Rep. Kent McCarty

Maddy summaryThis bill is a House Resolution that formally recognizes and commends Mr. Limuel Eubanks for receiving the 2026 Southeastern Region Supervision and Administration Art Educator of the Year award from the National Art Education Association. The resolution highlights Mr. Eubanks' role as Director of PreK-12 Arts at the Mississippi Department of Education and his extensive background in art education and special education. It serves as an official acknowledgment of his achievements and contributions to arts education in Mississippi and the broader Southeastern region.

Maddy summaryHB 1212 clarifies how Mississippi allocates state funding to university-based special education programs (UBPs) for students with disabilities. It ensures that when students qualify for these programs under Section 37-23-31, the State Department of Education provides funds equivalent to the full base student cost plus all qualifying weighted adjustments, as defined in Section 37-151-205. This directly affects university programs serving eligible students and ensures consistent funding alignment with state education formulas. The bill does not change eligibility criteria or program operations, but specifies that UBPs receive funding comparable to local school districts for qualifying students. This clarification aims to streamline funding processes for these specialized programs.

Maddy summaryHB 1117, the "Creating Transparency and Accountability in Dental Services Act," requires dental insurance companies (dental carriers) to calculate and annually report their dental loss ratio (DLR) - the percentage of premium dollars spent directly on patient dental care versus administrative costs. Dental carriers must file these reports by June 30 each year, detailing how much was spent on clinical services, unpaid claims, and recovered payments, while excluding overhead like staff salaries or network development. The Commissioner of Insurance will make these reports publicly accessible on the department's website by December 1 each year and submit aggregated data to the Insurance Committees. This applies to all dental health plans sold in Mississippi but excludes Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program, and other state-sponsored plans.

Maddy summaryHB 1402 designates a one-mile segment of Mississippi Highway 537 in Yazoo County as the "Colonel Donnell Berry Memorial Highway" to honor Colonel Donnell Berry. The Mississippi Department of Transportation will install and maintain signage along this highway segment. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2026. This is a commemorative designation with no policy or funding changes.

Maddy summaryHB 1205 removes a requirement that parents sign a confidentiality pledge before mediation begins for disputes about special education services under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). This change aligns Mississippi's state law with federal policy, directly affecting students with disabilities and their families who use mediation to resolve disagreements about educational evaluations, placements, or services. The bill modifies Section 37-23-141 to eliminate the pre-mediation signature step while keeping other mediation rules intact, such as voluntary participation, confidentiality during sessions, and state-funded costs. The change aims to streamline the process without altering the core mediation structure.

Maddy summaryHB 1206 clarifies that teachers and assistant teachers working in prekindergarten or early childhood education programs within state-chartered schools (authorized by the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board) are exempt from standard teaching qualification requirements. This exemption specifically applies to programs not granted by the Mississippi State Department of Education (SDE), meaning staff in these charter school programs do not need bachelor's or associate's degrees in early childhood education or related certifications. The bill does not change existing requirements for staff in SDE-funded programs but explicitly confirms the exemption for charter school employees in non-SDE programs. It takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1260 is a procedural bill that consolidates and updates existing definitions used in Mississippi's public school funding formula. It brings forward multiple sections of Mississippi law (including definitions for terms like "base amount," "low income student," "net enrollment," and "final weighted enrollment") into a single, organized section (37-151-201). The bill does not change funding amounts or policies but clarifies the terminology used to calculate school district funding. This directly affects how school districts and the State Department of Education calculate and distribute state education funds. The summary focuses solely on the bill's procedural purpose of reorganizing existing definitions.

Maddy summaryThis bill's title contains an error - it's not about dyslexia but concerns school calendar exceptions after Winter Storm Fern. HB 1207 allows school districts in northern Mississippi affected by "Winter Storm Fern" (for which a state of emergency was declared January 22-27, 2026) to operate beyond the standard 180-day school year. Specifically, it extends the allowable days for receiving state per-pupil funding from 10 to 15 days for districts still impacted after the emergency ended, for the 2025-2026 school year. The bill modifies existing statutes to provide this temporary exception for affected school districts.

Maddy summaryHB 1318 revises Mississippi's student transportation rules to allow school districts to use passenger cars or multipurpose vehicles (not school buses) for student trips under specific safety conditions. It requires vehicles carrying 10-15 students to meet federal school bus safety standards, limits non-bus transport to fewer than 10 students (excluding drivers), and mandates licensed drivers following school safety plans. School districts must prioritize school bus use whenever practical and adopt policies addressing liability. The bill directly affects Mississippi school districts, students, and drivers transporting students outside school buses, taking effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1126 increases base teacher salaries by $5,000 annually starting with the 2026-2027 school year, with an additional $3,000 annual supplement for licensed special education teachers and $6,000 for certified occupational therapists and school psychologists. It also raises assistant teachers' pay by $5,000 and caps superintendent salaries at 250% of equivalent teacher pay, including district supplements. The bill includes related provisions for retirement benefits for first responders and revised roles for student success coaches, but its core focus is direct compensation increases for educators.