"Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act"; create to provide college tuition awards to certain public safety personnel and their legal dependents.

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To: Universities and
Colleges; Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Carpenter

HOUSE BILL NO. 649

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE "PUBLIC SAFETY RECRUITMENT AND 1
RETENTION ACT," TO PROVIDE COLLEGE TUITION AWARDS FOR CERTAIN 2
PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL AND THEIR LEGAL DEPENDENTS; TO DEFINE 3
TERMINOLOGY USED IN THE ACT; TO PROVIDE THAT SUBJECT TO 4
APPROPRIATION, PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL WITH AT LEAST SIX YEARS OF 5
SERVICE SHALL BE ENTITLED TO AN AWARD WORTH UP TO 100% OF THE 6
RESIDENT TUITION; TO PROVIDE THAT THE MAXIMUM AWARD TO ATTEND AN 7
APPROVED PRIVATE INSTITUTION SHALL BE EQUAL TO THE TOTAL COST OF 8
TUITION AND MANDATORY FEES CHARGED TO A MISSISSIPPI RESIDENT AT 9
THE PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION THAT HAS THE HIGHEST 10
COMBINED TUITION AND MANDATORY FEE COST IN THE STATE, AS 11
DETERMINED BY THE POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE 12
BOARD; TO PRESCRIBE THE NECESSARY CRITERIA TO BE PRESENTED TO THE 13
BOARD BY THE PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL WHEN APPLYING FOR TUITION 14
AWARDS; TO REQUIRE APPLICANTS TO MEET ALL ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS 15
OF THE INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING OF APPLICATION FOR 16
ENROLLMENT AND TO PURSUE A LICENSE OR ASSOCIATE OR BACCALAUREATE 17
DEGREE IN A SPECIFIED ACADEMIC SUBJECT AREA; TO PROVIDE THAT 18
INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ALREADY EARNED A BACCALAUREATE DEGREE ARE 19
INELIGIBLE TO USE THE TUITION AWARD TO EARN ANOTHER DEGREE, TO 20
REQUIRE APPLICANTS WHO ARE RENEWING THEIR APPLICATION FOR TUITION 21
AWARD TO PRESENT PROOF OF EMPLOYMENT AND PROOF OF RESIDENCE IN THE 22
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI; TO PROVIDE THAT THE TUITION AWARD CREATED 23
UNDER THIS ACT SHALL BE A LAST DOLLAR SCHOLARSHIP AND REQUIRE 24
APPLICANTS TO FIRST APPLY FOR ALL OTHER FORMS OF FEDERAL AND STATE 25
STUDENT FINANCIAL AID; TO PROVIDE ELIGIBILITY FOR TUITION AWARDS 26
TO LEGAL DEPENDENTS OF PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL WITH AT LEAST TEN 27
YEARS OF SERVICE UPON A CONDITION OF THE LEGAL DEPENDENT TO ENTER 28
INTO AN AGREEMENT TO REMAIN IN THE STATE FOR A MINIMUM OF FIVE 29
YEARS AS WELL AS A COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE A COPY OF HIS OR HER 30
STATE INCOME TAX RETURN ANNUALLY TO BOARD IN ORDER TO PROVE 31
CONTINUED RESIDENCY IN MISSISSIPPI UPON COMPLETION OF THEIR 32
ACADEMIC DEGREE; TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEATH OF PUBLIC SAFETY 33
PERSONNEL IN THE LINE OF DUTY SHALL NOT DISQUALIFY AN INDIVIDUAL'S 34
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OTHERWISE ELIGIBLE LEGAL DEPENDENT FROM RECEIVING THE TUITION 35
AWARD; TO ESTABLISH AN ANNUAL DECEMBER 15 DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF 36
TUITION AWARDS APPLICATIONS AND MARCH 1 DEADLINE FOR THE BOARD TO 37
NOTIFY APPLICANTS OF APPROVAL OR DENIAL OF APPLICATION REQUEST; TO 38
ESTABLISH THE PUBLIC SAFETY RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION FUND IN THE 39
STATE TREASURY FOR PURPOSES OF GRANTING TUITION AWARDS AS PROVIDED 40
IN THE ACT; TO STIPULATE THAT IF FUNDS ARE INSUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE 41
TUITION AWARDS FOR ALL ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS, PUBLIC SAFETY 42
PERSONNEL SHALL BE IN THE FIRST CLASS OF APPLICANTS TO RECEIVE THE 43
AWARDS, AND DEPENDENTS SHALL BE IN THE SECOND CLASS, IN A PRIORITY 44
ORDER SPECIFIED IN THE ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 45
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 46
SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the 47
"Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act". 48
SECTION 2. As used in this act, the following terms shall 49
have the meanings ascribed in this section, unless the context of 50
use clearly requires otherwise: 51
(a) "Advanced emergency medical technician" means a 52
person specially trained in an advanced life-support training 53
program authorized by the Mississippi State Board of Health. 54
(b) "Board" means the Postsecondary Education Financial 55
Assistance Board. 56
(c) "Emergency medical technician" means a person 57
licensed under Section 41-59-1 et seq., to provide emergency 58
medical services as an emergency medical technician-ambulance, 59
emergency medical technician-advanced, emergency medical 60
