Public schools; allow to employ or accept services of chaplains.

HB 678 would have allowed Mississippi public school districts and charter schools to hire or accept volunteer chaplains to provide student support services, subject to background checks and a prohibition on hiring individuals required to register as sex offenders. The bill required schools to fund chaplain-related safety programs, including crisis response teams that must include chaplains, and mandated school boards to adopt policies by December 2026. Key provisions included background checks for chaplains, inclusion of chaplains in school safety training, and requirements for school boards to integrate chaplain services into emergency management plans. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.