House Bill 1343

AN ACT TO CREATE THE "MODEL MISSISSIPPI HAIR PROTECTION IN SCHOOLS POLICY ACT"; TO REQUIRE PUBLIC AND CHARTER SCHOOLS TO CREATE POLICIES WITH GUIDELINES THAT PROHIBIT DISCRIMINATION BASED ON HAIRSTYLES; TO ESTABLISH MINIMUM GUIDELINES FOR THE POLICIES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Model Mississippi Hair Protection in Schools Policy Act".

SECTION 2. Each school and school district shall adopt a policy to ensure that no student is discriminated against based on his or her hairstyle choices. The policy shall be based on the best practice models for protecting children against discriminatory practices based on hairstyles. At a minimum, the policies shall:

(a) Explicitly prohibit discrimination based on natural hair and protective hairstyles;

(b) Remove any policies or punitive actions that have the effect of restricting hairstyles that are disproportionately associated with specific racial or cultural groups;

(c) Highlight the impact of hair-based discrimination on students' mental health and academic performance through staff and administration trainings;

(d) Establish clear, accessible channels for students and families to report instances of hair-based discrimination;

(e) Refrain from suspensions and other forms of discipline for violations of appearance rules that disrupt students' learning time; and

(f) Maintain written procedures for students to report concerns of potential discrimination in the enforcement of appearance policies, with clear guidelines and assurances of no retaliation for reporting such.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2025.