technician-paramedic, or emergency medical 61
technician-nurse-paramedic and who is employed by a nonprivate 62
entity. 63
(d) "Firefighter" means an individual who is trained 64
for the prevention and control of loss of life and property from 65
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fire or other emergencies, who is assigned to firefighting 66
activity, and is required to respond to alarms and performs 67
emergency actions at the location of a fire, hazardous materials 68
or other emergency incident. 69
(e) "Institution of higher learning" means a public 70
community or junior college, state college or state university 71
located in Mississippi, respectively governed by the Mississippi 72
Community College Board or the Board of Trustees of State 73
Institutions of Higher Learning or an approved private institution 74
that chooses to accept any tuition award money pursuant; or an 75
emergency medical services training entity accredited or certified 76
by the Mississippi Department of Health. 77
(f) "Legal dependent" means anyone, other than a 78
spouse, who is financially supported, lives with, and for whom the 79
primary head of household has provided more than half of their 80
financial support, as such term is defined by the United States 81
Department of Education for purposes of the Free Application for 82
Federal Student Aid. 83
(g) "Line of duty" means any action that public safety 84
personnel is authorized or obligated by law, rule or regulation to 85
perform, related to or as a condition of employment or service. 86
(h) "Open seat" means a vacant position in a class, 87
course or program that is available for enrollment, and which may 88
become available when a student drops out or transfers, or when a 89
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class, course or program has unused capacity, allowing new 90
students to register or enroll. 91
(i) "Paramedic" means a certified healthcare 92
professional who specializes in providing emergency medical 93
treatment to people who are injured or ill, typically in a setting 94
outside of a hospital. 95
(j) "Law enforcement officer" means any lawfully sworn 96
officer or employee of the state or any political subdivision of 97
the state whose duties require the officer or employee to 98
investigate, pursue, apprehend, arrest, transport or maintain 99
custody of persons who are charged with, suspected of committing, 100
or convicted of a crime, whether the officer is on regular duty on 101
full-time status, an auxiliary or reserve officer, or is serving 102
on a temporary or part-time status. 103
(k) "Public safety personnel" includes any police 104
officer, firefighter, paramedic, telecommunicator first responder, 105
emergency medical technician or advanced emergency medical 106
technician who is trained and authorized by law or rule to render 107
emergency medical assistance or treatment. 108
(l) "Telecommunicator first responder" means any person 109
employed as an emergency call taker or public safety dispatcher 110
whose duties include receiving, processing or transmitting public 111
safety information received through a 911 public safety answering 112
point. 113
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(m) "Tuition" means the charges and cost of tuition as 114
set by the governing body of an institution of higher education, 115
including fees such as course fees, activity fees, technology fees 116
and mandatory fees charged by such institution to all full- and 117
part-time students as a condition of enrollment, but excluding the 118
costs of room, board, books, and any other educational materials, 119
equipment or supplies. 120
SECTION 3. (1) Subject to appropriation, public safety 121
personnel with at least six (6) years of service shall be entitled 122
to an award worth up to one hundred percent (100%) of the resident 123
tuition charges of an institution of higher learning if the 124
individual: 125
(a) Possesses one (1) of the following: 126
(i) A current, valid license issued by the 127
department of health and senior services authorizing such person 128
to serve as an emergency medical technician, advanced emergency 129
medical technician or paramedic; 130
(ii) A current, valid license issued by the peace 131
officer standards and training commission authorizing such person 132
to serve as a peace officer; 133
(iii) A current, valid certificate issued by the 134
division of fire safety authorizing such person to serve as a 135
firefighter; 136
(iv) A current, valid certificate confirming 137
successful completion of any ongoing training requirements; or 138
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(v) For all public safety personnel, a certificate 139
