| 1 | 1 | | MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE 2025 Regular Session To: Education By: Representative Lott House Bill 1294 AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE SCHEDULING OF SCHOOL EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE STUDENT WELL-BEING AND SAFETY; TO REQUIRE COMPLIANCE WITH SPECIFIC GUIDELINES; TO MANDATE REPORTING OF NONCOMPLIANCE TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND THE LEGISLATURE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds that: (a) Extracurricular activities play a vital role in the holistic development of students; (b) Balancing academics, extracurricular activities, personal life, and rest is essential for student success and well-being; and (c) Bus drivers for extracurricular activities are often school personnel whose extended workdays may pose safety risks due to fatigue. The purpose of this act is to establish guidelines for scheduling school extracurricular activities to prioritize student well-being, ensure academic attendance, and enhance transportation safety. SECTION 2. (1) (a) Each school district shall adopt a policy requiring that routine district and nondistrict extracurricular activities shall be scheduled in a manner which: (i) Ensures students attend all regular classes of academic instruction before traveling for the activity. (ii) Requires students to be returned to their school by 10:30 p.m. on school nights. For the purposes of this section, "school night" is defined as the night preceding any day of the week in which academic instruction occurs during the course of a regular scholastic year, and shall include any required make-up days imposed by the school district for all students in enrollment. (b) Each school district shall require all parties responsible for scheduling of extracurricular activities, including third-party schedulers with whom it has entered into agreement for the delegation of its scheduling responsibilities, to adhere to the requirements of paragraph (a) of this subsection. (2) The requirement to adhere to the structured scheduling of extracurricular activities under subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to: (a) Playoff and/or championship extracurricular activities and statewide competitions in which the school is a competing party; and (b) Extracurricular activities that involve prearranged overnight stays. (3) Any occurrence of noncompliance with the guidelines in subsection (1), except as otherwise exempted under subsection (2), shall be documented with specific details of the noncompliance and the reason for the noncompliance. (4) (a) Each school district shall report all documented occurrences of noncompliance to the State Department of Education on a quarterly basis. (b) The department shall compile and provide a summary of these reports to the Education Committees of the Mississippi House of Representatives and Senate on a quarterly basis. (5) The department shall develop rules and regulations to implement and enforce the provisions of this act. SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2025. |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | 2025 Regular Session |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | To: Education |
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| 8 | 8 | | |
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| 9 | 9 | | By: Representative Lott |
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| 10 | 10 | | |
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| 11 | 11 | | # House Bill 1294 |
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| 12 | 12 | | |
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| 13 | 13 | | AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE SCHEDULING OF SCHOOL EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE STUDENT WELL-BEING AND SAFETY; TO REQUIRE COMPLIANCE WITH SPECIFIC GUIDELINES; TO MANDATE REPORTING OF NONCOMPLIANCE TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND THE LEGISLATURE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. |
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| 14 | 14 | | |
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| 15 | 15 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: |
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| 16 | 16 | | |
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| 17 | 17 | | SECTION 1. The Legislature finds that: |
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| 18 | 18 | | |
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| 19 | 19 | | (a) Extracurricular activities play a vital role in the holistic development of students; |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | (b) Balancing academics, extracurricular activities, personal life, and rest is essential for student success and well-being; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | |
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| 23 | 23 | | (c) Bus drivers for extracurricular activities are often school personnel whose extended workdays may pose safety risks due to fatigue. The purpose of this act is to establish guidelines for scheduling school extracurricular activities to prioritize student well-being, ensure academic attendance, and enhance transportation safety. |
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| 24 | 24 | | |
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| 25 | 25 | | SECTION 2. (1) (a) Each school district shall adopt a policy requiring that routine district and nondistrict extracurricular activities shall be scheduled in a manner which: |
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| 26 | 26 | | |
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| 27 | 27 | | (i) Ensures students attend all regular classes of academic instruction before traveling for the activity. |
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| 28 | 28 | | |
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| 29 | 29 | | (ii) Requires students to be returned to their school by 10:30 p.m. on school nights. For the purposes of this section, "school night" is defined as the night preceding any day of the week in which academic instruction occurs during the course of a regular scholastic year, and shall include any required make-up days imposed by the school district for all students in enrollment. |
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| 30 | 30 | | |
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| 31 | 31 | | (b) Each school district shall require all parties responsible for scheduling of extracurricular activities, including third-party schedulers with whom it has entered into agreement for the delegation of its scheduling responsibilities, to adhere to the requirements of paragraph (a) of this subsection. |
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| 32 | 32 | | |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) The requirement to adhere to the structured scheduling of extracurricular activities under subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to: |
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| 34 | 34 | | |
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| 35 | 35 | | (a) Playoff and/or championship extracurricular activities and statewide competitions in which the school is a competing party; and |
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| 36 | 36 | | |
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| 37 | 37 | | (b) Extracurricular activities that involve prearranged overnight stays. |
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| 38 | 38 | | |
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| 39 | 39 | | (3) Any occurrence of noncompliance with the guidelines in subsection (1), except as otherwise exempted under subsection (2), shall be documented with specific details of the noncompliance and the reason for the noncompliance. |
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| 40 | 40 | | |
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| 41 | 41 | | (4) (a) Each school district shall report all documented occurrences of noncompliance to the State Department of Education on a quarterly basis. |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | (b) The department shall compile and provide a summary of these reports to the Education Committees of the Mississippi House of Representatives and Senate on a quarterly basis. |
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| 44 | 44 | | |
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| 45 | 45 | | (5) The department shall develop rules and regulations to implement and enforce the provisions of this act. |
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| 46 | 46 | | |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2025. |
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