The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Mississippi requires public and charter schools to teach standalone civics courses starting in eighth grade
Last action · March 3, 2026: 03/03 (H) Died In CommitteeSponsors: Brice Wiggins and 10 others
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What This Bill Proposed
Beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, all public and charter schools in Mississippi must require students to complete standalone courses between the eighth and twelfth grades as a condition of high school graduation. The State Department of Education is directed to prescribe the course of study, update academic standards, and rename United States Government courses to include civics.
Students face a new mandatory graduation requirement focused on , the Constitution, and civil discourse, while teachers and administrators must complete training during the summer of 2027.
- State legislatures frequently introduce bills to modify high school graduation requirements and educational standards regarding history and civics. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
public and charter school students
Students must complete regular courses of instruction in civics between the eighth and twelfth grades to meet high school graduation requirements.
State Department of Education
The department must prescribe the course of study, update academic standards, rename existing government courses, and oversee course alignment.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do students have to start taking the new civics courses?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died in committee.
Procedural history
8 actions- Mar 3, 2026House03/03 (H) Died In Committee
- Feb 13, 2026HouseCommittee02/13 (H) Referred To Education;Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency
- Feb 6, 2026Senate02/06 (S) Transmitted To House
- Feb 5, 2026Senate02/05 (S) Immediate Release
- Feb 5, 2026SenateFloor02/05 (S) Passed As Amended
- Feb 5, 2026Senate02/05 (S) Amended
Show 2 earlier actions
- Jan 22, 2026SenateCommittee01/22 (S) Title Suff Do Pass
- Jan 19, 2026SenateCommittee01/19 (S) Referred To Education
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Voting Record
02/05 (S) Passed As Amended
Total
49
- Yes
- 49
- No
- 0
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (49)
25 more members
Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 6 more sponsors
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Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Introduction of Mandatory Standalone Civics
The bill shifts existing government instruction into a renamed 'United States Government and Civics' course while adding a specific standalone civics requirement starting in the eighth grade.
Connected Entities
Sources
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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