in place of high-stakes test data. 72
(b) Exemptions may be requested in writing by the 73
student's parent or guardian, or a licensed counselor, social 74
worker or school administrator, with documentation supporting the 75
basis for which the request is premised. The documentation shall 76
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be minimal and trauma-sensitive, requiring only a brief statement 77
of the qualifying event. 78
(3) (a) Schools must provide the parent or guardian a 79
written confirmation or denial of exemption within five (5) 80
instructional days of request being received by the district. 81
(b) Exemptions shall be granted equitably, without 82
discrimination based on race, socioeconomic status, disability or 83
other protected categories. 84
(4) In its review of requests for exemption, a school shall 85
undertake every precaution necessary to ensure that student 86
privacy is safeguarded, and shall prevent the details of the 87
trauma-or-loss event being disclosed beyond necessary personnel 88
critical to the decision of approving or denying an exemption 89
request and the instructor for whose course the exemption may 90
apply. 91
(5) No school or district shall be penalized in state or 92
federal accountability systems for honoring exemptions granted 93
under the authority of this section for students experiencing a 94
trauma-or-loss event. 95
SECTION 5. (1) The State Department of Education shall 96
issue guidance to districts on trauma-or-loss exemption practices, 97
and provide professional development to administrators, 98
instructional personnel and school counselors on trauma-responsive 99
assessment policies. 100
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ST: Trauma-Informed Student Assessment
Exemption Act; create.
(2) The department shall issue annual reports to the 101
Legislature summarizing exemption usage and impact within school 102
districts, without identifying individual students to whom 103
exemptions were granted. 104
SECTION 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from 105
and after July 1, 2026. 106