HB360 • 2026

Noninstructional and hourly school employees; compensate at usual rate whenever district temporarily closes schools.

AN ACT TO REQUIRE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO COMPENSATE NONINSTRUCTIONAL AND HOURLY SCHOOL EMPLOYEES WHENEVER THE DISTRICT CLOSES SCHOOLS DUE TO EXTREME WEATHER, ILLNESS OR OTHER REASONS; TO REQUIRE THE COMPENSATION PAID TO THOSE EMPLOYEES TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE AMOUNT THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN PAID IF THE SCHOOLS HAD NOT BEEN CLOSED; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Education Labor

Did Not Pass

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify that hourly workers must be paid for exactly the number of hours they would have worked before the closure. The bill text mentions 'the average number of hours worked per day by that employee during the thirty (30) days immediately preceding the school's closure.'

Compensation for Noninstructional School Employees During Closures

This bill requires school districts to pay noninstructional and hourly-paid employees their usual wages when schools are closed due to extreme weather, illness, or other reasons.

What This Bill Does

Requires school districts to compensate noninstructional and hourly-paid school employees if the district closes schools because of bad weather, sickness, natural disasters, or other issues.
Ensures that these employees receive pay as if they had worked their usual hours even when schools are closed.
Specifies that hourly workers must be paid for the exact number of hours they would have worked before the closure.

Who It Names or Affects

Noninstructional and hourly-paid school employees in Mississippi.
School districts that close schools due to extreme weather or other reasons.

Terms To Know

noninstructional: Employees who do not directly teach students, such as cafeteria workers or janitors.
hourly-paid employees: Workers whose pay is based on the number of hours they work each day.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill did not pass and was not signed into law.
It would have taken effect from July 1, 2026, if it had passed.

Bill History

2026-02-03 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
02/03 (H) Died In Committee
2026-01-08 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System
01/08 (H) Referred To Education;Appropriations A

Official Summary Text

Noninstructional and hourly school employees; compensate at usual rate whenever district temporarily closes schools.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

H. B. No. 360 *HR26/R982* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/HR26/R982
PAGE 1 (DJ\KW)

To: Education;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Burnett

HOUSE BILL NO. 360

AN ACT TO REQUIRE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO COMPENSATE 1
NONINSTRUCTIONAL AND HOURLY SCHOOL EMPLOYEES WHENEVER THE DISTRICT 2
CLOSES SCHOOLS DUE TO EXTREME WEATHER, ILLNESS OR OTHER REASONS; 3
TO REQUIRE THE COMPENSATION PAID TO THOSE EMPLOYEES TO BE 4
CONSISTENT WITH THE AMOUNT THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN PAID IF THE 5
SCHOOLS HAD NOT BEEN CLOSED; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 7
SECTION 1. Whenever a school district is required to close 8
the operation of its schools due to extreme weather conditions or 9
an inordinately large number of absentees as a result of illness, 10
natural disaster or any concerted activity discouraging school 11
attendance, the school district shall compensate noninstructional 12
school employees who are paid hourly wages and any other school 13
employees who are not under contract with the school district, 14
notwithstanding the inability of those employees to report to 15
work. A school employee who is paid an hourly wage for a 16
specified number of hours each day must be compensated for the 17
number of hours the employee would have worked, but for the 18
school's closure, on each particular day that the school is 19
closed. A school employee whose work hours vary from day to day 20
H. B. No. 360 *HR26/R982* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR26/R982
PAGE 2 (DJ\KW)
ST: Noninstructional and hourly school
employees; compensate at usual rate whenever
district temporarily closes schools.
must be compensated for a number of hours equal to the average 21
number of hours worked per day by that employee during the thirty 22
(30) days immediately preceding the school's closure. The pay 23
rate for a school employee compensated under this section may not 24
be reduced by the school district during such time that the 25
employee's school remains closed. 26
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 27
and after July 1, 2026. 28