Mississippi School Resource Officers School Safety (MS ROSS) Act; create to provide funding to local law enforcement agencies.

H. B. No. 1285 *HR43/R462* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/HR43/R462
PAGE 1 (DJ\KP)

To: Education;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Lamar

HOUSE BILL NO. 1285

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE "MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS 1
SCHOOL SAFETY (MS ROSS) ACT" FOR THE PURPOSE OF AUTHORIZING THE 2
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO ASSIST LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT 3
AGENCIES AND SCHOOL GOVERNING BODIES WITH THE COST OF EMPLOYING A 4
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER (SRO) AT EACH SCHOOL CAMPUS WITHIN THE 5
JURISDICTIONS OF THEIR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND GOVERNING AUTHORITIES; 6
TO DEFINE TERMINOLOGY; TO PROVIDE THAT THE ASSISTANCE OF EMPLOYING 7
SROS SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ELEMENTARY AND 8
SECONDARY SCHOOLS; TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ALLOCATE A 9
PERCENTAGE OF THE COST FOR THE EMPLOYMENT OF ONE SRO FOR EACH 10
SCHOOL CAMPUS; TO REQUIRE THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND/OR 11
THE SCHOOL GOVERNING BOARD TO PROVIDE THE REMAINING PERCENTAGE OF 12
THE COST FOR THE EMPLOYMENT OF ONE SRO FOR EACH SCHOOL CAMPUS 13
WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTION OF CONTROL; TO REQUIRE LOCAL LAW 14
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND SCHOOL GOVERNING BODIES TO MAKE JOINT 15
APPLICATION TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE APPROVAL OF ALLOCATION OF 16
FUNDS; TO SPECIFY THE INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN THE 17
APPLICATION; TO PRESCRIBE THE DETAILS OF THE PROGRAM INCLUDING THE 18
REQUIREMENT OF A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING OR INTERLOCAL 19
AGREEMENT BETWEEN A LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND A SCHOOL 20
GOVERNING BODY; TO AMEND SECTION 37-7-321, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 21
1972, IN CONFORMITY TO THE PRECEDING PROVISIONS; TO CREATE THE 22
MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS SCHOOL SAFETY (MS ROSS) FUND 23
AS A SPECIAL FUND IN THE STATE TREASURY; TO PROVIDE THAT MONIES IN 24
THE SPECIAL FUND SHALL BE USED TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO LOCAL LAW 25
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND SCHOOL GOVERNING BODIES FOR THE PURPOSES 26
DESCRIBED IN THIS ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 27
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 28
H. B. No. 1285 *HR43/R462* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R462
PAGE 2 (DJ\KP)

SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the 29
"Mississippi School Resource Officers School Safety (MS ROSS) 30
Act." 31
SECTION 2. As used in this act, the following terms shall 32
have the meanings ascribed herein unless context or use requires 33
otherwise: 34
(a) "Act" means the "Mississippi School Resource 35
Officers School Safety (MS ROSS) Act." 36
(b) "Applicable percentage" means: 37
(i) For the 2026 - 2027 scholastic year, thirty 38
percent (30%); 39
(ii) For the 2027 - 2028 scholastic year, forty 40
percent (40%); 41
(iii) For the 2028 - 2029 scholastic year, fifty 42
percent (50%); 43
(iv) For the 2029 - 2030 scholastic year, sixty 44
percent (60%); and 45
(v) For the 2030 - 2031 scholastic year and each 46
scholastic year thereafter, seventy percent (70%). 47
(c) "Department" means the Mississippi Department of 48
Public Safety. 49
(d) "Local law enforcement agency" means the local 50
police department or county sheriff's office that has primary law 51
enforcement authority over the schools within its jurisdiction. 52
H. B. No. 1285 *HR43/R462* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R462
PAGE 3 (DJ\KP)

(e) "Independent school" means a nonpublic school 53
operating within the State of Mississippi that: 54
(i) Is a member of the Midsouth Association of 55
Independent Schools (MAIS) and located in the State of 56
Mississippi; 57
(ii) Is accredited by a state, regional or 58
national accrediting organization, including the State Board of 59
Education; and 60
(iii) Is not subject to the purview of authority 61
of the State Board of Education, unless such school is accredited 62
by the board. 63
(f) "Program" means the Mississippi School Resource 64
Officers School Safety (MS ROSS) program, established in and 65
administered by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. 66
(g) "School governing body" means: 67
(i) The local school board of a public school 68
district; 69
(ii) The charter school governing board of a 70
charter school; and 71
(iii) The board or other governing body of an 72
accredited independent school, as such governing body is 73
prescribed in the charter, bylaws or other governing documents of 74
the independent school. 75
(h) "School resource officer" or "SRO" means a sworn 76
law enforcement officer employed by a local law enforcement agency 77
H. B. No. 1285 *HR43/R462* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R462
PAGE 4 (DJ\KP)

