Bill Text: MS HB606 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: High School Activities and Athletics Monitor; require State Superintendent of Public Education to employ.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-15 - Referred To Education [HB606 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2025-HB606-Introduced.html

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MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2025 Regular Session

To: Education

By: Representative Bell (21st)

House Bill 606

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-3-11, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION TO EMPLOY HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND ATHLETICS MONITOR; TO PROVIDE THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MONITOR; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

     SECTION 1.  Section 37-3-11, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     37-3-11.  The State Superintendent of Public Education shall perform the duties assigned to him by the State Board of Education, and he shall have the following duties:

          (a)  To serve as secretary for the State Board of Education;

          (b)  To be the chief administrative officer of the State Department of Education;

          (c)  To recommend to the State Board of Education, for its consideration, rules and regulations for the supervision of the public schools and agricultural high schools of the school districts throughout the state and for the efficient organization and conduct of the same;

          (d)  To collect data and make it available to the state board for determining the proper distribution of the total funding formula funds;

          (e)  To keep a complete record of all official acts of the State Superintendent and the acts of the State Board of Education;

          (f)  To prepare, have printed and furnish all officers charged with the administration of the laws pertaining to the public schools, such blank forms and books as may be necessary to the proper discharge of their duties, which printing is to be paid for out of funds provided by the Legislature;

          (g)  To have printed in pamphlet form the laws pertaining to the public schools and publish therein forms for conducting school business, the rules and regulations for the government of schools that the State Superintendent or the State Board of Education may recommend, and such other matters as may be deemed worthy of public interest pertaining to the public schools, which printing is to be paid for out of funds provided by the Legislature;

          (h)  To meet all superintendents annually at such time and place as the State Superintendent shall appoint for the purpose of accumulating facts relative to schools, to review the educational progress made in the various sections of the state, to compare views, discuss problems, hear discussions and suggestions relative to examinations and qualifications of teachers, methods of instruction, textbooks, summer schools for teachers, visitation of schools, consolidation of schools, health work in the schools, vocational education and other matters pertaining to the public school system;

          (i)  To advise all superintendents upon all matters involving the welfare of the schools, and at the request of any superintendent, to give an opinion upon a written statement of facts on all questions and controversies arising out of the interpretation and construction of the school laws, in regard to rights, powers and duties of school officers and superintendents, and to keep a record of all such decisions.  Before giving any opinion, the superintendent may submit the statement of facts to the Attorney General, and it shall be the duty of the Attorney General forthwith to examine such statement and suggest the proper decision to be made upon such fact;

          (j)  To require annually, and as often as the State Superintendent may deem proper, of all superintendents, detailed reports on the educational business of the various districts;

          (k)  On or before January 10 in each year to prepare, under the direction of the State Board of Education, the annual information report of the State Department of Education as described in Section 37-151-97;

          (l)  To determine the number of educable children in the several school districts under rules and regulations prescribed by the State Board of Education; * * *and

          (m)  To perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the State Board of Education * * *.; and

          (n)  (i)  To employ a High School Activities and Athletics Monitor who shall be responsible for reviewing and assessing activities of any organization that regulates student participation in athletics and other extracurricular activities.

              (ii)  The monitor shall have access to all files and records of any school district and association which oversees activities and athletics.  The monitor shall regularly audit the amounts of gate receipts transferred to any association and any funds paid to the association by school districts or by corporations and booster organizations for the benefit of school districts.  The monitor shall also review bylaws and policies of such organization for inconsistent application and shall have access to any proceedings where a student may be sanctioned for violation of rules.  The monitor shall annually, no later than December 15, file a report with the State Superintendent of Public Education and the chairperson of the House and Senate Education Committees.

     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2025.

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