Public schools; allow to employ or accept the service of chaplains.

HB 1263 allows Mississippi public school districts and charter schools to employ or accept chaplains as volunteers to provide student support services. The bill requires schools to conduct criminal background checks on chaplains and prohibits employment of individuals required to register as sex offenders. School boards must vote on implementing chaplain programs by December 2025, and the law mandates that school safety plans and crisis response teams (including chaplains) be funded through local school budgets. It also amends existing education codes to integrate chaplain services into school safety protocols and crisis management teams.