House Bill 823

(As Passed the House)

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE COMMISSION ON EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS TO DEVELOP A VISION FOR MISSISSIPPI'S FUTURE ECONOMY AND CONSIDER HOW TO REFORM EDUCATION TO PREPARE ALL STUDENTS FOR THAT FUTURE; TO DEVELOP INITIAL LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE 2024 LEGISLATIVE SESSION; TO DEVELOP OMNIBUS LEGISLATION TO INTRODUCE DURING THE 2025 LEGISLATIVE SESSION; TO ESTABLISH COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN MISSISSIPPI'S EARLY CHILDHOOD, K-12, HIGHER EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS INTO A WORLD-CLASS SYSTEM THAT PREPARES ALL STUDENTS FOR SUCCESS IN WORK AND LIFE BY ADDRESSING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT, FOUNDATIONS OF SUPPORT, AND GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO SUPPORT THIS SYSTEM; TO DEVELOP A PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROPOSED OMNIBUS LEGISLATION; TO APPROPRIATE FUNDING TO PROCURE THE SELECTION OF A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATION WITH EXPERTISE IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION BENCHMARKING, FACILITATION, AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WITH MISSISSIPPI'S EDUCATION SYSTEM TO FACILITATE THE COMMISSION'S MEETINGS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) There is established an independent research-based Commission on Education and Economic Competitiveness, which shall assess and provide:

(a) A vision for education and workforce development throughout the state;

(b) An analysis of design features of high-performing education systems globally;

(c) A set of recommendations based on that global analysis derived from the data acquired under paragraph (b) to enable Mississippi's education system to attain world-class levels of performance, by establishing collaborative partnerships between early childhood, K-12, postsecondary education and workforce development systems that prepare all students for success in work and life by addressing career and technical education, curriculum and assessment, foundations of support, and governance and accountability;

(d) The development of initial legislative recommendations for the 2024 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature;

(e) Recommendations for omnibus legislation for the 2025 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature, to address those recommendations presented to the Legislature in 2024; and

(f) A plan for beginning and overseeing the initial phases of implementation of the legislation.

(2) (a) The commission shall select a national consulting and professional learning organization with expertise in internationally benchmarking the policies and practices of high-performing education systems and translating those policies and practices into United States contexts to facilitate the commission.

(b) The learning organization selected by the commission will:

(i) Share information and insights on the design of high-performing education systems, organized around a coherent framework that looks across these systems;

(ii) Analyze Mississippi's state education, workforce development, and economic context against this framework; and

(iii) Facilitate conversations that allow the commission to:

1. Establish a long-term vision;

2. Establish a forward agenda based on the analysis;

3. Establish legislative recommendations for 2024 and 2025; and

4. Establish an initial implementation plan.

(3) The commission shall be composed of high-level leaders representing education, regional and statewide business and industry sectors, policy makers, two-year and four-year postsecondary educational institutions, elementary and secondary educational organizations and associations representative of the entire state, including, but not limited to:

(a) The State Superintendent of Public Education, or his or her designee;

(b) The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the House Education Committee, or their designees;

(d) The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the House Workforce Development Committee, or their designees;

(e) The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Senate Workforce Development Committee, or their designees.

(f) The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee or their designees;

(g) The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee or their designees;

(h) A representative from the State Board of Education;

(i) A representative from the Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education, Certification and Licensure and Development;

(j) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Association of School Administrators (MASA), or his or her designee;

(k) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents (MASS), or his or her designee;

(1) A member of the House University and Colleges Committee;

(m) A member of the Senate University and Colleges Committee;

(n) The Commissioner of Higher Education, or his or her designee;

(o) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Community College Board, or his or her designee;

(p) The Executive Director of AccelerateMS, or his or her designee;

(q) An ecosystem coordinator;

(r) The Executive Director for the Mississippi Development Authority or his or her designee;

(s) The Executive Director of Mississippi Economic Development Council, or his or her designee;

(t) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Economic Council or his or her designee;

(u) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Manufacturing Association or his or her designee;

(v) A designee from a teachers' and a leaders' association;

(w) A designee from the Mississippi School Boards Association;

(x) A student representative;

(y) A parent representative; and

(z) Two (2) representatives from the 2022 Mississippi International Education Legislative Study Group.

(4) (a) Appointments shall be made within thirty (30) days after the effective date of this act. The commission shall hold its first meeting before August 1, 2023. The Chairmen of the House and Senate Education Committees shall serve as the inaugural co-chairmen of the commission, thereafter the Chairmen of the House and Senate Workforce Development Committees shall serve as co-chairmen for the immediate successive year, followed by the Chairmen of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees serving as co-chairman for the third year of the commission's establishment. Beyond the first three (3) years, the designation of the commission's co-chairmen shall repeat the same cycle of service, however the Vice Chairmen of the respective House and Senate Committees shall serve as co-chairmen.

(b) A majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a quorum. In the adoption of the rules, resolutions and reports, an affirmative vote of a majority of the members shall be required. All members shall be notified in writing of all meetings, such notices shall be mailed at least five (5) days before the date on which a meeting is to be held.

(5) The commission may choose to conduct its business by dividing into subcommittees, and, at the discretion of the commission's chairman, appoint additional members with relevant expertise to the subcommittees.

(6) Members of the commission shall receive no compensation for their service on the commission, but may receive reimbursement for mileage and actual expenses as provided in Section 25–3–41, to the extent that funds are available for that purpose.

(7) To effectuate the purposes of this section, any department, division, board, bureau, committee or agency of the state or any political subdivision thereof, shall, at the request of any member of the commission, provide such facilities, assistance, information and data as will enable the committee to properly carry out its duties.

SECTION 2. All costs and expenses incurred by the Commission on Education and Economic Competitiveness in procuring the selection of a national consulting and professional learning organization shall be paid out of any funds which are made available upon appropriation by the Legislature.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2023.