and assigned to public or private elementary or secondary school 78
campuses to provide community policing efforts to combat school 79
violence and improve student and school safety in or on the 80
property of the school campus to which he or she is assigned. 81
SECTION 3. (1) There is hereby established the Mississippi 82
School Resource Officers School Safety (MS ROSS) program in the 83
Mississippi Department of Public Safety to provide funding to 84
assist local law enforcement agencies in providing school resource 85
officers (SROs) to all public and private elementary and secondary 86
school campuses within the jurisdictions over which such agencies 87
have primary law enforcement authority for the purpose of 88
providing enhanced security and community policing in and around 89
all elementary and secondary schools therein. 90
(2) The MS ROSS program shall meet the following 91
requirements and standards: 92
(a) The program shall provide an incentive for law 93
enforcement agencies to build collaborative partnerships with the 94
school community and to use community policing efforts to combat 95
school violence and implement educational programs to improve 96
student and school safety; 97
(b) (i) The department shall provide the funds under 98
the authority of this act for the administration of the program to 99
provide the applicable percentage of the cost associated with the 100
employment of one (1) school resource officer (SRO) by a local law 101
enforcement agency for each school campus within the jurisdiction 102
H. B. No. 1285 *HR43/R462* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R462
PAGE 5 (DJ\KP)

over which the agency has primary law enforcement authority, to be 103
applied towards the SRO's salary and benefits, training, equipment 104
and other costs deemed necessary by the local law enforcement 105
agency and school governing body to enable the SRO to perform his 106
or her duties in and around elementary and secondary schools up to 107
a total salary cost of Fifty-five Thousand Dollars ($55,000.00). 108
However, if the total cost associated with the employment of a SRO 109
employed under the provisions of this act exceeds Fifty-five 110
Thousand Dollars ($55,000.00), then the department shall only pay 111
the lesser of the applicable percentage of the Fifty-five Thousand 112
Dollars ($55,000.00) for the respective scholastic year for which 113
the funds are allocated or the actual amount of the difference 114
between the original starting salary and the maximum total salary 115
cost established in this subsection. Any amount in excess of the 116
applicable percentage shall be borne by the local law enforcement 117
agency or school district, or combination of both; and 118
(ii) The department shall require the parties 119
making joint application for funds under paragraph (c) to commit 120
to paying the remaining percentage of the cost associated with the 121
employment of one (1) school resource officer (SRO) by a local law 122
enforcement agency for each school campus under the authority and 123
control of the school governing board that falls within the 124
jurisdiction of the local law enforcement agency, to be applied 125
towards the SRO's salary and benefits, training, equipment and 126
other costs deemed necessary by the local law enforcement agency 127
H. B. No. 1285 *HR43/R462* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R462
PAGE 6 (DJ\KP)

and school governing body to enable the SRO to perform his or her 128
duties in and around elementary and secondary schools; 129
(c) Local law enforcement agencies and school governing 130
bodies shall make joint application to the department for funds 131
under the authority of subsection (1) of this section for the 132
purpose of funding the employment of SROs in the amount prescribed 133
in paragraph (b) of this subsection. The joint application 134
submitted by the local law enforcement agency and school governing 135
body shall, at a minimum: 136
(i) Identify the local law enforcement agency to 137
provide the school resource officers, and the name of chief law 138
enforcement officer of the agency; 139
(ii) Identify the school governing body to be 140
served by the local law enforcement agency, and the names of the 141
president of such governing body and the superintendent or head of 142
schools under the governing body's authority and control; 143
(iii) The total number of schools, the total 144
number of school campuses and the names of all schools under the 145
schools governing body's authority and control; 146
(iv) The names of the principals of each school 147
under the schools governing body's authority and control; 148
(v) The name, address and phone number of each 149
school campus to be served by a school resource officer (SRO); 150
(vi) The proposed salary of each school resource 151
officer (SRO), with the acknowledged understanding that the 152
H. B. No. 1285 *HR43/R462* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R462
PAGE 7 (DJ\KP)

department will only pay the lesser of applicable percentage for 153
the respective scholastic year for which the funds are allocated 154
or the actual amount of the difference between the original 155
starting salary and the maximum total salary cost established 156
under paragraph (b) of this subsection of salaries that do not 157
exceed Fifty-five Thousand Dollars ($55,000.00); and 158
(vii) The approximate number of school resource 159
officers (SROs) necessary for employment to accomplish the goal of 160
assigning one (1) SRO to each school campus as required by this 161
act; 162
(d) The local law enforcement agency and the 163
appropriate school governing body shall enter into a Memorandum of 164
Understanding (MOU) or an interlocal agreement, signed by the 165
chief law enforcement officer and the appropriate school 166
officials, which provides: 167
(i) Documentation of the roles and 168
responsibilities to be undertaken by the law enforcement agency 169
and the educational school partners through this collaborative 170
effort; 171
(ii) That school resource officers (SROs) will be 172
official employees of the local law enforcement agency that has 173
primary law enforcement authority over the schools within its 174
jurisdiction; 175
(iii) Which party to the MOU or interlocal 176
agreement, the local law enforcement agency or school governing 177
H. B. No. 1285 *HR43/R462* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R462
PAGE 8 (DJ\KP)

