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Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

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SB2045 • 2026

Study committee; authorize to study student loan debt in Mississippi.

AN ACT TO CREATE A STUDY COMMITTEE TO STUDY THE IMPACT AND SOCIETAL EFFECT OF STUDENT LOAN DEBT IN MISSISSIPPI; TO ESTABLISH THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE STUDY COMMITTEE; TO PROVIDE PROCEDURES FOR THE STUDY COMMITTEE; TO REQUIRE THE STUDY COMMITTEE TO FILE A REPORT WITH THE LEGISLATURE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Education
Did Not Pass

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

Sponsor
Boyd
Last action
2026-02-03
Official status
Dead
Effective date
Passage

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not specify that state agencies will provide support, only that they must provide requested facilities, assistance, information, and data upon request from the chairman of the study committee.

Create a Study Committee to Look at Student Loan Debt

This bill creates a study committee to examine the impact of student loan debt on Mississippi residents and report findings to lawmakers.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a study committee to look into how student loans affect people in Mississippi.
  • Lists who will be part of this committee, including leaders from education and finance departments.
  • Requires the committee to make rules for meetings and decide on officers like a chairman.
  • Asks the committee to finish their work by December 1, 2026, and give a report to lawmakers.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who have student loans in Mississippi
  • Educators and financial aid officers involved in the study

Terms To Know

Study Committee
A group of people chosen to look into a specific topic, like student loan debt.
Quorum
The minimum number of committee members needed for meetings and decisions.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This bill did not pass in the session it was introduced.
  • It does not provide funding for the study committee's work.
  • The exact recommendations from the committee are unknown as it never completed its task.

Bill History

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

    02/03 (S) Died In Committee

  2. 2026-01-08 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/08 (S) Referred To Universities and Colleges

Official Summary Text

Study committee; authorize to study student loan debt in Mississippi.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
S. B. No. 2045 *SS08/R497* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/SS08/R497
PAGE 1 (aa\kr)

To: Universities and
Colleges
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Boyd

SENATE BILL NO. 2045

AN ACT TO CREATE A STUDY COMMITTEE TO STUDY THE IMPACT AND 1
SOCIETAL EFFECT OF STUDENT LOAN DEBT IN MISSISSIPPI; TO ESTABLISH 2
THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE STUDY COMMITTEE; TO PROVIDE PROCEDURES FOR 3
THE STUDY COMMITTEE; TO REQUIRE THE STUDY COMMITTEE TO FILE A 4
REPORT WITH THE LEGISLATURE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 6
SECTION 1. (1) The Legislature finds that: 7
(a) The Legislature acknowledges that data shows a 8
distressing reality concerning debt, particularly with regard to 9
student loans. At fifty-six percent (56%), Mississippi's 10
debt-to-income ratio is the worst in the nation. Additionally, 11
Mississippi has the second-highest delinquency rate in the nation 12
at over twenty-two percent (22%), more than six percentage points 13
higher than the national average; 14
(b) At over fifteen percent (15%), Mississippi is tied 15
with Georgia as one of the states where residents are most likely 16
to have student loan debt. Over 452,700 Mississippians carry 17
student loan debt at an average of $37,552.00, which is 18
significantly higher than the national average; 19
S. B. No. 2045 *SS08/R497* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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PAGE 2 (aa\kr)

(c) Student loan debt often prevents home ownership. 20
Each One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) in debt reduces home 21
ownership rates by 1.8 percentage points; 22
(d) Over twenty-three percent (23%) of Mississippi 23
teachers owe over Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), which 24
exceeds the average teacher salary. As a result, teachers with 25
student debt are ten (10) percentage points more likely to leave 26
the profession; and 27
(e) The State of Mississippi has an interest in 28
ensuring its citizens manage debt responsibly. 29
(2) There is hereby created a study committee for the 30
purpose of studying the impact and societal effect of student loan 31
debt in the State of Mississippi and to develop a recommendation 32
to the Legislature relative to decreasing student loan debt in the 33
State of Mississippi. 34
(3) The members of the study committee shall be as follows: 35
(a) The Chairmen of the Universities and Colleges 36
Committees of the Mississippi State Senate and the Mississippi 37
House of Representatives, or their designees; 38
(b) The Chairman of the Economic and Workforce 39
Development Committee of the Mississippi State Senate and the 40
Chairman of the Workforce Development Committee of the House of 41
Representatives, or their designees; 42
(c) The Mississippi State Treasurer, or his or her 43
designee; 44
S. B. No. 2045 *SS08/R497* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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PAGE 3 (aa\kr)

(d) The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the State 45
Institutions of Higher Learning, or his or her designee; 46
(e) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Community 47
College Board, or his or her designee; 48
(f) The Director of the Mississippi Office of Student 49
Financial Aid, or his or her designee; 50
(g) The Deputy Director of the Mississippi Office of 51
Student Financial Aid, or his or her designee; 52
(h) The Executive Director of Accelerate Mississippi, 53
or his or her designee; 54
(i) The Executive Director of the Office of Workforce 55
Development, or his or her designee; 56
(j) One (1) member appointed by the Lieutenant 57
Governor; and 58
(k) One (1) member appointed by the Speaker of the 59
House. 60
(4) Appointments to the study committee shall be made within 61
thirty (30) days of the effective date of this act. At the first 62
meeting, the committee shall elect from among its membership a 63
chairman, a vice chairman and any other officers determined to be 64
necessary, and shall adopt rules for transacting business and 65
keeping records. 66
(5) A majority of the members of the study committee shall 67
constitute a quorum. The study committee shall develop and report 68
its findings and recommendations to the Legislature on or before 69
S. B. No. 2045 *SS08/R497* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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PAGE 4 (aa\kr)
ST: Study committee; authorize to study student
loan debt in Mississippi.
December 1, 2026. In the adoption of rules, resolutions and 70
reports, and in the election of a chairman, vice chairman and any 71
other officers determined to be necessary, an affirmative vote of 72
a majority of the members present shall be required. 73
(6) The PEER Committee shall provide the staff and other 74
support necessary for the study committee to perform its duties. 75
(7) To effectuate the purposes of this act, any department, 76
division, board, bureau, committee, institution or agency of the 77
state, or any political subdivision thereof, shall, at the request 78
of the chairman of the study committee, provide the facilities, 79
assistance, information and data needed to enable the study 80
committee to carry out its duties. 81
(8) Upon the presentation of its report, the study committee 82
shall be dissolved. 83
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 84
and after its passage. 85