School resource officers; authorize local law enforcement agencies to enter into agreement with independent nonpublic schools to provide.

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To: Education
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Calvert

HOUSE BILL NO. 977

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WITH 1
PRIMARY LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY OF ALL PUBLIC AND NONPUBLIC 2
SCHOOLS WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTION TO ENTER INTO MEMORANDUMS OF 3
UNDERSTANDING WITH INDEPENDENT NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS TO EMPLOY LAW 4
ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AS SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS (SROS) AT SUCH 5
SCHOOLS; TO SPECIFY THE TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR INDIVIDUALS 6
SERVING AS SROS AT INDEPENDENT NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS AND CONSEQUENCES 7
FOR NONCOMPLIANCE WITH TRAINING REQUIREMENTS; TO AMEND SECTIONS 8
21-19-49 AND 17-25-11, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, IN CONFORMITY 9
THERETO; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 10
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 11
SECTION 1. (1) Local law enforcement agencies having 12
primary law enforcement authority over all public and nonpublic 13
schools within their jurisdiction, in conjunction with the 14
governing boards of independent nonpublic schools within the State 15
of Mississippi, through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), 16
signed by the law enforcement executive and the appropriate school 17
official(s), shall employ individuals to serve as school resource 18
officers (SROs) at independent nonpublic schools, under the 19
authority of Section 21-19-49(2), provided that the MOU shall 20
require a minimum of one (1) school resource officer to be 21
assigned to each independent nonpublic school campus operating 22
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under the authority and control of the governing board of the 23
independent nonpublic school. 24
(2) Any person employed, under the authority of Section 25
21-19-49(2), by the governing board of the independent nonpublic 26
school as a security guard or school resource officer (SRO) or in 27
any other position that has the powers of a peace officer, who is 28
not a sworn law enforcement officer, must receive a minimum level 29
of basic law enforcement training, as determined and prescribed by 30
the Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training, 31
within two (2) years of the person's initial employment in such 32
position. The failure of any person employed in such position to 33
receive the required training within the designated time will 34
result in the withdrawal of that person's authority to exercise 35
the powers of a peace officer in or on the property of the 36
independent nonpublic school. 37
(3) For purposes of this section, the following terms shall 38
have the meanings ascribed in this subsection unless context of 39
use requires otherwise: 40
(a) "Independent nonpublic school" means a nonpublic 41
school operating within the State of Mississippi that: 42
(i) Is a member of the Midsouth Association of 43
Independent Schools (MAIS) and located in the State of 44
Mississippi; 45
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(ii) Is accredited by a state, regional or 46
national accrediting organization, including the State Board of 47
Education; and 48
(iii) Is not subject to the purview of authority 49
of the State Board of Education, unless such school is accredited 50
by the board. 51
(b) "Governing board" means the board or other 52
governing body of an accredited independent nonpublic school, as 53
such governing body is prescribed in the charter, bylaws or other 54
governing documents of the independent nonpublic school. 55
(c) "School resource officer" or "SRO" means a sworn 56
law enforcement officer employed by a local law enforcement agency 57
and assigned to independent nonpublic elementary or secondary 58
school campuses to provide community policing efforts to combat 59
school violence and improve student and school safety in or on the 60
property of the school campus to which he or she is assigned. 61
SECTION 2. Section 21-19-49, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 62
amended as follows: 63
21-19-49. (1) The governing authority of any municipality 64
or the board of supervisors of any county are hereby authorized 65
and empowered to appropriate money or dedicate and convey 66
municipally-owned buildings and property or county-owned buildings 67
and property, as the case may be, to the school district or 68
districts situated within that municipality or county for the 69
purpose of erecting, purchasing or otherwise providing the school 70
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building or a site for such school building of such school 71
district, in cases where the governing authority or board of 72
supervisors are of the opinion that the location of such school 73
building within the corporate limits of the municipality or the 74
county, or in close proximity thereto, will be of special benefit 75
to the inhabitants of the municipality or county. 76
(2) Municipalities, municipal police departments and the 77
sheriffs' departments may contract with the school board of any 78
school district or the governing board of any independent 79
nonpublic school to provide additional Law Enforcement Officers 80
Training Academy-certified police protection to said school 81
district or independent nonpublic school on such terms and for 82
such reimbursement as the school district or independent nonpublic 83
school and the entity may agree in their discretion. 84
(3) (a) The governing authority of any municipality or the 85
board of supervisors of any county may allow off-duty municipal or 86
county law enforcement officers who are hired individually for 87
security purposes by the school district * * *, districts or 88
