3/20/26 Legislative Update

The legislative session is scheduled to end by April 5. The budget and conference committee negotiations are the focus of these closing weeks of the session. Here is an update on several key issues:

Teacher Pay Raise: There has been no action on HB 1395 or SB 2103 since the House and Senate adopted their strike all amendments that provide pay raises.

• The latest version of HB 1395 contains the Senate’s strike all amendment that provides a $6,000 teacher pay raise phased in over three years, as well as a $2,000 pay raise for assistant teachers and a $3,000 annual salary supplement for special education instructors phased in over three years. The Senate returned the bill to the House last Friday, March 13. The House may concur with the Senate amendment or invite conference on the bill.
• The latest version of SB 2103 contains the House’s strike all amendment that provides a $5,000 teacher pay raise, a $3,000 assistant teacher pay raise, and a $3,000 annual supplement for special education instructors, all of which are effective with the 2026-27 school year. The House returned the bill to the Senate on March 6. The Senate may concur with the House amendment or invite conference on the bill.

Your voice matters and makes a difference! It is critical that legislators hear from educators and concerned citizens regarding a pay raise. Mississippi’s average teacher salary of $53,704 is $8,143 lower than the regional average and $18,326 lower than the national average. Please contact your senator and representative, as well as Lt. Governor Hosemann (601-359-3200) and Speaker White (601-359-3300), to stress the importance of a pay raise bill going to conference so a final pay raise can be negotiated. Numerous contacts from constituents – whether via email, text, phone call, or face-to-face conversations - will underscore the necessity of a significant pay raise to legislators. 

Retired Teachers Returning to the Classroom: Language amending current provisions in state law for retired teachers to return to the classroom while drawing their retirement benefits is alive in the following two bills:

• The latest version of HB 4073 contains the Senate’s strike all amendment that includes several provisions related to PERS, including return-to-work language that allows any retired state employee, not just teachers, to return to work in 30 days rather than the current 90-day waiting period and to earn up to 80% of a position’s salary. The Senate passed this strike all amendment Tuesday and then amended it again Wednesday to add a reverse repealer to ensure the bill goes to conference.
• The latest version of SB 2103 contains the House’s strike all amendment that allows a retired teacher to teach in any district, not just a critical shortage geographic or subject area as in current law. It also deletes the 5-year cap on returning to a classroom as a retired teacher. The retired teacher’s salary shall not be less than their salary at retirement.  The House returned the bill to the Senate on March 6. The Senate may concur with the House amendment or invite conference on the bill.

Tax Credits for Donations to Private Schools: The Senate Finance Committee passed a strike all amendment for HB 1944 Monday that removed the increases in tax credits the state may award via the Children’s Promise Act for donations to private schools. The amendment also created an additional $6 million in tax credits for special purpose schools that serve special needs students. The full Senate passed the strike all amendment Tuesday and sent the bill back to the House. The bill contains a reverse repealer, so it is headed to conference. 

Next Thursday, March 26, is the deadline for each chamber to concur or not concur in amendments made by the other chamber to general bills, including those highlighted above. Conference reports on appropriation bills must be filed by next Saturday night, March 28.