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To: Education;
Appropriations
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Mumford, Frazier, Jackson
SENATE BILL NO. 2502
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-14-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
AUTHORIZE AND DIRECT THE OFFICE OF HEALTHY SCHOOLS OF THE STATE 2
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ESTABLISH SCHOOL-BASED CLINICS IN THE 3
PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT TO PROMULGATE 4
STANDARDS FOR SUCH CLINICS WHICH SHALL INCLUDE THE EMPLOYMENT AND 5
ASSIGNMENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL NURSES ON SITE AT EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL 6
AT LEAST TWO DAYS A WEEK DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, TO DIRECT THE 7
DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP A MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE FOR SCHOOL NURSES 8
BASED ON THEIR EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE THAT ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS 9
SHALL USE WHEN EMPLOYING SCHOOL NURSES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 10
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 11
SECTION 1. Section 37-14-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 12
amended as follows: 13
37-14-3. (1) Effective July 1, 2026, subject to specific 14
appropriation therefor by the Legislature, the Office of Healthy 15
Schools of the State Department of Education shall promulgate 16
reasonable rules and regulations to define school-based clinics 17
and school nurse programs and responsibilities and to establish 18
standards for school-based clinics in the public school districts 19
with at least one (1) clinic to be located in each school 20
district. School-based clinics shall include the employment and 21
assignment of public school nurses on-site regulated by the 22
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Mississippi Nurse Practice Act under which national standards 23
recommend one (1) nurse available for every seven hundred fifty 24
(750) students. Public School Districts may increase school nurse 25
numbers through grants and available Medicaid funding. 26
( * * *2) The State Department of Education is designated as 27
the state agency responsible for the administration and 28
supervision of the school nurse program as an education and 29
wellness curriculum in the public schools of the State of 30
Mississippi. The public school nurse program administered by the 31
State Department of Education shall be known and may be cited as 32
the "Mary Kirkpatrick Haskell-Mary Sprayberry Public School Nurse 33
Program." It is the intent of the Legislature that all funds made 34
available to the State Department of Education for the purpose of 35
employing school nurses shall be administered by the State 36
Department of Education. 37
( * * *3) The State Department of Education, through the 38
Office of Healthy Schools, shall develop standards, procedures and 39
criteria for the public school nurse programs in Kindergarten 40
through Grade 12. The Office of Healthy Schools of the State 41
Department of Education shall assume the responsibility for 42
promoting a statewide school nurse program designed to prepare 43
local school districts to incorporate the school program into 44
their local educational programs. 45
( * * *4) From and after July 1, 2007, the School Nurse 46
Intervention Program administered and funded by the State 47
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Department of Health shall be transferred to the Office of Healthy 48
Schools of the State Department of Education. Any administrative 49
personnel employed by the State Department of Health for the 50
administration of school nurses under the School Nurse 51
Intervention Program may be considered for employment by the 52
Office of Healthy Schools of the State Department of Education for 53
the purpose of coordinating the employment of school nurses in the 54
school districts. Any administrative personnel formerly employed 55
by the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, Inc., for the 56
administration of school nurses in the public schools may be 57
considered for employment by the Office of Healthy Schools of the 58
State Department of Education for the purpose of coordinating the 59
employment of school nurses in the school districts. All records 60
and unexpended balances of accounts in the School Nurse 61
Intervention Program relating to the employment of school nurses 62
shall be transferred to the Office of Healthy Schools in the State 63
Department of Education in accordance with the transfer of 64
responsibility under this chapter. 65
( * * *5) The nurses in the Mary Kirkpatrick Haskell-Mary 66
Sprayberry Public School Nurse Program shall have the following 67
specific responsibilities: 68
(a) Serve as the coordinator of the health services 69
program and provide nursing care; 70
(b) Provide health education to students; 71
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(c) Implement activities to promote health and prevent 72
tobacco, alcohol and substance use and abuse; 73
(d) Identify health and safety concerns in the school 74
environment and promote a nurturing social environment; 75
(e) Administer medications and help students manage 76
their health problems; 77
(f) Support healthy food services programs; 78
(g) Promote healthy physical education, sports policies 79
and practices; 80
(h) Promote dropout prevention programs; and 81
(i) Participate in allied health programs to introduce 82
students to health careers. 83
( * * *6) The Office of Healthy Schools of the State 84
Department of Education shall provide resources to all public 85
school nurses so that those schools with school nurses will be 86
prepared to provide health education in Mississippi schools and 87
support the Mississippi Comprehensive Health Framework, 88
Mississippi Physical Education Framework, Wellness Policy, 89
coordinated approach to school health, and other resources 90
required by the State Board of Education. 91
( * * *7) In administering the Mary Kirkpatrick Haskell-Mary 92
Sprayberry Public School Nurse Program, the Office of Healthy 93
Schools of the State Department of Education shall perform the 94
following duties: 95
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(a) Execute any contracts, agreements or other 96
documents with any governmental agency or any person, corporation, 97
association, partnership or other organization or entity that are 98
necessary to accomplish the purposes of this chapter; 99
(b) Receive grants or any other contributions made to 100
the State Board of Education to be used for specific purposes 101
related to the goals of this chapter; 102
(c) Submit to the State Auditor any financial records 103
that are necessary for the Auditor to perform an annual audit of 104
the commission as required by law; 105
(d) Adopt any rules or regulations that are necessary 106
to carry out the purposes of this chapter; 107
(e) Develop criteria to measure the effectiveness of a 108
school nurse; 109
(f) Communicate to superintendents and principals how 110
to maximize the effectiveness of a public school nurse; 111
(g) * * * Effective July 1, 2026, the Office of Healthy 112
Schools shall develop a salary schedule for school nurses based on 113
their education and experience that all school districts shall use 114
when employing school nurses, which schedule shall be the minimum 115
salary amounts paid to those school nurses; 116
(h) Communicate to superintendents, principals and 117
other appropriate school officials regarding the statutes and 118
regulations prohibiting the use of tobacco by school personnel on 119
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ST: School-based clinics and school nurses;
direct State Department of Education to
establish minimum standards and salary schedule.
school property and at school events, and to monitor the 120
effectiveness of this ban; 121
(i) Implement policies to reduce unnecessary paperwork 122
by public school nurses; and 123
(j) Take any other actions that are necessary to carry 124
out the purposes of this chapter. 125
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 126
and after July 1, 2026. 127