House Bill 546

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING AND THE MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE BOARDS OF TRUSTEES OF EACH COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT, TO PLAN AND DEVELOP THE CURRICULUM FOR THE INTEGRATION OF AGRICULTURE APPRECIATION AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL COURSE DURING 2021-2022 ACADEMIC YEAR, AND TO IMPLEMENT A COURSE IN AGRICULTURE APPRECIATION INTO THE ACADEMIC CURRICULUM OF EACH POSTSECONDARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION BEGINNING WITH THE 2022-2023 ACADEMIC YEAR; TO PRESCRIBE THE MINIMUM COMPONENTS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Beginning with the 2022-2023 academic year, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and the Mississippi Community College Board, in conjunction with the boards of trustees of each community college district, and in consultation with the director of curriculum at each public postsecondary educational institution, shall require each postsecondary educational institution to incorporate a course in agriculture appreciation into its academic curriculum, as a requirement for graduation. Before the implementation of agriculture appreciation into its academic curriculum, the boards shall, during the 2021-2022 academic year, plan and develop the curriculum to be integrated into the agriculture appreciation course. At a minimum, the course content for the selected curriculum shall include instructional components in:

(a) Agricultural and life sciences education, which combines food, agriculture and life sciences with social sciences and communications;

(b) Agricultural business, which covers topics such as the marketing of agricultural commodities, the selling of agricultural products and services, the managing of farm and agribusiness operations and the lending of credit to agricultural firms;

(c) Agronomy, which integrates the science and practical application of crop production, soil management and climatology in the production and utilization of food, feed and fiber within an environmentally sound system;

(d) Forestry, which provides an understanding of forest ecosystems, wood technology and products, forest resource management, agro-forestry, urban and community forestry, biodiversity, water quality, wilderness areas and wildlife; and

(e) Horticulture, which provides an understanding of plant growth and development and the culture and management of horticultural crops, including familiarity with turfgrasses, nursery crops, greenhouse crops, fruits, nuts and vegetables.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2021.