Mississippi Employer-Assisted Housing Teacher Program; remove requirement that loan recipients must reside in county of employment.

HB 787 removes a requirement that teachers receiving Mississippi's employer-assisted housing loans must live in the county where they work. The bill affects licensed teachers in areas designated by the State Board of Education as having critical teacher shortages, who currently receive up to $6,000 in interest-free loans. It changes the existing rule by eliminating the residency restriction (though the program still requires teachers to serve three years in shortage areas to convert the loan to a grant). The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and would have taken effect July 1, 2025, if passed.