of verification signed by the individual's supervisor or employer 140
verifying that such individual is currently employed full-time as 141
public safety personnel and trained and authorized by law or rule 142
to render emergency medical assistance or treatment; 143
(b) Meets all admission requirements of the institution 144
of higher learning of application for enrollment; 145
(c) Has not already earned a baccalaureate degree; 146
(d) Pursues studies leading to a license or 147
certification issued by a training entity accredited or certified 148
by the Department of Health, an associate degree or baccalaureate 149
degree in one (1) of the following academic subject areas: 150
(i) For police officers, eligible subjects include 151
forensic science, fisheries and wildlife, political science, 152
psychology, history, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, global 153
studies, Spanish, journalism, advertising, public relations, 154
nutrition and health sciences, communication sciences and 155
disorders and criminal justice; 156
(ii) For firefighters, paramedics, emergency 157
medical technicians, and advanced emergency medical technicians, 158
eligible subjects include biology, chemistry, biochemistry, 159
microbiology, nutrition and health sciences, communication 160
sciences and disorders, Spanish, advertising, public relations, 161
paramedicine, fire science, fire technology, fire administration, 162
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fire management, communications, homeland security, emergency 163
management, disaster management and crisis management; and 164
(iii) For telecommunicator first responders, 165
eligible subjects include any subject specified in subparagraphs 166
(i) or (ii) of this paragraph; 167
(e) Submits verification of the professional license or 168
certificate and the certificate of verification required by 169
paragraph (a) of this subsection to the board, in a form and 170
manner as prescribed by the board; 171
(f) Files with the board documentation showing proof of 172
employment as public safety personnel and proof of residence in 173
Mississippi each year the individual or the individual's legal 174
dependent applies for and receives the tuition award; 175
(g) First applies for all other forms of federal and 176
state student financial aid before applying for a tuition award, 177
including, but not limited to, filing the United States Department 178
of Education Free Application for Federal Student Aid and, if 179
applicable, applying for financial assistance pursuant to the 180
provisions of 38 USCS Section 3301, et seq.; and 181
(h) Submits a document to the department confirming 182
that the public safety personnel has satisfied the provisions of 183
paragraph (g) of this subsection, to be submitted in a form and 184
manner as prescribed by the board. 185
(2) Public safety personnel may receive the tuition award 186
pursuant to subsection (1) of this section for up to five (5) 187
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years if they otherwise continue to be eligible for the tuition 188
award. The five (5) years of tuition award eligibility starts 189
once the individual applies for and receives the tuition award for 190
the first time and is available to such individual for the next 191
five (5) consecutive years or the individual's achievement of one 192
hundred twenty (120) credit hours, whichever occurs first. 193
(3) Subject to appropriation, a legal dependent of public 194
safety personnel with at least ten (10) years of service shall be 195
entitled to a tuition award worth up to one hundred percent (100%) 196
of the resident tuition charges of an institution of higher 197
education for an associate or baccalaureate degree program if such 198
public safety personnel satisfies the provisions of paragraphs 199
(a), (e) and (f) of subsection (1) of this section and the legal 200
dependent: 201
(a) Executes an agreement with the board committing to 202
the following stipulations: 203
(i) Agrees to reside within the State of 204
Mississippi for a period of five (5) years following the use of 205
the tuition award; 206
(ii) Each year during the five-year period 207
following use of the tuition award, the tuition award recipient 208
agrees to file a state income tax return and provide a copy of 209
such tax return to the board to document that such recipient still 210
resides in the State of Mississippi; 211
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(iii) Failure of the tuition award recipient to 212
annually file a tax return as proof of residency in the state for 213
the five-year period following the use of the tuition award or 214
failure to remain a resident of Mississippi for the five-year 215
