HB 1610 Mississippi House · 2025 Regular Session

School attendance officers; transfer responsibility of employment from MDE to local school districts.

HB 1610 transfers the responsibility for hiring and managing school attendance officers from Mississippi's State Department of Education (MDE) to local school districts. It abolishes three regional officer positions, requires districts to employ one officer for every 3,000 students in public school enrollment, and mandates state funding for this staffing. Current MDE-employed officers as of July 1, 2025, will transfer to local districts with salary protections (25% increase over 2025 rates) and uninterrupted benefits. The bill also clarifies officer qualifications, requires districts to report student absences to officers within 24 hours, and directs MDE to report on the transition to the legislature.

Bill status died 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2025

House Passage

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 10, 2025 Last action Mar 4, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

As Introduced → Current version · 8 edits

MODERATE

This bill restructures Mississippi's school attendance enforcement system by transferring responsibility from the state Department of Education to local school districts. Key changes include abolishing three regional officer positions, creating a new executive director role, establishing minimum salary scales for new officers ($24,528-$37,413 based on education and experience), and requiring the state to fund one officer per 3,000 compulsory-school-age children. The bill also mandates that local districts report unexcused absences within 24 hours and clarifies that transferred officers retain retirement and health benefits.

Scope change

The bill significantly shifts enforcement authority from state-level regional officers to local school districts, while maintaining state oversight through a new executive director position and funding requirements.

FISCAL

State must provide funding for one school attendance officer per 3,000 compulsory-school-age children in public schools

Transferred officers receive 2025 fiscal year salary plus 25% increase; new officers have minimum salary scales based on education and experience

REQUIREMENT

Local school districts must report unexcused student absences to school attendance officers within 24 hours

New school attendance officers must have criminal background checks, fingerprinting, and meet minimum qualifications including college degree or three years experience

SCOPE

Abolished three regional school attendance officer positions that were previously employed by the state

DEFINITION

School attendance officers are now defined as employees of local school districts rather than state employees

ADDED

School attendance officers employed by the state on July 1, 2025 transfer to local districts with no interruption to retirement or health benefits

TIMELINE

Act takes effect July 1, 2025, with reporting requirements to legislature for 2027 Regular Session

Floor votes · House Feb 6, 2025

How they voted

118–0

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 119

Feb 6, 2025

D Democratic39

38 Yea 1

97% Yea

I Independent2

2 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican78

78 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 14, 2025

Committee

Referred To Education;Appropriations

upper

Feb 10, 2025

Introduced

Transmitted To Senate

lower

Feb 6, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed As Amended

lower

Feb 6, 2025

Lower · Passed

Amended

lower

Jan 29, 2025

Lower · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass

lower

Jan 20, 2025

Committee

Referred To Education

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors