Bill > HB893

This bill requires public schools in Mississippi to develop comprehensive safety plans to prevent students with autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disabilities from leaving school grounds without authorization, a behavior defined as "elopement" when it's related to a student's disability and poses a safety risk. Each school must establish a School Staff Assistance for Emergencies (SAFE) Team, composed of the principal, an assistant principal, and at least three other members including a school resource officer, to create and annually update an elopement plan. This plan must detail procedures for immediate parental notification and a coordinated on-campus search, with emergency services only to be contacted if there's a verified risk the student has left campus and is in danger. For students prone to elopement, the SAFE Team, in coordination with parents, must create individualized "quick reference guides" containing the student's identifying information, photograph, communication needs, health considerations, behavioral profiles, potential hiding spots, and any available locating technologies, which must be distributed to parents and relevant school staff. Schools are also mandated to submit their elopement plans to their local school board annually, and the State Board of Education is authorized to create rules for implementing these requirements, with the act taking effect on July 1, 2026.

Education

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2026/pdf/history/HB/HB0893.xml