Committee
Education
Author
Scott DeLano
Session
2023 Session
Latest Action
On April 17, the Governor signed SB 2586 into law. It will take effect on July 1, 2023.
Explanation of the Bill
Senate Bill 2586 would require computer science courses that award Carnegie units to be taught by “appropriately endorsed” instructors. At the secondary level, middle school and high school teachers would presumably need the 7-12 computer science endorsement to be “appropriately endorsed.” At the elementary level, computer science courses could be taught by licensed teachers or paraprofessionals who have received training in computer science instruction and are supervised by licensed teachers. The bill defines “paraprofessionals” as school employees who “support instructional delivery” and “have received the professional learning opportunities to perform the job functions associated with providing instruction.”
SB 2586 would amend the Mississippi Computer Science and Cyber Education Equality Act, which was passed in 2021 to promote computer science literacy among students. Among other provisions, the Act requires all public schools to offer computer science courses by the 2024-2025 school year.
SB 2586 is identical to House Bill 208.
| Date | Details |
|---|---|
| 1/16/23 | On January 16, SB 2586 was referred to the Senate Education Committee. |
| 1/31/23 | On January 31, the Senate Education Committee passed SB 2586. |
| 2/7/23 | On February 7, the Senate passed SB 2586. |
| 2/17/23 | On February 13, SB 2586 was referred to the Senate Education Committee. |
| 2/28/23 | On February 28, the House Education Committee passed SB 2586. |
| 3/7/23 | On March 7, the House passed SB 2586 with a reverse repealer, essentially ensuring the bill will go to conference. |
| 3/14/23 | On March 14, the Senate invited conference on SB 2586. Senate conferees include Dennis DeBar, Scott DeLano, and John Polk. House conferees include Richard Bennett, Kent McCarty, and Kevin Felsher. |
| 3/24/23 | On March 24, House and Senate conferees filed a conference report for SB 2586. The conference report keeps the original bill intact, but it removes the reverse repealer added in a House amendment. The bill is now awaiting approval by the full House and Senate. |
| 3/28/23 | On March 28, the House and Senate adopted the conference report for SB 2586. The bill is now awaiting the Governor’s signature. |
| 4/17/23 | On April 17, the Governor signed SB 2586 into law. It will take effect on July 1, 2023. |