The ninth week of the 2026 Regular Session has concluded. On Friday, the Mississippi House of Representatives unanimously passed Senate Bill 2103, which was amended to include the House’s original teacher pay proposal. The amendment includes a $5,000 teacher pay raise, along with a $3,000 additional supplement for special needs teachers and assistant teachers, and a $6,000 supplement for occupational therapists and licensed school psychologists. The measure also includes several adjustments to PERS Tier 5, including changing state employee retirement eligibility from 35 years to 30 years, adjusting the retirement salary calculation from the highest eight years to the highest four years, and lowering the retirement age from 62 to 60, and adjusting first retirement eligibility from 35 years to 25 years. The bill also allows retired teachers to return to work while continuing to receive their PERS benefits.
The House also passed the following:
House Bill 1758 – Enacts the Foster Youth Earned Benefits Protection for Success Act, protecting benefits for youth in foster care.
Senate Bill 2018 – Creates the Mississippi National Guard TRICARE Premium Reimbursement Program.
Senate Bill 2036 – Clarifies that certain nonviolent inmates eligible for parole may be released from incarceration to parole supervision at the discretion of the State Parole Board.
Senate Bill 2110 – Provides that a parent, legal guardian, or other person responsible for a child who deprives the child of necessary supervision appropriate to the child’s age, resulting in substantial harm to the child’s physical, mental, or emotional health, may face criminal penalties, including imprisonment.
Senate Bill 2654 – Creates a State Security Operations Center within the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services to strengthen cybersecurity, coordinate security services, and support state agencies in responding to cyber threats.
Senate Bill 2726 – Updates provisions related to the Mississippi Opioid Settlement Fund and Advisory Council, which oversee the distribution and use of opioid settlement funds.
Senate Bill 2896 – Revises the salary schedule for Mississippi Highway Patrol and Bureau of Narcotics officers.
The following bills were returned to the Senate for concurrence:
Senate Bill 2409 – Creates the “Strengthen Mississippi Homes Act,” establishing a mitigation program within the Mississippi Department of Insurance to help retrofit homes against hurricanes, tornadoes, and other catastrophic wind events and increasing grant funding up to $15,000 per home.
Senate Bill 2524 – Establishes the Mississippi Postsecondary Attainment Council to improve postsecondary education outcomes and require annual progress reports on the state’s attainment goals.
Senate Bill 2632 – Creates the Local Governments Disaster Recovery Emergency Loan Program to assist communities recovering from disasters.
The House met the Tuesday, March 3, 2026, deadline for committees to report general bills and constitutional amendments originating in the Senate, and many committees met throughout the week.
The Capitol welcomed students, educators, and community groups this week, including Forrest County Agricultural School, Unlimited Dreams Christian Academy, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, USS Jackson Officers, New Albany Choir, Newton County Choir, First Presbyterian Day School Group, Christ Covenant School, Biloxi High School Business & Marketing, Biloxi High School Hospitality & Tourism, Tupelo High School Social Studies Class, Lamar Elementary School, COABE State Fellowship, Reimagine Prep Football Team, New England College, Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, and Chalybeate Elementary School.
