Legislative Updates – Week of March 23, 2026
With next week marking the final full week of the legislative session, negotiations over key issues, including teacher pay and department budgets, are intensifying. Below is a summary of this week’s legislative activity, along with a list of legislators appointed to conference committees on select bills. Initial conference reports for appropriations bills must be filed by Saturday, while initial conference reports for general bills must be filed by Monday.
Senate Actions
- The Senate invited conference on SB 2103, which currently includes House language that would increase teacher pay by $5,000, in addition to other provisions. Read our full summary of the current version of the bill in the document at the bottom of this page.
- The Senate adopted the conference report on HB 1395. See the first item in the next section for more details.
House Actions
- The House invited conference on HB 1395. While the Senate-amended version of the bill included teacher pay raise provisions, House and Senate conferees filed a conference report that removes the provisions. The conference report focuses on charter schools’ first right of refusal to purchase or lease school district property. Charter schools would now have one year, rather than an indefinite amount of time, to take action on school district property.
- The House adopted the conference report for SB 2524, which repeals provisions of the law establishing the Education Achievement Council, and establishes the Mississippi Postsecondary Attainment Council.
Bill Conferees
The House and Senate named conferees for multiple education bills that will go to conference. These include:
- HB 1935 (MDE Appropriation Bill)
- House: Representatives Oliver, Cockerham, and Roberson
- Senate: Senators Hopson, DeBar, and Blackwell
- HB 1909 (DHS Appropriation Bill)
- House: Representatives Deweese, Cockerham, and Turner
- Senate: Senators Hopson, Blackwell, and Sparks
- SB 2288 (Comprehensive Workforce Training and Education Consolidation Act)
- House: Representatives Bell (21st), Lott, and Scoggin
- Senate: Senators DeBar, Boyd, and McMahan
- SB 2294 (MS Future Innovators Act)
- House: Representatives Roberson, McCarty, and Felsher
- Senate: Senators DeBar, Boyd, and Hill
- HB 4039 (Child Care Stipend Tax Credit)
- House: Representatives Lamar, Steverson, and Bell (21st)
- Senate: Senators Harkins, Kirby, and Boyd
- SB 2867 (Child Care Stipend Tax Credit)
- House: Representatives Lamar, Steverson, and Bell (21st)
- Senate: Senators Harkins, Sparks, and Boyd
Legislative Tracker
As the legislative session winds down, we encourage readers to follow along using our legislative tracker, which is updated daily to reflect real-time developments. Be sure to use the filter to view bills that are still alive.
Upcoming Legislative Deadlines
- Saturday, March 28: Deadline for conference reports on appropriation and revenue bills to be filed; and deadline to dispose of motions to reconsider concurrence or nonconcurrence on general bills and constitutional amendments.
- Monday, March 30: Deadline for final adoption of conference reports on appropriation and revenue bills; and deadline for conference reports on general bills and constitutional amendments to be filed.
- Wednesday, April 1: Deadline for first consideration of conference reports on general bills and constitutional amendments.
- Thursday, April 2: Deadline for filing conference reports on general bills and constitutional amendments that had been recommitted for further conference.
- Friday, April 3: Deadline for adoption of conference reports on general bills and constitutional amendments after recommittal.
- Saturday, April 4: Deadline to dispose of motions to reconsider conference reports on general bills and constitutional amendments.
- Sunday, April 5: SINE DIE (latest possible date for the Legislature to adjourn its 2026 regular session)
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