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S. B. No. 2494 *SS36/R710PS* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: Education
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) McMahan, Boyd
SENATE BILL NO. 2494
(As Passed the Senate)
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-7-345, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
TO SPECIFY THAT A REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICE AGENCY MAY ENGAGE 2
IN BULK PURCHASING; TO REQUIRE THAT ALL SERVICES BE COMPETITIVELY 3
BID; TO REQUIRE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS IN THE CASE OF PURCHASES 4
OVER THE HIGHEST THRESHOLD; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 6
SECTION 1. Section 37-7-345, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 7
amended as follows: 8
37-7-345. (1) A regional educational service agency * * * 9
may be established in a region of the state when twelve (12) or 10
more school districts determine there are benefits and services 11
that can be derived from the collective and collaborative 12
formation of an agency for the purpose of pooling and leveraging 13
resources for the common benefit of students, teachers, 14
administrators and taxpayers. An educational service agency shall 15
be incorporated in the State of Mississippi and organized under 16
the laws of the State of Mississippi as a nonprofit corporation. 17
The educational service agency shall obtain 501(c)(3) status with 18
the Internal Revenue Service. 19
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(2) The operation and management of the educational service 20
agency shall be the responsibility of a public advisory board 21
composed of the superintendents of schools or their designees from 22
each participating school district. 23
(3) A board of directors shall be elected on an annual basis 24
from the advisory board to oversee the day-to-day operations of 25
the agency. 26
(4) The executive board shall hire an executive director to 27
serve as the executive agent of the board of the regional 28
educational service agency. 29
(5) The board of directors of a regional educational service 30
agency shall have the authority to establish policies for the 31
regional educational service to determine the programs and 32
services to be provided, to employ staff, to prepare and expend 33
the budget, to provide for financing programs and projects of the 34
regional educational service agency, and to annually evaluate the 35
performance of the agency. The board may purchase, hold, encumber 36
and dispose of real property, in the name of the agency, for use 37
as its office or for any educational service provided by the 38
agency. 39
(6) The educational service agency is authorized and 40
empowered to: develop, manage and provide support services and/or 41
programs as determined by the needs of the local school district. 42
Educational service agencies * * * shall: 43
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(a) Act primarily as service agencies in providing 44
services and/or programs as identified and requested by member 45
school districts (services may include, but are not limited to, 46
professional development, instructional materials, educational 47
technology, curriculum development and alternative educational 48
programs); 49
(b) Provide for economy, efficiency and 50
cost-effectiveness in the cooperative delivery and purchase or 51
lease of educational services, materials and products (services 52
may include, but are not limited to, purchasing cooperatives, 53
including bulk purchasing, insurance cooperatives, business 54
manager services, auditing and accounting services, school 55
safety/risk prevention, and data processing and student records). 56
All services shall be competitively bid in accordance with Section 57
31-7-13. In the case of purchases over the highest threshold, a 58
request for proposals shall be done openly to the public. An 59
invite-only bid process shall not be considered competitive. The 60
advertising shall be in accordance with Section 31-7-13 within one 61
or more member districts. This section shall not exclude any 62
school district or community college from exercising the 63
independent rights given in paragraph (dd) or (ww) of Section 37-64
7-301; 65
(c) Provide administrative services (services may 66
include, but are not limited to, communications/public 67
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ST: Regional educational service agencies;
specify authority for bulk purchasing.
information, employee background checks, grants management, 68
printing/publications and internships); 69
(d) Provide educational services through leadership, 70
research and development in elementary and secondary education; 71
(e) Act in a cooperative and supportive role, including 72
contracting, with the Mississippi Department of Education, 73
Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, Mississippi community 74
colleges and other state educational organizations in the 75
development and implementation of long-range plans, strategies and 76
goals for the enhancement of educational opportunities in 77
elementary and secondary education; and 78
(f) Serve, when appropriate and as funds become 79
available, as a repository, clearinghouse and administrator of 80
federal, state, local and private funds on behalf of school 81
districts which choose to participate in special programs, 82
projects or grants in order to enhance the quality of education in 83
Mississippi schools. 84
(7) The State Board of Education shall have the authority to 85
contract with and provide funds to regional educational service 86
agencies for any education-related service. 87
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 88
and after July 1, 2026. 89