Read the full stored bill text
S. B. No. 2417 *SS08/R588PS* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/SS08/R588PS
PAGE 1
To: Economic and Workforce
Development
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Sparks
SENATE BILL NO. 2417
(As Passed the Senate)
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 25-1-98, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
REQUIRE THAT ALL AGENCIES UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THE STATE PERSONNEL 2
BOARD SHALL REPORT TO THE BOARD INFORMATION ABOUT THE INDIVIDUALS 3
WHO PERFORM REMOTE WORK FOR THEIR AGENCIES; TO PROHIBIT THE STATE 4
PERSONNEL BOARD, ABSENT EMERGENCY CIRCUMSTANCES, FROM PROCESSING 5
ANY PERSONNEL ACTIONS WITHIN THE SYSTEM OF RECORD OTHERWISE 6
ALLOWABLE FOR AGENCIES UNDER ITS PURVIEW UNLESS AND UNTIL SUCH 7
AGENCY IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THIS ACT; TO REQUIRE THAT THE STATE 8
PERSONNEL BOARD PROMULGATE RULES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THIS 9
ACT; TO REENACT SUBSECTIONS (2) THROUGH (6) AND REMOVE THE DATE OF 10
REPEAL; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 11
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 12
SECTION 1. Section 25-1-98, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 13
amended as follows: 14
25-1-98. (1) (a) In addition to any other times required 15
by statute, all state offices shall be open and staffed for the 16
normal conduct of business from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday 17
through Friday, except on legal holidays as set forth in Section 18
3-3-7. The Governor may designate certain state offices and 19
institutions as providers of essential services and require that 20
they be open and staffed on legal holidays. The Board of 21
Directors of the Mississippi Industries for the Blind may, in its 22
S. B. No. 2417 *SS08/R588PS* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R588PS
PAGE 2
discretion, require that its offices and operations be open and 23
staffed on legal holidays. Employees required to work on legal 24
holidays shall earn compensatory leave under the provisions of 25
Section 25-3-92. No employee shall receive additional vacation or 26
sick leave benefits for working on a legal holiday, nor shall this 27
section be construed to authorize any additional compensation as 28
an alternative to the accrual of compensatory leave except as 29
specifically provided for in a legislative appropriation. The 30
provisions of this section shall not be construed to limit the 31
hours of operation of any agency or to abrogate any action taken 32
during hours other than those stated, nor shall these provisions 33
apply to any offices that do not customarily stay open five (5) 34
days a week. The provisions of this section shall not apply to 35
the military department of the State of Mississippi or to the 36
armories, field training sites, air bases or other installations 37
of the Mississippi National Guard. 38
(b) A workday for a state employee in a full-time 39
employment position shall be eight (8) hours in duration at a 40
minimum exclusive of time off for meals. The appointing authority 41
shall develop work schedules which ensure that each full-time 42
employee works a full workday and shall provide the State Auditor 43
with a copy of the regular work schedule of the appointing 44
authority. 45
(2) An appointing authority of any state service agency 46
within the meaning of Section 25-9-107 may authorize * * * remote 47
S. B. No. 2417 *SS08/R588PS* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R588PS
PAGE 3
work for one or more of its employees in accordance with a * * * 48
remote work policy, approved by the State Personnel Board, as 49
provided in subsection (3) of this section. 50
(3) In order to implement * * * the remote work policy for 51
one or more of its employees, an appointing authority shall: 52
(a) Determine whether or not * * * remote work is in 53
the best interest of the agency. In doing so, the appointing 54
authority * * * shall seek * * * permission from the State 55
Personnel Board in determining what forms of work activities can 56
be effectively and efficiently managed through a * * * remote work 57
arrangement; 58
(b) Establish procedures to protect any information 59
that is privileged or confidential under state or federal law; 60
(c) Require all * * * remote work employees to sign 61
a * * * remote work agreement that includes their work schedule, 62
provides for supervisory oversight through the review of work 63
product and deliverables on a regular basis, requires the 64
protection of privileged or confidential information that is 65
managed remotely on an agency computer or other devices, 66
establishes protocols for accessibility to coworkers and clients, 67
workplace safety, and any other matters deemed appropriate by the 68
appointing authority; * * * 69
(d) Employees shall be present in the office at least 70
three (3) days per week except if approved by the appropriate 71
governing authority and the State Personnel Board, except for 72
S. B. No. 2417 *SS08/R588PS* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R588PS
PAGE 4
those employees operating under the Americans with Disability Act 73
or any other applicable federal or state law; and 74
( * * *e) Establish work schedules that ensure that 75
some personnel are at the appointing authority's offices to 76
provide direct contact with the public. 77
(4) For purposes of subsections (2) and (3) of this section, 78
the term * * * "remote work" shall mean a work flexibility 79
arrangement under which an employee performs duties, 80
responsibilities, or other authorized activities from an approved 81
worksite other than the location from which the employee would 82
otherwise work. 83
(5) All agencies that allow employees to * * * perform 84
remote work shall report to the State Personnel Board the names of 85
the employees, their job titles, office schedule and * * * remote 86
work schedule, who are performing * * * remote work for their 87
agencies. On or before December 31 of each year, the State 88
Personnel Board shall make a report related to the utilization 89
of * * * remote work policies to the Chairmen of the House and 90
Senate Appropriations Committees, the Accountability, Efficiency 91
and Transparency Committees, and the Joint Legislative Committee 92
on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review. 93
(6) The State Personnel Board * * * shall promulgate rules 94
for the administration of this section which shall be binding upon 95
state service agencies within the meaning of Section 25-9-107. 96
S. B. No. 2417 *SS08/R588PS* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R588PS
PAGE 5
ST: State employee telework policies; reenact
and amend.
(7) Subsections (2) through (6) of this section shall be 97
reenacted and shall stand repealed on July 1, * * * 2029. 98
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 99
and after July 1, 2026, and shall stand repealed on June 30, 2026. 100