Social workers; provide in schools having high incidences of crime and via video conferencing means.

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To: Education;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Scott

HOUSE BILL NO. 191

AN ACT TO PROVIDE AN ALLOCATION OF FUNDS UNDER THE 1
MISSISSIPPI STUDENT FUNDING FORMULA TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVING THE 2
HIGHEST INCIDENCES OF CRIME AND VIOLENCE FOR THE PURPOSE OF 3
EMPLOYING SOCIAL WORKERS; TO DIRECT THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF 4
EDUCATION TO DETERMINE WHICH SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL RECEIVE 5
ALLOCATIONS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS; TO REQUIRE SOCIAL WORKERS EMPLOYED 6
WITH THOSE FUNDS TO BE APPROPRIATELY LICENSED; TO AUTHORIZE THE 7
STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS 8
CONCERNING THE ACTIVITIES OF SOCIAL WORKERS; TO REQUIRE THE STATE 9
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO 10
JOINTLY ESTABLISH A PROGRAM TO MAKE THE SERVICES OF SOCIAL WORKERS 11
ACCESSIBLE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE STATE VIA VIDEO 12
CONFERENCING MEANS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO 13
EMPLOY TEN SOCIAL WORKERS TO STAFF THE VIDEO CONFERENCING PROGRAM; 14
TO AUTHORIZE SCHOOL GUIDANCE COUNSELORS WHO IDENTIFY A NEED FOR 15
THE SERVICES OF A SOCIAL WORKER TO ARRANGE FOR THOSE SERVICES VIA 16
THE VIDEO CONFERENCING PROGRAM; TO AMEND SECTION 37-151-209, 17
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, IN CONFORMITY TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS 18
ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 19
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 20
SECTION 1. (1) Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, 21
the State Department of Education shall allocate sufficient 22
funding under the Mississippi Student Funding Formula to those 23
school districts designated under subsection (2) of this section 24
for the purpose of employing a social worker. 25
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(2) The State Department of Education shall designate school 26
districts to receive an allocation for the purpose of employing a 27
social worker. The districts must be selected according to 28
greatest need, as indicated by records of the State Department of 29
Education and the Division of Youth Services of the Department of 30
Human Services which reflect those school districts having the 31
highest incidences of crime, violence, Supplemental Nutrition 32
Assistance Program (SNAP) participation and unemployment. 33
(3) The State Department of Education may increase the 34
number of social worker positions funded each year beyond the 35
above requirements as additional funding is made available. 36
(4) Any individual employed by a school district with funds 37
allotted under this section must be licensed appropriately as a 38
social worker under Chapter 53, Title 73, Mississippi Code of 39
1972. The State Department of Education shall specify which 40
license a social worker must hold as a qualification for being 41
employed in a position funded under this section. 42
(5) To qualify for total funding formula funds, school 43
social workers must be full-time professional personnel and must 44
spend at least seventy-five percent (75%) of their work time in a 45
direct relationship with students. School social workers may not 46
devote more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the work day to 47
administrative activities related to their social work. 48
(6) The State Board of Education may adopt rules and 49
regulations regarding the activities of the school social workers. 50
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School social workers may perform services that are not 51
inconsistent with those rules and regulations. 52
(7) This section does not prohibit a school district from 53
employing social workers with local funds. 54
SECTION 2. (1) The State Department of Education and the 55
Department of Human Services, acting jointly, shall establish a 56
program to make certain services by licensed social workers 57
available in the public schools throughout the state. Under the 58
program, the Department of Human Services shall employ ten (10) 59
social workers who meet the licensing qualifications established 60
by the State Department of Education for school social workers. 61
The social workers must be housed in the Department of Human 62
Services, which is responsible for operating the program, and must 63
be accessible to schools throughout the state via video 64
conferencing means. 65
(2) Whenever a school guidance counselor identifies a crisis 66
or other need within the school setting which merits the guidance 67
and counseling of a licensed social worker and the school district 68
involved does not employ a social worker, the counselor may 69
contact the office of the social workers employed under subsection 70
(1) of this section to make arrangements for the necessary 71
guidance and counseling services. The counselor shall provide any 72
information as may be necessary for the social worker to assess 73
the specific situation in the school. If the counselor and social 74
worker determine that the services of the social worker are 75
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appropriate, the school guidance counselor, in consultation with 76
the social worker, shall schedule a conference with all interested 77
parties, during which the social worker shall participate in the 78
meeting through video conferencing means. 79
(3) Whenever services are provided by a social worker via 80
video conferencing means under this section, the school guidance 81
counselor shall take any precautions as may be necessary to afford 82
the person or persons receiving guidance and counseling services 83
the same confidentiality and privacy protections to which those 84
persons otherwise would be entitled. 85
SECTION 3. Section 37-151-209, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 86
amended as follows: 87
37-151-209. (1) Allocations to school districts or charter 88
schools made by the State Department of Education on the basis of 89
the count of students in student categories established for the 90
purpose of applying various weights under Sections 37-151-200 91
through 37-151-215 are intended only to generate total 92
appropriation amounts for school funding. Except as otherwise 93
required by applicable state or federal law or by applicable 94
rules, regulations, policies, or order of the State Board of 95
Education and the State Department of Education, a school district 96
or charter school may exercise full autonomy in the spending of 97
all funds allocated under the formula to the district or charter 98
school so long as funds are expended in the manner determined by 99
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ST: Social workers; provide in schools having
high incidences of crime and via video
conferencing means.
the school board or governing board to best meet the needs of the 100
student population of the school district or charter school. 101
(2) The State Department of Education shall allocate 102
sufficient funds under the total funding formula to designated 103
school districts for the purpose of employing a social worker, as 104
provided for in Section 1 of this act. 105
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from 106
and after July 1, 2026. 107