"Volunteer and Parents Incentive Program"; create under the State Department of Education.

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To: Education;
Accountability, Efficiency,
Transparency
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Scott

HOUSE BILL NO. 188

AN ACT TO CREATE THE "VOLUNTEER AND PARENTS INCENTIVE 1
PROGRAM"; TO DEFINE CERTAIN TERMS; TO AUTHORIZE THE STATE 2
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS TO 3
CARRY OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO 4
DEVELOP AND PUBLISH A PUBLICATION ENTITLED "THE PARENTS' BILL OF 5
RIGHTS" TO INFORM PARENTS OF CHILDREN HAVING AN INDIVIDUALIZED 6
EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP) OF CERTAIN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS; AND FOR 7
RELATED PURPOSES. 8
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 9
SECTION 1. (1) This act shall be known and may be cited as 10
the "Volunteer and Parents Incentive Program." The State 11
Department of Education shall implement and administer the 12
provisions of this act. 13
(2) For purposes of this section, the following words and 14
phrases have the meanings ascribed in this subsection unless the 15
context clearly requires otherwise: 16
(a) "At-risk student" means: 17
(i) A student who is still of school age but whose 18
continued education is in jeopardy because the student is 19
experiencing academic deficits, including, but not limited to: 20
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1. Being one or more years behind their age 21
or grade level in mathematics or reading skills through eighth 22
grade or three (3) or more credits behind in the number of credits 23
toward graduation from ninth through twelfth grade; 24
2. Having low scores on tests of academic 25
achievement and scholastic aptitude; 26
3. Having low grades and academic 27
deficiencies; 28
4. Having a history of failure and being held 29
back in school; 30
5. Having language problems or being from a 31
non-English speaking home; or 32
6. Not having access to appropriate 33
educational programs. 34
(ii) A student may also be considered "at risk" if 35
the student has any of the following: 36
1. A parent or sibling who dropped out of 37
school; 38
2. Experienced numerous family relocations; 39
3. Poor social adjustment or deviant social 40
behavior; 41
4. Employment of more than twenty (20) hours 42
per week while school is in session; 43
5. Been the victim of racial or ethnic 44
prejudice; 45
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6. Low self-esteem and expectations of 46
teachers, parents and the community; 47
7. A poorly educated mother or father; 48
8. Children of his or her own; 49
9. A deprived environment that slows economic 50
and social development; 51
10. A fatherless home; or 52
11. Been the victim of personal or family 53
abuse, including substance abuse, emotional abuse and sexual 54
abuse. 55
(b) "Department" means the State Department of 56
Education. 57
(c) "Institution of higher education" means a four-year 58
college or university located in the State of Mississippi. 59
(d) "Program" means the Volunteer and Parents Incentive 60
Program. 61
(e) "Qualifying public school" means a school located 62
in Mississippi that: 63
(i) Is located in a school district that has been 64
classified by the State Board of Education as unaccredited or 65
provisionally accredited; 66
(ii) Is located in a school district that has 67
low-cost housing, high unemployment and high food stamp use; or 68
(iii) Has a student population of more than fifty 69
percent (50%) at-risk students. 70
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(3) The State Department of Education shall promulgate rules 71
and regulations to implement this section. Any rule or portion of 72
a rule that is created under the authority delegated in this 73
section may become effective only if it complies with the 74
Mississippi Administrative Procedures Law. 75
SECTION 2. (1) By January 1, 2027, the State Department of 76
Education shall develop and produce a publication entitled "The 77
Parents' Bill of Rights" that shall be designed to inform parents 78
of children with an individualized education program (IEP) of 79
their educational rights provided under federal and state law. 80
The content of the publication will not confer any right or rights 81
beyond those conferred by federal or state law and must state that 82
it is for informational purposes only. The department shall post 83
a copy of this publication on its website. The publication must 84
contain the department's contact information. 85
(2) The publication must contain, but need not be limited 86
to, the following general information presented in a clear and 87
concise manner, and the department shall ensure the content is 88
consistent with legal interpretations of existing federal and 89
state law and provides equitable treatment of all disability 90
groups and interests: 91
(a) The right of parents to attend IEP meetings and 92
represent their child's interests; 93
(b) The right of parents to have an advocate or expert 94
present at an IEP meeting; 95
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(c) The right of parents to receive a copy of the 96
child's evaluation and to disagree with its results and request 97
one (1) independent educational evaluation at public expense; 98
(d) The right of parents to provide a written report 99
from outside sources as part of the evaluation process; 100
(e) The right of parents to examine all school records 101
pertaining to the child and be provided with a copy of the IEP; 102
(f) The right of parents to disagree with the decision 103
of the school district and the IEP team and to pursue complaint 104
procedures, including a child complaint filed with the State 105
Department of Education, state-paid mediation and other due 106
process rights; 107
(g) The right of parents with a child with an IEP to 108
participate in reviews of the program, participate in any decision 109
to change any aspects of the IEP and meet with school officials 110
whenever a change occurs in their child's education program or 111
classroom placement; 112
(h) The right of a child to be placed in the least 113
restrictive environment and be placed in a general education 114
classroom, to the greatest extent appropriate; 115
(i) The right of parents with limited English language 116
proficiency to request an accommodation to provide effective 117
communications; 118
(j) The right of parents to have a free appropriate 119
public education for their child with an IEP designed to meet 120
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their child's unique needs, which may include, but need not be 121
limited to, special education and related services such as 122
assistive technology devices and services; transportation; speech 123
pathology services; audiology services; interpreting services; 124
psychological services, including behavioral interventions; 125
physical therapy; occupational therapy; recreation, including 126
therapeutic recreation; early identification and assessment of 127
disabilities in children; counseling services, including 128
rehabilitation counseling; orientation and mobility services; 129
school health services; school nurse services; social work 130
services; parent counseling and training; and medical services for 131
diagnostic or evaluation purposes. 132
(3) Each school district shall provide the parent or parents 133
of a child with a copy of this publication upon determining that a 134
student qualifies for an IEP and at any time a school district is 135
required under state or federal law to provide the parent or 136
parents with notice of procedural safeguards. 137
(4) The department shall review and revise the content of 138
the publication as necessary to ensure the content accurately 139
summarizes current federal and state law and shall promulgate 140
rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of 141
this section, including, but not limited to, the manner in which 142
the publication described in this section must be distributed. 143
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ST: "Volunteer and Parents Incentive Program";
create under the State Department of Education.
(5) Any rule or portion of a rule that is created under the 144
authority delegated in this section may become effective only if 145
it complies with the Mississippi Administrative Procedures Act. 146
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 147
and after July 1, 2026. 148