Bill Text: MS HB1574 | 2026 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Teachers education; require partnership between community colleges and 4-year colleges to facilitate streamlined process to degree.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Failed) 2026-02-03 - Died In Committee [HB1574 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2026-HB1574-Introduced.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2026 Regular Session
To: Universities and Colleges
By: Representative Sanford
House Bill 1574
AN ACT TO FACILITATE IN THE EDUCATION OF PERSONS DESIRING TO PURSUE A CAREER IN TEACHING BY REQUIRING COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGE PRESIDENTS TO SECURE PARTNERSHIPS WITH FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES; TO REQUIRE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS TO PROVIDE FOR THE STREAMLINED TRANSFER OF CREDITS FROM A COMMUNITY OR JUNIOR COLLEGE TO A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY; TO ENCOURAGE THE COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGES TO PURSUE AGREEMENTS WITH AT LEAST ONE DEGREE-GRANTING INSTITUTION OFFERING CLASSES IN THE COMMUNITY OR JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT; TO REQUIRE A PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT TO BE REDUCED TO A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. (1) The purpose of this act is to facilitate the education and teacher training of persons in this state desiring to pursue a career in education, particularly in those geographical and subject-matter areas in which there exists a critical shortage, in efforts to reverse the growing shortage of teachers by creating an affordable and streamlined path to attaining a bachelor's degree in teacher education.
(2) The president of each community and junior college shall take such steps as may be necessary to enter into a partnership agreement with one or more colleges or universities, whether public or private, which offer a teacher education program approved by the Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education, Certification and Licensure and Development. The agreement must be designed to streamline credit transfer from the community or junior college to the four-year university or college, ensuring that a student's general education credits are accepted towards a teacher training program or other four-year degree that will allow the student to pursue a career in teaching, thereby reducing the time and cost required to earn a bachelor's degree.
(3) A community or junior college may enter into as many partnership agreements under this section as desirable so that a student enrolled in the community or junior college has options when selecting an institution from which the student will earn a bachelor's degree. In order to make the bachelor's degree program as feasible as possible, community and junior college presidents are encouraged to pursue a partnership agreement with at least one (1) four-year institution having a campus or offering appropriate classes in the area comprising the community or junior college district.
(4) A partnership agreement entered into between a community or junior college and a four-year degree granting education shall be reduced to writing in a Memorandum of Understanding executed by the two (2) institutions involved.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026.
