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To: Education;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representatives Steverson, Hawkins,
McLean
HOUSE BILL NO. 632
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-14-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
DIRECT THE OFFICE OF HEALTHY SCHOOLS OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF 2
EDUCATION TO DEVELOP A SALARY SCHEDULE FOR SCHOOL NURSES BASED ON 3
THEIR EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE THAT ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL USE 4
WHEN EMPLOYING SCHOOL NURSES, WHICH SCHEDULE SHALL BE THE MINIMUM 5
SALARY AMOUNTS PAID TO SCHOOL NURSES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 7
SECTION 1. Section 37-14-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 8
amended as follows: 9
37-14-3. (1) The State Department of Education is 10
designated as the state agency responsible for the administration 11
and supervision of the school nurse program as an education and 12
wellness curriculum in the public schools of the State of 13
Mississippi. The public school nurse program administered by the 14
State Department of Education shall be known and may be cited as 15
the "Mary Kirkpatrick Haskell-Mary Sprayberry Public School Nurse 16
Program." It is the intent of the Legislature that all funds made 17
available to the State Department of Education for the purpose of 18
employing school nurses shall be administered by the State 19
Department of Education. 20
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(2) The State Department of Education, through the Office of 21
Healthy Schools, shall develop standards, procedures and criteria 22
for the public school nurse programs in Kindergarten through Grade 23
12. The Office of Healthy Schools of the State Department of 24
Education shall assume the responsibility for promoting a 25
statewide school nurse program designed to prepare local school 26
districts to incorporate the school program into their local 27
educational programs. 28
(3) From and after July 1, 2007, the School Nurse 29
Intervention Program administered and funded by the State 30
Department of Health shall be transferred to the Office of Healthy 31
Schools of the State Department of Education. Any administrative 32
personnel employed by the State Department of Health for the 33
administration of school nurses under the School Nurse 34
Intervention Program may be considered for employment by the 35
Office of Healthy Schools of the State Department of Education for 36
the purpose of coordinating the employment of school nurses in the 37
school districts. Any administrative personnel formerly employed 38
by the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, Inc., for the 39
administration of school nurses in the public schools may be 40
considered for employment by the Office of Healthy Schools of the 41
State Department of Education for the purpose of coordinating the 42
employment of school nurses in the school districts. All records 43
and unexpended balances of accounts in the School Nurse 44
Intervention Program relating to the employment of school nurses 45
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shall be transferred to the Office of Healthy Schools in the State 46
Department of Education in accordance with the transfer of 47
responsibility under this chapter. 48
(4) The nurses in the Mary Kirkpatrick Haskell-Mary 49
Sprayberry Public School Nurse Program shall have the following 50
specific responsibilities: 51
(a) Serve as the coordinator of the health services 52
program and provide nursing care; 53
(b) Provide health education to students; 54
(c) Implement activities to promote health and prevent 55
tobacco, alcohol and substance use and abuse; 56
(d) Identify health and safety concerns in the school 57
environment and promote a nurturing social environment; 58
(e) Administer medications and help students manage 59
their health problems; 60
(f) Support healthy food services programs; 61
(g) Promote healthy physical education, sports policies 62
and practices; 63
(h) Promote dropout prevention programs; and 64
(i) Participate in allied health programs to introduce 65
students to health careers. 66
(5) The Office of Healthy Schools of the State Department of 67
Education shall provide resources to all public school nurses so 68
that those schools with school nurses will be prepared to provide 69
health education in Mississippi schools and support the 70
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Mississippi Comprehensive Health Framework, Mississippi Physical 71
Education Framework, Wellness Policy, coordinated approach to 72
school health, and other resources required by the State Board of 73
Education. 74
(6) In administering the Mary Kirkpatrick Haskell-Mary 75
Sprayberry Public School Nurse Program, the Office of Healthy 76
Schools of the State Department of Education shall perform the 77
following duties: 78
(a) Execute any contracts, agreements or other 79
documents with any governmental agency or any person, corporation, 80
association, partnership or other organization or entity that are 81
necessary to accomplish the purposes of this chapter; 82
(b) Receive grants or any other contributions made to 83
the State Board of Education to be used for specific purposes 84
related to the goals of this chapter; 85
(c) Submit to the State Auditor any financial records 86
that are necessary for the Auditor to perform an annual audit of 87
the commission as required by law; 88
(d) Adopt any rules or regulations that are necessary 89
to carry out the purposes of this chapter; 90
(e) Develop criteria to measure the effectiveness of a 91
school nurse; 92
(f) Communicate to superintendents and principals how 93
to maximize the effectiveness of a public school nurse; 94
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ST: School nurses; direct the Office of Healthy
Schools to develop salary schedule for that all
school districts shall use when employing.
(g) Develop * * * a salary * * * schedule for school 95
nurses based on their education and experience that all school 96
districts * * * shall use when * * * employing school nurses, 97
which schedule shall be the minimum salary amounts paid to those 98
school nurses; 99
(h) Communicate to superintendents, principals and 100
other appropriate school officials regarding the statutes and 101
regulations prohibiting the use of tobacco by school personnel on 102
school property and at school events, and to monitor the 103
effectiveness of this ban; 104
(i) Implement policies to reduce unnecessary paperwork 105
by public school nurses; and 106
(j) Take any other actions that are necessary to carry 107
out the purposes of this chapter. 108
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 109
and after July 1, 2026. 110