Bill Text: MS SB2502 | 2026 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: School-based clinics and school nurses; direct State Department of Education to establish minimum standards and salary schedule.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3)
Status: (Failed) 2026-02-03 - Died In Committee [SB2502 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2026-SB2502-Introduced.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2026 Regular Session
To: Education; Appropriations
By: Senator(s) Mumford, Frazier, Jackson
Senate Bill 2502
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-14-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE AND DIRECT THE OFFICE OF HEALTHY SCHOOLS OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ESTABLISH SCHOOL-BASED CLINICS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT TO PROMULGATE STANDARDS FOR SUCH CLINICS WHICH SHALL INCLUDE THE EMPLOYMENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL NURSES ON SITE AT EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL AT LEAST TWO DAYS A WEEK DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP A MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE FOR SCHOOL NURSES BASED ON THEIR EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE THAT ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL USE WHEN EMPLOYING SCHOOL NURSES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 37-14-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
37-14-3. (1) Effective July 1, 2026, subject to specific appropriation therefor by the Legislature, the Office of Healthy Schools of the State Department of Education shall promulgate reasonable rules and regulations to define school-based clinics and school nurse programs and responsibilities and to establish standards for school-based clinics in the public school districts with at least one (1) clinic to be located in each school district. School-based clinics shall include the employment and assignment of public school nurses on-site regulated by the Mississippi Nurse Practice Act under which national standards recommend one (1) nurse available for every seven hundred fifty (750) students. Public School Districts may increase school nurse numbers through grants and available Medicaid funding.
( * * *2) The State Department of Education
is designated as the state agency responsible for the administration and
supervision of the school nurse program as an education and wellness curriculum
in the public schools of the State of Mississippi. The public school nurse
program administered by the State Department of Education shall be known and
may be cited as the "Mary Kirkpatrick Haskell-Mary Sprayberry Public
School Nurse Program." It is the intent of the Legislature that all funds
made available to the State Department of Education for the purpose of
employing school nurses shall be administered by the State Department of
Education.
( * * *3) The State Department of Education,
through the Office of Healthy Schools, shall develop standards, procedures and
criteria for the public school nurse programs in Kindergarten through Grade
12. The Office of Healthy Schools of the State Department of Education shall
assume the responsibility for promoting a statewide school nurse program
designed to prepare local school districts to incorporate the school program
into their local educational programs.
( * * *4) From and after July 1, 2007, the
School Nurse Intervention Program administered and funded by the State
Department of Health shall be transferred to the Office of Healthy Schools of
the State Department of Education. Any administrative personnel employed by
the State Department of Health for the administration of school nurses under
the School Nurse Intervention Program may be considered for employment by the
Office of Healthy Schools of the State Department of Education for the purpose
of coordinating the employment of school nurses in the school districts. Any
administrative personnel formerly employed by the Partnership for a Healthy
Mississippi, Inc., for the administration of school nurses in the public
schools may be considered for employment by the Office of Healthy Schools of
the State Department of Education for the purpose of coordinating the
employment of school nurses in the school districts. All records and
unexpended balances of accounts in the School Nurse Intervention Program
relating to the employment of school nurses shall be transferred to the Office
of Healthy Schools in the State Department of Education in accordance with the
transfer of responsibility under this chapter.
( * * *5) The nurses in the Mary Kirkpatrick
Haskell-Mary Sprayberry Public School Nurse Program shall have the following
specific responsibilities:
(a) Serve as the coordinator of the health services program and provide nursing care;
(b) Provide health education to students;
(c) Implement activities to promote health and prevent tobacco, alcohol and substance use and abuse;
(d) Identify health and safety concerns in the school environment and promote a nurturing social environment;
(e) Administer medications and help students manage their health problems;
(f) Support healthy food services programs;
(g) Promote healthy physical education, sports policies and practices;
(h) Promote dropout prevention programs; and
(i) Participate in allied health programs to introduce students to health careers.
( * * *6) The Office of Healthy Schools of
the State Department of Education shall provide resources to all public school
nurses so that those schools with school nurses will be prepared to provide
health education in Mississippi schools and support the Mississippi
Comprehensive Health Framework, Mississippi Physical Education Framework,
Wellness Policy, coordinated approach to school health, and other resources
required by the State Board of Education.
( * * *7) In administering the Mary
Kirkpatrick Haskell-Mary Sprayberry Public School Nurse Program, the Office of
Healthy Schools of the State Department of Education shall perform the
following duties:
(a) Execute any contracts, agreements or other documents with any governmental agency or any person, corporation, association, partnership or other organization or entity that are necessary to accomplish the purposes of this chapter;
(b) Receive grants or any other contributions made to the State Board of Education to be used for specific purposes related to the goals of this chapter;
(c) Submit to the State Auditor any financial records that are necessary for the Auditor to perform an annual audit of the commission as required by law;
(d) Adopt any rules or regulations that are necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter;
(e) Develop criteria to measure the effectiveness of a school nurse;
(f) Communicate to superintendents and principals how to maximize the effectiveness of a public school nurse;
(g) * * *
Effective July 1, 2026, the Office of Healthy Schools shall develop a salary
schedule for school nurses based on their education and experience that all
school districts shall use when employing school nurses, which schedule shall
be the minimum salary amounts paid to those school nurses;
(h) Communicate to superintendents, principals and other appropriate school officials regarding the statutes and regulations prohibiting the use of tobacco by school personnel on school property and at school events, and to monitor the effectiveness of this ban;
(i) Implement policies to reduce unnecessary paperwork by public school nurses; and
(j) Take any other actions that are necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026.
