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HB380 • 2026

"Mississippi Students Voicing Opinions in Today's Elections (VOTE) Act"; create.

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE "MISSISSIPPI STUDENTS VOICING OPINIONS IN TODAY'S ELECTIONS (VOTE) ACT" FOR THE PURPOSE OF CREATING A PILOT PROGRAM IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION TO STUDENTS IN GRADE 12; TO REQUIRE THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO IMPLEMENT AND ADMINISTER THE PILOT PROGRAM IN CONJUNCTION WITH COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL ELECTION COMMISSION AND STATE POLITICAL PARTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES; TO PRESCRIBE CRITERIA FOR ELIGIBILITY OF LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES TO RECEIVE FUNDS UNDER THE PILOT PROGRAM; TO REQUIRE REPORTS TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE LEGISLATURE; TO REQUIRE THE LEGISLATURE TO APPROPRIATE NECESSARY FUNDS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PILOT PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Education Elections
Did Not Pass

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass, so there is no implementation or reporting data available.

Mississippi Students Voicing Opinions in Today's Elections (VOTE) Act

This act creates a pilot program to provide voter registration information to high school seniors in Mississippi.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates the 'Mississippi Students Voicing Opinions in Today's Elections (VOTE) Act'.
  • Requires the Secretary of State to develop and run a pilot program with county and municipal election commissions, providing funds for local schools to educate Grade 12 students about voter registration.
  • Specifies that local educational agencies must apply for these funds by submitting detailed plans and cost estimates.
  • Requires local educational agencies receiving funds to report back on the effectiveness of their programs.

Who It Names or Affects

  • High school seniors in Mississippi who will receive voter registration information through this program.
  • Local educational agencies that can apply for funding under the pilot program.
  • The Secretary of State and county or municipal election commissions, which must work together to implement the program.

Terms To Know

local educational agency
A public board of education or other authority in Mississippi responsible for running schools.
secondary school
A non-profit institution that provides high school level education, including charter schools.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and was not signed into law.
  • It only applies to Grade 12 students in public secondary schools.
  • Details about the specific initiatives and their effectiveness are unknown as the program was never implemented.

Bill History

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

    02/03 (H) Died In Committee

  2. 2026-01-09 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/09 (H) Referred To Education

Official Summary Text

"Mississippi Students Voicing Opinions in Today's Elections (VOTE) Act"; create.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
H. B. No. 380 *HR31/R110* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/HR31/R110
PAGE 1 (DJ\JAB)

To: Education
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Osborne

HOUSE BILL NO. 380

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE "MISSISSIPPI STUDENTS VOICING 1
OPINIONS IN TODAY'S ELECTIONS (VOTE) ACT" FOR THE PURPOSE OF 2
CREATING A PILOT PROGRAM IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE VOTER 3
REGISTRATION INFORMATION TO STUDENTS IN GRADE 12; TO REQUIRE THE 4
SECRETARY OF STATE TO IMPLEMENT AND ADMINISTER THE PILOT PROGRAM 5
IN CONJUNCTION WITH COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL ELECTION COMMISSION AND 6
STATE POLITICAL PARTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES; TO PRESCRIBE CRITERIA 7
FOR ELIGIBILITY OF LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES TO RECEIVE FUNDS 8
UNDER THE PILOT PROGRAM; TO REQUIRE REPORTS TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE 9
SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE LEGISLATURE; TO REQUIRE THE LEGISLATURE 10
TO APPROPRIATE NECESSARY FUNDS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PILOT 11
PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 12
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 13
SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the 14
"Mississippi Students Voicing Opinions in Today's Elections (VOTE) 15
Act." 16
SECTION 2. (1) The Secretary of State, hereinafter referred 17
to as the "Secretary," shall develop, implement and administer a 18
pilot program in conjunction with county and municipal elections 19
commissions, the Mississippi Democratic Party Executive Committee 20
and the Mississippi Republican Party Executive Committee, to 21
provide funds during the 2027 fiscal year to local educational 22
agencies for initiatives to provide information on registering to 23
H. B. No. 380 *HR31/R110* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR31/R110
PAGE 2 (DJ\JAB)

vote in elections for public office to secondary school students 24
in Grade 12. 25
(2) A local educational agency is eligible to receive funds 26
under the pilot program if the agency submits to the Office of 27
Secretary of State, at such time and in such form as the Secretary 28
may require, an application containing: 29
(a) A description of the initiatives the local 30
education agency intends to carry out with the funds; 31
(b) An estimate of the costs associated with those 32
initiatives described in paragraph (a); and 33
(c) Any other information and assurances as the 34
Secretary may require. 35
(3) In developing the initiatives the local educational 36
agency will carry out with funds received under the pilot program, 37
the local educational agency shall consult with state and local 38
election officials responsible for administering elections for 39
public office in the county or municipality served by the local 40
educational agency. 41
(d) For purposes of this act: 42
(i) "Local educational agency" means a public 43
board of education or other public authority legally constituted 44
within the State of Mississippi for either administrative control 45
or direction of, or to perform a service function for, public 46
elementary schools or secondary schools in a city, county, school 47
district or other political subdivision of the state; and 48
H. B. No. 380 *HR31/R110* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR31/R110
PAGE 3 (DJ\JAB)
ST: "Mississippi Students Voicing Opinions in
Today's Elections (VOTE) Act"; create.
(ii) "Secondary school" means a nonprofit 49
institutional day or residential school, including a public 50
secondary charter school, that provides secondary education, as 51
determined under State law, except that the term does not include 52
any education beyond Grade 12. 53
SECTION 3. (1) Not later than ninety (90) days after the 54
initial date that a local educational agency receives funds under 55
the pilot program, each recipient local educational agency shall 56
submit a report to the Secretary of State describing the 57
initiatives carried out with the funds and analyzing their 58
effectiveness. 59
(2) Not later than sixty (60) days after the date that the 60
Secretary receives the final report submitted by a local 61
educational agency under subsection (1), the Secretary of State 62
shall submit a report to the Mississippi Legislature on the pilot 63
program. 64
SECTION 4. The Legislature shall appropriate such sums as 65
may be necessary to carry out the provisions of Sections 1 through 66
3 of this act. 67
SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from 68
and after July 1, 2026. 69