nonpublic schools within that municipality or county to use 89
municipal or county law enforcement uniforms and equipment, which 90
includes vehicles, during such off-duty employment. 91
(b) If the person or entity, and the person's or 92
entity's insurer, fails or refuses to endorse, indemnify and hold 93
harmless the employing jurisdiction, the employing jurisdiction 94
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shall not approve the use of the official vehicle of the employing 95
jurisdiction for private security services. 96
(4) The governing authority of any municipality, in its 97
discretion, may donate funds, equipment or in-kind services to any 98
school district or independent nonpublic school located within the 99
boundaries of the municipality to assist the voluntary character 100
development or public service programs of that school district or 101
independent nonpublic school. 102
SECTION 3. Section 17-25-11, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 103
amended as follows: 104
17-25-11. (1) Certified law enforcement officers or 105
certified part-time law enforcement officers, as defined in 106
Section 45-6-3, who are employed by a county, municipality or the 107
Department of Public Safety may wear the official uniform and may 108
utilize the official firearm and the official vehicle issued by 109
the employing jurisdiction while in the performance of private 110
security services in off-duty hours. The governing authority of a 111
municipality must approve of such use of the uniform, official 112
weapon and vehicle by municipal law enforcement officers by act 113
spread upon the minutes of such board and approved by the chief 114
executive. The sheriff of a county must approve such use of the 115
uniform, official weapon and vehicle by deputy sheriffs. The 116
Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety must approve such 117
use of the uniform, official weapon and vehicle by officers of the 118
department. Approval shall be on an employee-by-employee basis 119
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and not by general order. Any proceedings regarding application 120
or approval and the minutes regarding same shall be a public 121
record. 122
(2) Each governing board and chief executive, sheriff or the 123
Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety shall determine 124
before the use of the official uniform, weapon and vehicle is 125
approved that the proposed employment is not likely to bring 126
disrepute to the employing jurisdiction or its law enforcement 127
agency, the officer at issue, or law enforcement generally, and 128
that the use of the official uniform, weapon and vehicle in the 129
discharge of the officer's private security endeavor promotes the 130
public interest. 131
(3) (a) Acts and omissions of an officer in discharge of 132
private security employment shall be deemed to be the acts and 133
omissions of the person or entity who hires or enters into any 134
independent contractual service agreement with an officer for the 135
private security services, and not the acts and omissions of the 136
employing jurisdiction whose uniform, weapon and vehicle are 137
approved for the private security use. 138
(b) The person or entity, and the person's or entity's 139
insurer, who hires or enters into any independent contractual 140
service agreement with an officer for private security services 141
shall: 142
(i) Hold harmless the employing jurisdiction and 143
fully indemnify the employing jurisdiction for any expense or 144
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loss, including attorney's fees and any damage to the official 145
vehicle, which results from any action taken against the employing 146
jurisdiction arising out of the acts or omissions of the officer 147
in discharge of private security services while wearing the 148
official uniform or using the official weapon or vehicle; and 149
(ii) Name the employing jurisdiction as a named 150
insured on its general liability and automobile liability policies 151
for at least the amount of recovery provided for in Section 152
11-46-15 for any damage to the official vehicle. 153
(c) If the person or entity, and the person's or 154
entity's insurer, fails or refuses to endorse, indemnify and hold 155
harmless the employing jurisdiction, the employing jurisdiction 156
shall not approve the use of the official vehicle of the employing 157
jurisdiction for private security services. 158
(d) Neither the state nor any subdivision thereof shall 159
be liable for a claim or injury arising from the acts or omissions 160
of an officer in the discharge of any private security employment 161
duties under this section, including travel to and from private 162
security employment duties in the official vehicle. 163
(e) The provisions of paragraphs (a) through (d) of 164
this subsection shall not apply to any municipal or county law 165
enforcement officers employed in the capacity as school resource 166
officer at a nonpublic school under the authority granted to 167
municipalities, municipal police departments and sheriffs' 168
departments to contract with the school board of any school 169
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ST: School resource officers; authorize local
law enforcement agencies to enter into agreement
with independent nonpublic schools to provide.
district or the governing board of any independent nonpublic 170
school for such services as prescribed in Section 21-19-49(2). 171
(4) Certified police officers performing private jobs during 172
their off-duty hours are required to notify the appropriate law 173
enforcement agency of the place of employment, the hours to be 174
worked, and the type of employment. 175
(5) The official uniform, weapon and vehicle may be worn and 176
utilized only at locations which are within the jurisdiction of 177
the governmental entity whose uniform, weapon and vehicle are 178
involved. 179
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from 180
and after July 1, 2026. 181