body, will be financially responsible for funding the match of the 178
cost associated with the employment of each school resource 179
officer (SRO) by a local law enforcement agency, if only one (1) 180
such party will bear the financial responsibility; 181
(iv) If both parties to the MOU or interlocal 182
agreement will share the financial responsibility of funding the 183
required match of the cost associated with the employment of each 184
school resource officer (SRO) by a local law enforcement agency, 185
then the MOU or interlocal agreement shall stipulate the portion 186
of the percentage of the matching funds each party shall be 187
obligated to commit for each SRO employed and assigned to school 188
campuses under the authority and control of the school governing 189
body; and 190
(v) A Narrative Addendum to document that school 191
resource officers (SROs) will be assigned to work in and around 192
public and private elementary or secondary school campuses and 193
provide supporting documentation in the following areas: 194
1. Problem identification and justification; 195
2. Community policing strategies to be used 196
by the SROs; 197
3. Quality and level of commitment to the 198
effort; and 199
4. The link to community policing; and 200
(e) Upon the employment of an individual to serve as a 201
school resource officer under the provisions of this act, the 202
H. B. No. 1285 *HR43/R462* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R462
PAGE 9 (DJ\KP)

employing school district, in conjunction with said school 203
resource officer, shall complete the development and/or 204
enhancement of a comprehensive school safety plan for each school 205
campus in the school district under the school resource officer's 206
enforcement authority within sixty (60) days of the approval of 207
the individual's employment by the local school governing 208
authority. Before the expiration of the sixty-day period, the 209
local school governing authority shall provide copies of the 210
comprehensive school safety plan to the local law enforcement 211
agency having primary law enforcement authority over each school 212
impacted by the school safety plan(s) within their jurisdiction, 213
and to the Department of Public Safety. 214
(3) School resource officers (SROs) may serve in a variety 215
of roles, including, but not limited to, that of a law enforcement 216
officer, safety specialist, law-related educator, problem-solver 217
and community liaison. These officers may teach programs such as 218
crime prevention, substance abuse prevention and gang resistance, 219
as well as monitor and assist troubled students through mentoring 220
programs. The SROs may also identify physical changes in the 221
environment that may reduce crime in and around school campuses, 222
as well as assist in developing school policies which address 223
criminal activity and school safety. 224
(4) All agencies receiving funds through the Mississippi 225
School Resource Officers School Safety (MS ROSS) program are 226
required to send the individuals employed as school resource 227
H. B. No. 1285 *HR43/R462* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R462
PAGE 10 (DJ\KP)

officers (SROs) to the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers' 228
Training Academy or a law enforcement training academy approved by 229
the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, where they shall be 230
required to participate in training through the Advanced Law 231
Enforcement Rapid Response Training Program at such academy. 232
(5) The Mississippi Department of Public Safety shall 233
promulgate rules and regulations prescribing procedures for the 234
application, expenditure requirements and the administration of 235
the Mississippi Community Oriented Policing Services in Schools 236
(MS ROSS) program established in this section, and shall make a 237
report on the implementation of the MS ROSS program with any 238
recommendations to the 2027 Regular Session of the Legislature. 239
SECTION 4. There is created in the State Treasury a special 240
fund, to be designated as the "Mississippi School Resource 241
Officers School Safety (MS ROSS) Fund", which shall consist of 242
funds made available by the Legislature in any manner. The fund 243
shall be maintained by the State Treasurer as a separate and 244
special fund, separate and apart from the General Fund of the 245
state. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a 246
fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any 247
interest earned or investment earnings on amounts in the fund 248
shall be deposited into such fund. Monies in the fund shall be 249
disbursed, in the discretion of the Department of Public Safety, 250
to provide funds to local law enforcement agencies and school 251
governing bodies for the purposes described in this section. 252
H. B. No. 1285 *HR43/R462* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R462
PAGE 11 (DJ\KP)