period following the use of the tuition award, converts the 216
tuition award to a loan to such recipient, subject to the 217
following conditions: 218
1. Interest shall be charged on the unpaid 219
balance of the amount received from the date the recipient ceases 220
to reside in Mississippi until the amount received is paid back to 221
the state. The interest rate shall be adjusted annually and shall 222
be equal to one percentage (1%) point over the prevailing United 223
States prime rate in effect on January first of such year; and 224
2. The servicer of such loans shall be the 225
Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board; and 226
(iv) Any residency, filing or payment obligation 227
incurred by the tuition award recipient is canceled in the event 228
of the tuition award recipient's total and permanent disability or 229
death. 230
(b) Has not previously earned a baccalaureate degree; 231
(c) Meets all admission requirements of the institution 232
of higher learning of application for enrollment; 233
(d) First applies for all other forms of federal and 234
state student financial aid before applying for a tuition award, 235
including, but not limited to, filing the United States Department 236
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of Education Free Application for Federal Student Aid and, if 237
applicable, applying for financial assistance pursuant to the 238
provisions of 38 USCS Section 3301, et seq.; 239
(e) Submits a document to the department confirming 240
that the legal dependent has satisfied paragraph (d) of this 241
subsection, to be submitted in a form and manner as prescribed by 242
the board; 243
(f) Submits the verification required pursuant to 244
Section 5 of this act to the department; and 245
(g) Pursues studies leading to a license or 246
certification issued by a training entity accredited or certified 247
by the Department of Health, an associate degree or baccalaureate 248
degree in any one (1) of the subject areas specified in subsection 249
(1)(d)(i), (ii) and (iii) of this section. 250
(4) A legal dependent may receive the tuition award for up 251
to five (5) years if the public safety personnel and the legal 252
dependent continue to be eligible for such tuition award. The 253
five (5) years of tuition award eligibility starts once the legal 254
dependent applies for and receives the tuition award for the first 255
time and is available to such legal dependent for the next five 256
(5) consecutive years or the legal dependent's achievement of one 257
hundred twenty (120) credit hours, whichever occurs first. 258
SECTION 4. (1) The tuition award shall be worth up to one 259
hundred percent (100%) of the public safety personnel's or the 260
legal dependent's tuition remaining due after subtracting awarded 261
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federal financial aid grants and state scholarships and grants for 262
the eligible public safety personnel or legal dependent during the 263
time the public safety personnel or legal dependent is enrolled. 264
To remain eligible, the public safety personnel or legal dependent 265
shall comply with all requirements of the institution for 266
continued attendance and award of an associate degree or a 267
baccalaureate degree. 268
(2) In the case of tuition at an approved private 269
institution, the tuition award shall be worth up to one hundred 270
percent (100%) of the public safety personnel's or the legal 271
dependent's tuition remaining due after subtracting awarded 272
federal financial aid grants and state scholarships and grants for 273
the eligible public safety personnel or legal dependent during the 274
time the public safety personnel or legal dependent is enrolled, 275
up to a maximum amount that is equal to the total cost of tuition 276
and mandatory fees charged to a Mississippi resident at the public 277
community or junior college, state college or state university 278
with the highest combined tuition and mandatory fee cost in the 279
state at the time a tuition grant is awarded, as determined by the 280
board. A private institution that chooses to accept as a tuition 281
payment any tuition award money pursuant to this subdivision shall 282
not charge the recipient of the tuition award any tuition that 283
exceeds the maximum combined tuition and mandatory fee cost as 284
determined by the board prior to the application of the tuition 285
award. 286
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SECTION 5. (1) An application for a tuition award shall 287
include a verification of the public safety personnel's 288
satisfaction of the requirements of Section 3(1)(a),(e) and (f) of 289
this act. The public safety personnel shall include such 290
