SB 2487 Mississippi Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Literacy in Grades 4 through 8; develop intervention strategies to support the promotion of.

SB 2487 requires Mississippi schools to provide targeted reading support for students in grades 4-8 who struggle with reading proficiency. It mandates that schools create an Individual Reading Plan (IRP) within 30 days of identifying a reading deficiency, notify parents within 10 business days, and provide supplemental or intensive interventions based on the severity of the deficiency. The bill prohibits promoting students to ninth grade if their reading difficulties remain unaddressed by the end of eighth grade. It also establishes a state system to train educators - including literacy coaches, interventionists, and teachers - and ensures all required supports are grounded in evidence-based reading research.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status died 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 13, 2026 Last action Mar 3, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Committee Substitute → Current version · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended from a Committee Substitute version to the version passed by the Senate, adding more sponsoring senators and making minor text corrections. The substantive policy content remains largely unchanged, with only minor formatting adjustments and renumbering of reporting requirements. The effective date and repeal date remain July 1, 2026, with repeal on June 30, 2026, creating a one-year implementation window.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; only minor formatting and renumbering of reporting requirements.

TECHNICAL

Added three more sponsoring senators (DuPree, Hopson, Norwood, Simmons) and added '(13th)' designation

Changed title from 'COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE' to 'As Passed the Senate'

Minor text corrections including hyphenation changes ('content area' to 'content-area') and renumbering of reporting subsections from (b)-(f) to (a)-(e)

Added 'and' before final clause in Section 3(f) and restructured Section 3(g) to combine with Section 3(3)

As Introduced → Committee Substitute · 10 edits

MAJOR

The bill was revised from its original version to create a more comprehensive and enforceable literacy intervention framework. The Committee Substitute version adds specific definitions, expands professional development requirements for educators, establishes a formal Individual Reading Plan process, and introduces a 'reading gate' that prevents promotion of students in grades 4-8 who have not remediated reading deficiencies by the end of eighth grade.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include more detailed definitions of key terms, broader professional development requirements for educators across multiple content areas, and new provisions for incoming students with reading deficiencies. The applicability now includes specific requirements for educator preparation programs and expanded reporting obligations for school districts.

DEFINITION

Added comprehensive definitions for terms like 'structured literacy', 'science of reading', 'three-cueing system', and 'high-quality instructional materials' to clarify what instructional approaches are required and prohibited.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for Individual Reading Plans (IRP) to be created within 30 days of identifying a reading deficiency, with specific templates and documentation requirements.

Added requirement for written parent notification within 10 business days of identifying a reading deficiency.

Added 'eighth-grade reading gate' provision prohibiting promotion to ninth grade if reading deficiency is not remedied by end of eighth grade, with limited good-cause exemptions.

Added requirement that school districts employ at least one reading specialist, interventionist, or dyslexia therapist in schools serving grades 4-8.

Modified professional development requirements to be more specific about science of reading training, including explicit instruction in phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, morphology, syntax, and vocabulary.

Added prohibition against using 'balanced literacy' or 'three-cueing system' approaches in Mississippi public schools.

ENFORCEMENT

Added specific reporting requirements for school districts to submit annual data on reading intervention participation, student performance, and retention rates.

TIMELINE

Added effective date of July 1, 2026, and specified that the eighth-grade reading gate begins applying to students in the 2027-2028 school year.

ELIGIBILITY

Added specific eligibility criteria for good-cause exemptions to the eighth-grade reading gate, including provisions for multilingual students and students with disabilities.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 10, 2026

How they voted

52–0

Passed

Total votes 52

Feb 10, 2026

D Democratic18

18 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican34

34 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 16, 2026

Committee

Referred To Education;Appropriations A

lower

Feb 13, 2026

Introduced

Transmitted To House

upper

Feb 10, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed As Amended

upper

Feb 10, 2026

Upper · Passed

Amended

upper

Jan 22, 2026

Upper · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub

upper

Jan 19, 2026

Committee

Referred To Education

upper

1 primary · 4 co-sponsors