The department may use an amount equal to one percent (1%) of the 253
monies in the fund, not to exceed One Hundred Fifty Thousand 254
Dollars, for the purpose of defraying the costs of the department 255
in administering the program. 256
SECTION 5. Section 37-7-321, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 257
amended as follows: 258
37-7-321. (1) (a) The school board of any school district 259
within the State of Mississippi, in its discretion, may employ one 260
or more persons as security personnel and may designate such 261
persons as peace officers in or on any property operated for 262
school purposes by such board upon their taking such oath and 263
making such bond as required of a constable of the county in which 264
the school district is situated. 265
(b) Local law enforcement agencies having primary law 266
enforcement authority over schools within their jurisdiction, in 267
conjunction with the school boards of every school district within 268
the State of Mississippi, through a Memorandum of Understanding 269
(MOU) or interlocal agreement, signed by the law enforcement 270
executive and the appropriate school official(s), shall employ 271
individuals to serve as school resource officers (SROs), provided 272
that the MOU or interlocal agreement shall require a minimum of 273
one (1) school resource officer to be assigned each school campus 274
operating under the authority and control of the local school 275
board. 276
H. B. No. 1285 *HR43/R462* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R462
PAGE 12 (DJ\KP)

(2) Any person employed by a school board as a security 277
guard or school resource officer (SRO) or in any other position 278
that has the powers of a peace officer, who is not a sworn law 279
enforcement officer, must receive a minimum level of basic law 280
enforcement training, as jointly determined and prescribed by the 281
Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training and the 282
State Board of Education, within two (2) years of the person's 283
initial employment in such position. * * * The failure of any 284
person employed in such position to receive the required training 285
within the designated time * * * will result in the withdrawal of 286
that person's * * * authority to exercise the powers of a peace 287
officer in or on the property of the school district. 288
(3) The school board is authorized and empowered, in its 289
discretion, and subject to the approval of the Federal 290
Communications Commission, to install and operate a noncommercial 291
radio broadcasting and transmission station for educational and 292
vocational educational purposes. 293
(4) If a law enforcement officer is duly appointed to be a 294
peace officer by a school district under this section, the local 295
school board may enter into an interlocal agreement with other law 296
enforcement entities for the provision of equipment or traffic 297
control duties, however, the duty to enforce traffic regulations 298
and to enforce the laws of the state or municipality off of school 299
property lies with the local police or sheriff's department which 300
H. B. No. 1285 *HR43/R462* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R462
PAGE 13 (DJ\KP)

cannot withhold its services solely because of the lack of such an 301
agreement. 302
(5) (a) During any period of the regular scholastic year or 303
extended school year programs in which academic instruction is 304
being provided to students upon the campuses of a public and 305
private elementary or secondary schools, school resource officers, 306
employed by a local law enforcement agency to provide community 307
policing efforts to combat school violence and improve student and 308
school safety, shall maintain an active and visible presence upon 309
the school campus to which he or she is assigned under the program 310
defined in Section 1 of this act. For purposes of this section, 311
"regular scholastic year" means the minimum one hundred eighty 312
(180) days which public schools are required to be kept in session 313
under Section 37-13-63 to constitute a scholastic year. "Extended 314
school year programs" means those programs authorized by law, 315
which extend beyond the one hundred eighty-day term of a regular 316
scholastic year, including summer school instruction. In the 317
performance of his or her duties, a school resource officer shall 318
report for duty on the campus of the school of assignment not 319
later than one (1) hour before the start of each school day on 320
Monday through Friday, and remain thereon for one (1) hour after 321
the conclusion of normal daily instruction. No school resource 322
officer shall be required to work on Saturday or Sunday, unless a 323
school sponsored event is hosted upon the school campus which the 324
H. B. No. 1285 *HR43/R462* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R462
PAGE 14 (DJ\KP)

school resource officer has been assigned, which such events shall 325
include extracurricular and cocurricular activities. 326
(b) When school is not in session (i.e. holidays, 327
summer vacation, fall breaks, declarations of emergency which 328
suspend the requirements for school attendance, etc.), the school 329
resource officer shall report to his or her immediate supervisor 330
within the local law enforcement agency of employment for further 331
assignment of duties that are directly related to activities and 332
functions of the local law enforcement agency. 333
(c) Notwithstanding a school resource officer's 334
permanent employment with the local law enforcement agency with 335
whom a local school governing authority has entered into a 336
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or an interlocal agreement for 337
the assignment of a school resource officer, the employing local 338
law enforcement agency shall not require a school resource officer 339
to leave his or her assigned post at a school during the time 340
specified for the performance of his or her duties as prescribed 341
in paragraph (a) of this subsection to perform work duties 342
directly related to activities and functions of the local law 343
enforcement agency, unless it has been determined by the chief law 344
enforcement officer of the employing agency that exigent 345
circumstances exist, which have created an emergency situation of 346
an impending catastrophic nature that requires swift action to 347
prevent imminent danger to life, substantial harm to the public 348
welfare or serious damage to property. 349
H. B. No. 1285 *HR43/R462* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R462
PAGE 15 (DJ\KP)
ST: Mississippi School Resource Officers School
Safety (MS ROSS) Act; create to provide funding
to local law enforcement agencies.
SECTION 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from 350
and after July 1, 2026. 351