MCOPS Grant Program; increase grant amount up to a minimum of $40,000 per officer employed as a school resource officer.

HB 197 increases the minimum state grant amount for Mississippi's MCOPS program from $10,000 to $40,000 per school resource officer (SRO) position hired by school districts or law enforcement agencies. It also raises the reimbursement for required training at the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers' Training Academy from an unspecified amount to $2,400 per officer. The bill requires local matching funds (50/50) and mandates that SROs spend at least 75% of their time working in schools. This bill, which died in committee on February 4, 2025, would have directly affected school districts and law enforcement agencies seeking to hire or retain SROs.