Mississippi Senate advances bills on workforce, land sale, and energy contracts

The Mississippi Senate Universities and Colleges Committee on Tuesday kept several education and development bills alive through strike-all amendments to House legislation. One bill, SB 2522, known as the UPSKILL bill, was amended to move forward, aiming to align career and technical education with post-secondary programs.

Committee Chair State Senator Nicole Boyd, a Republican, explained that the Senate’s version of the bill seeks greater efficiency in connecting education levels from K-12 through college. The bill also includes a reverse repealer, added by Senator Briggs Hopson, which could affect future policy adjustments. Boyd noted that the bill will also be reviewed by the Appropriations Committee.

Meanwhile, the House Committee on Universities and Colleges decided not to advance SB 2344, which would require all community colleges and universities to include financial literacy in their curricula. House Chair Rep. Donnie Scoggin said most institutions already offer some financial education, and those that do not will be encouraged to implement such programs.

Another legislation, HB 1488, was amended to permit the University of Southern Mississippi to sell approximately 600 acres of property. The land, donated in the 1920s, has not been used extensively but was developed in recent years with the help of local partners. USM intends to sell the land to facilitate commercial and residential development, though a lake on the property will remain under university maintenance.

The committee also approved HB 1582, which modifies energy performance contract regulations. Boyd clarified that the bill, which is double-referred to the Public Property Committee, aims to address concerns about the practicality of the current 20-year payback period for energy savings projects. The bill also establishes a one-year pilot program to help community colleges evaluate infrastructure improvements.

Additionally, the committee passed HB 1495, a companion to SB 2238, allowing Mississippi State University to co-mingle funds with the Starkville Oktibbeha School District for building a high school on MSU property. Any shared faculty would require mutual agreement between the institutions.

Source: Original Article