Bill Text: MS HB893 | 2026 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Autistic and children with development disabilities; require school district to develop safety plan to prevent elopement from school campuses.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 3)
Status: (Failed) 2026-02-03 - Died In Committee [HB893 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2026-HB893-Introduced.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2026 Regular Session
To: Education
By: Representative Yancey
House Bill 893
AN ACT TO DEFINE DISABILITY AND ELOPEMENT FOR PURPOSES OF ENSURING STUDENT SAFETY IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS; TO REQUIRE EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL TO ESTABLISH A SCHOOL STAFF ASSISTANCE FOR EMERGENCIES (SAFE) TEAM AND TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL ELOPEMENT PLAN FOR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER OR INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES WHO ARE AT RISK OF ELOPEMENT; TO REQUIRE PROCEDURES FOR IMMEDIATE PARENTAL NOTIFICATION, COORDINATED ON-CAMPUS RESPONSE, AND LIMITED USE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES BASED ON VERIFIED RISK; TO PRESCRIBE THE COMPOSITION AND DUTIES OF THE SAFE TEAM, INCLUDING PLAN DEVELOPMENT, RESPONSE COORDINATION AND ANNUAL TRAINING OF SCHOOL PERSONNEL; TO REQUIRE THE DEVELOPMENT, MAINTENANCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF INDIVIDUALIZED STUDENT ELOPEMENT QUICK REFERENCE GUIDES IN COORDINATION WITH PARENTS OR GUARDIANS, INCLUDING IDENTIFYING INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION NEEDS, HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS, BEHAVIORAL PROFILES, POTENTIAL LOCATIONS AND AVAILABLE LOCATING TECHNOLOGIES; TO REQUIRE ANNUAL SUBMISSION OF EACH SCHOOL'S ELOPEMENT PLAN TO THE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD; TO AUTHORIZE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO PROMULGATE RULES NECESSARY FOR IMPLEMENTATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. (1) For purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the meanings herein ascribe, unless context of use clearly requires otherwise:
(a) "Disability" means, for a student in kindergarten
through Grade 12, an autism spectrum disorder, as defined in the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth
Edition, published by the American Psychiatric Association or
an intellectual disability.
(b) "Elopement" means when a student with autism or
another disability, who has a documented history of elopement or
an identified safety risk related to elopement, leaves a safe or
designated area, the supervision of school staff or school
grounds without authorization or awareness of potential risk.
The term may include wandering, walking away, running away or
otherwise departing an assigned location unsupervised or
unnoticed. This term only applies when the behavior is connected
to the student's disability-related needs and poses a safety
concern. The term does not include intentional class skipping or
other nondisability-related absences.
(2) To ensure the safety of students with disabilities at
risk of elopement, each public school shall create a School
Staff Assistance for Emergencies (SAFE) Team and a school
elopement plan. The plan must include:
(a) Procedures for immediately contacting the student's
parent or guardian if a student with disabilities elopes; and
(b) Procedures for conducting an immediate, coordinated
on-campus search and contacting emergency services only when the
student is reasonably believed, based on verified information or
direct observation, to have left school grounds and to be at
risk of harm.
(3) The school principal and an assistant principal shall
serve on the SAFE Team and the school principal shall appoint at
least three (3) other members to serve on the team, including a school resource officer. The SAFE Team shall:
(a) Create and annually update the school elopement plan and respond to all elopements.
(b) Provide training to all school personnel to
familiarize such personnel with the school elopement plan and
all necessary procedures.
(4) (a) If a student with disabilities is prone to
elopement, the SAFE Team, in coordination with the student's
parent, must create a student-specific elopement quick reference
guide. The elopement quick reference guide must include all of
the following:
(i) The student's identifying information;
(ii) A current photograph of the student;
(iii) The student's level of communication;
(iv) A list of the student's interests, behaviors,
preferences and aversions;
(v) Any health considerations for the student;
(vi) A list of any GPS technology that could be used to help locate the student; and
(vii) A list of possible locations where the student may go when eloping.
(b) The SAFE Team must distribute a student's elopement
quick reference guide to the student's parent and all relevant
school personnel.
(5) Each public school must annually provide its elopement plan to the local school board.
(6) The state board may adopt rules to administer this
section.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026.
