Diversity, Equity ad Inclusion; prohibit public IHLs from expending appropriated funds to promote.

HB 1609 prohibits Mississippi's public land-grant universities from using state funds to establish, staff, or support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices or hire DEI officers. It also bans requiring diversity training, diversity statements for hiring or admissions, and preferential treatment based on race, sex, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Funds that would have been allocated to DEI roles in fiscal year 2025 may be redirected to merit scholarships for lower- and middle-income students and to reduce in-state tuition. Universities must report compliance with the law, and the Attorney General can enforce it through legal action for violations.