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HB161 • 2026

College and Career Readiness Planning Program; create.

AN ACT TO CREATE THE COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS PLANNING PROGRAM; TO ESTABLISH A PRECOLLEGE READINESS ASSESSMENT PROGRAM IN ORDER TO LOWER EDUCATIONAL COSTS, SHORTEN A STUDENT'S TIME REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A DEGREE AND INCREASE THE OVERALL SUCCESS RATE OF COLLEGE STUDENTS BY REDUCING THE NEED FOR REMEDIATION; TO REQUIRE ALL EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS TO TAKE EXPLORE AND TENTH GRADE STUDENTS TO TAKE PLAN OR PSAT FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENSURING THAT STUDENTS HAVE THE CAREER READINESS SKILLS NECESSARY TO COMPETE IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Education Taxes
Did Not Pass

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify that state funding will be used to cover the costs of the assessments. The bill only mentions at-risk funding from the State Department of Education, but it is unclear if this applies universally or under specific conditions.

College and Career Readiness Planning Program

This bill aims to create a program that requires eighth-grade students to take the EXPLORE assessment and tenth-grade students to take PLAN or PSAT assessments, with the goal of improving college readiness and reducing remediation needs.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates the College and Career Readiness Planning Program to assess student preparedness for higher education or workforce entry.
  • Requires all eighth-grade students to take the EXPLORE assessment to explore future educational and career options.
  • Requires all tenth-grade students to take either PLAN or PSAT assessments to help them plan their academic path and prepare for college.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Eighth and tenth grade students who will be required to take specific assessments.
  • Public schools that must administer the assessments and use results to assist students with planning their future education and careers.

Terms To Know

College readiness assessment
A test used by colleges for admissions, placement, and scholarships, and by high schools to improve college and workforce readiness.
EXPLORE
An assessment for eighth-grade students that helps them explore future educational and career options.
PLAN
An assessment for tenth-grade students used to help them focus on academic achievement, career preparation, and planning for post-high school years.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass in the session it was introduced.
  • It is unclear how schools will implement the program after July 1, 2026, since the bill did not become law.

Bill History

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

    02/03 (H) Died In Committee

  2. 2026-01-07 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/07 (H) Referred To Education;Appropriations A

Official Summary Text

College and Career Readiness Planning Program; create.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
H. B. No. 161 *HR31/R1179* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/HR31/R1179
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To: Education;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Scott

HOUSE BILL NO. 161

AN ACT TO CREATE THE COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS PLANNING 1
PROGRAM; TO ESTABLISH A PRECOLLEGE READINESS ASSESSMENT PROGRAM IN 2
ORDER TO LOWER EDUCATIONAL COSTS, SHORTEN A STUDENT'S TIME 3
REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A DEGREE AND INCREASE THE OVERALL SUCCESS 4
RATE OF COLLEGE STUDENTS BY REDUCING THE NEED FOR REMEDIATION; TO 5
REQUIRE ALL EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS TO TAKE EXPLORE AND TENTH GRADE 6
STUDENTS TO TAKE PLAN OR PSAT FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENSURING THAT 7
STUDENTS HAVE THE CAREER READINESS SKILLS NECESSARY TO COMPETE IN 8
THE GLOBAL ECONOMY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 9
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 10
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds that: 11
(a) Many students enter college unprepared for the 12
academic rigors of college and require noncredit remedial courses 13
to attain skills and knowledge needed for regular credit 14
coursework; 15
(b) There is a direct and significant link between 16
students being prepared for college academically and success in 17
postsecondary endeavors; 18
(c) Remediation lengthens the time required to obtain a 19
degree, imposes additional costs on students and colleges, and 20
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uses student financial aid for courses that do not count toward a 21
degree; 22
(d) A precollege readiness assessment program in public 23
high schools using pre-ACT or pre-SAT assessments will provide 24
early benchmarks for student performance on college readiness 25
exams and inform high school guidance counselors and teachers who 26
assist students with academic achievement, course selection and 27
college readiness skills; 28
(e) A precollege readiness assessment program will 29
provide reportable statewide data, enabling policy and program 30
development that will benefit schools, parents and students; and 31
(f) Consistent use of precollege assessments will 32
increase the number of successful student transitions into 33
postsecondary education. 34
SECTION 2. (1) As used in this section, the following words 35
and phrases have the meaning ascribed in this section unless the 36
context clearly indicates otherwise: 37
(a) "College readiness assessment" means a test of 38
student educational development that measures student readiness 39
for future learning which is used by: 40
(i) State institutions of higher learning as part 41
of their admissions, placement and scholarship processes; and 42
(ii) High schools to improve college and workforce 43
readiness; 44
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(b) "College and career readiness" means that a student 45
is academically ready to succeed in college-level courses or in 46
the workforce without the need to enroll in remedial courses 47
during the student's first year; 48
(c) "EXPLORE" means the pre-ACT assessment designed to 49
help students in Grade 8 explore a broad range of options for 50
their future and focus not only on high school coursework but also 51
on post-high school choices as well; 52
(d) "PLAN" means the pre-ACT assessment for students in 53
Grade 10 used to help a student focus attention on improved 54
academic achievement, career preparation and planning for 55
post-high school years; and 56
(e) "PSAT" means the Preliminary SAT/National Merit 57
Scholarship Qualifying Test that provides practice for the SAT 58
Reasoning Test and gives students feedback on individual strengths 59
and weaknesses on college readiness skills. 60
(2) (a) (i) Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, each 61
public school that serves students in Grade 8 shall administer 62
EXPLORE to each student enrolled in Grade 8 at the public school. 63
(ii) Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, 64
each public school that serves students in Grade 10 shall 65
administer PLAN or the PSAT to each student enrolled in Grade 10 66
at the public school. 67
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(b) Funding for the college readiness assessments 68
listed in subsection (2)(a) of this section may be paid by using 69
State Department of Education at-risk funding. 70
(3) (a) Each public school administering the college 71
readiness assessments under this section shall use the college 72
readiness assessments to assist students with college and 73
workforce readiness skills, course selection in high school and 74
improved academic achievement. 75
(b) By the 2028-2029 school year, each public school 76
shall fully incorporate the results from college readiness 77
assessments listed in subsection (2)(a) of this section into the 78
college and career planning process for each student. 79
(4) Data collection must be maintained by the State 80
Department of Education for the purpose of: 81
(a) Increasing college and career readiness skills; 82
(b) Improving instruction; 83
(c) Enhancing school improvement plans; and 84
(d) Reducing the college remediation rates of students. 85
(5) The State Department of Education shall report to the 86
House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education 87
before October 1, 2030, and each year thereafter, on the 88
implementation and effectiveness of the College and Career 89
Readiness Planning Program. 90
(6) The department shall promulgate rules to implement this 91
section and shall monitor the use of college readiness assessments 92
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ST: College and Career Readiness Planning
Program; create.
administered under this section to ensure public school 93
compliance. 94
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 95
and after July 1, 2026. 96