House Bill 843

AN ACT TO REQUIRE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO COMPENSATE NONINSTRUCTIONAL AND HOURLY SCHOOL EMPLOYEES WHENEVER THE DISTRICT CLOSES SCHOOLS DUE TO EXTREME WEATHER, ILLNESS OR OTHER REASONS; TO REQUIRE THE COMPENSATION PAID TO THOSE EMPLOYEES TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE AMOUNT THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN PAID IF THE SCHOOLS HAD NOT BEEN CLOSED; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Whenever a school district is required to close the operation of its schools due to extreme weather conditions or an inordinately large number of absentees as a result of illness, natural disaster or any concerted activity discouraging school attendance, the school district shall compensate noninstructional school employees who are paid hourly wages and any other school employees who are not under contract with the school district, notwithstanding the inability of those employees to report to work. A school employee who is paid an hourly wage for a specified number of hours each day must be compensated for the number of hours the employee would have worked, but for the school's closure, on each particular day that the school is closed. A school employee whose work hours vary from day to day must be compensated for a number of hours equal to the average number of hours worked per day by that employee during the thirty (30) days immediately preceding the school's closure. The pay rate for a school employee compensated under this section may not be reduced by the school district during such time that the employee's school remains closed.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.