verification when he or she or his or her legal dependent is 291
applying to the department for a tuition waiver. 292
(2) The death of public safety personnel in the line of duty 293
which occurs after submission of an application for a tuition 294
award shall not disqualify such individual's otherwise eligible 295
legal dependent from receiving the tuition award. In such case, 296
in lieu of submitting the certificate of verification provided for 297
in subsection (1) of this section, the legal dependent shall 298
submit a statement attesting that: 299
(a) At the time of death, such public safety personnel 300
satisfied the requirements of subsection (1) of this section; and 301
(b) The public safety personnel died in the line of 302
duty. 303
SECTION 6. The board shall provide a tuition award to public 304
safety personnel and legal dependents who satisfy the provisions 305
of this act, if applicable, and apply for an open seat at an 306
institution of higher education, but shall not provide a tuition 307
award if doing so would require the institution to create 308
additional seats exceeding class, course or program capacity. 309
SECTION 7. All applicants for a tuition award shall submit 310
their applications to the board no later than December 15 311
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annually. No later than March 1 annually, the board shall send 312
written notice of the applicant's eligibility or ineligibility for 313
the tuition award and state whether the application has been 314
approved or denied. If the applicant is determined not to be 315
eligible for the tuition award, the notice shall include the 316
reason or reasons for such determination. If the application is 317
denied, the notice shall include the reason or reasons for the 318
denial. 319
SECTION 8. (1) There is created in the State Treasury the 320
"Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Fund", which shall 321
consist of monies appropriated by the Legislature or any gifts, 322
donations, or bequests for the purpose of implementing the 323
provisions of this act. The State Treasurer shall be custodian of 324
the fund, and may approve disbursements. The fund shall be a 325
dedicated fund and money in the fund shall be used solely by the 326
Postsecondary Educational Financial Assistance Board for the 327
purpose of granting tuition awards as provided in this act. 328
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary, any 329
monies remaining in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall 330
not lapse to the credit of the general fund. The funds shall 331
remain inviolate and the State Treasurer shall invest monies in 332
the fund in the same manner as other funds are invested. Any 333
interest and monies earned on such investments shall be credited 334
to the fund. 335
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SECTION 9. (1) In any year in which monies in the public 336
safety recruitment and retention fund are insufficient to fully 337
fund tuition awards for all eligible applicants, tuition awards 338
shall be awarded in the following order of priority; provided, 339
that, in the event of a tie in eligibility, available funds shall 340
be distributed on a pro rata basis: 341
(a) Priority class one shall include public safety 342
personnel, in the following order: 343
(i) Public safety personnel in departments located 344
wholly or partially in counties or cities not within a county with 345
the highest crime rate per capita, as determined by the most 346
recent uniform crime reporting statistics from the Federal Bureau 347
of Investigation; and 348
(ii) Public safety personnel with the most years 349
of service; and 350
(b) Priority class two shall include dependents of 351
public safety personnel, in the following order: 352
(i) Dependents of public safety personnel in 353
departments located wholly or partially in counties or cities not 354
within a county with the highest crime rate per capita, as 355
determined by the most recent uniform crime reporting statistics 356
from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and 357
(ii) Dependents of public safety personnel with 358
the most years of service. 359
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ST: "Public Safety Recruitment and Retention
Act"; create to provide college tuition awards
to certain public safety personnel and their
legal dependents.
(2) The tuition awards provided for in this act are subject 360
to appropriation. If there are no monies in the fund established 361
in Section 8 of this act, no tuition awards shall be granted. 362
SECTION 10. This act shall take effect and be in force from 363
and after July 1, 2026. 364