Bill Text: MS HB3 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation; revise composition of to ensure adequate representation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-22 - Title Suff Do Pass [HB3 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2025-HB3-Introduced.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2025 Regular Session
To: Universities and Colleges
By: Representative Scoggin
House Bill 3
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-101-241, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE COMPOSITION OF THE MISSISSIPPI COMMISSION ON COLLEGE ACCREDITATION TO ENSURE THAT ALL POSTSECONDARY EDUCATIONAL SECTORS REGISTERED WITH THE COMMISSION HAVE REPRESENTATION THEREON; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 37-101-241, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
37-101-241. (1) There is
hereby created the Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation (MCCA).
* * * The
commission shall be composed of the Executive Director of the Mississippi
Community College Board, the Commissioner of Higher Education, the Executive
Director of the Mississippi Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities,
or their designees, and * * *three (3) four (4) additional members, * * * each of whom shall be selected
by the * * * three (3) permanently placed MCCA Commissioners members * * *, by virtue of his or her office, as follows: (i) one
(1) who shall represent the public community colleges; (ii) one (1) who shall
represent the universities; (iii) one (1) who shall represent the private
colleges; and (iv) one (1) who shall represent the proprietary schools.
The latter * * *
four (4) members shall each serve for a term of three (3) years.
(2) The commission shall meet and organize by electing from among its membership a chairman, a vice chairman and a secretary. The commission shall keep full and complete minutes and records of all its proceedings and actions.
(3) The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning shall appoint staff as may be required for the performance of the commission's duties and provide necessary facilities, support, equipment, supplies, travel and other expenses required to properly manage the duties of the commission.
(4) The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning may charge the commission for the actual cost incurred by the board to assist in the performance of the commission's duties.
(5) The commission shall have the power and authority, and it shall be its duty, to authorize and maintain an approved list of all public and private postsecondary, academic degree-granting institutions or any other entities domiciled, incorporated or otherwise located in the State of Mississippi which offer postsecondary academic degrees, programs or coursework. For purposes of this chapter, "domiciled" shall mean conducting postsecondary academic activity, including field placements, within the State of Mississippi. Postsecondary academic degrees include, but are not limited to, associate, bachelor, masters and doctorate degrees. The commission shall adopt standards which are in keeping with the best educational practices in accreditation and receive reports from the institutions seeking to be placed on the approved list.
(6) The above-described community, junior and senior colleges and universities or other entities must be approved annually by the commission in order to grant diplomas of graduation, degrees or offer instruction.
(7) The commission shall petition the chancery court of the county in which a person or agent offers one or more postsecondary academic degrees subject to the provisions of this chapter or advertises for the offering of such degrees without having first obtained approval by the commission, for an order enjoining such offering or advertising. The court may grant such injunctive relief upon a showing that the respondent named in the petition is offering or advertising one or more postsecondary academic degrees without having obtained prior approval of the commission. The Attorney General or the district attorney of the district, including the county in which such action is brought, shall, upon request of the commission, represent the commission in bringing any such action.
(8) The provisions of subsection (5) shall not apply to community, junior and senior colleges and universities with the main campus in Mississippi that were chartered, authorized or approved by the commission prior to July 1, 1988.
(9) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the proprietary schools and colleges subject to regulation under Section 75-60-1 et seq.
(10) The Commission on College Accreditation may promulgate rules and regulations and establish appropriate fees for the implementation of this section.
(11) The commission shall have the power and authority, and it shall be its duty, to execute site visits when deemed necessary by the commission. The members of the commission and commission-appointed evaluation teams shall receive reasonable traveling expenses and other authorized expenses incurred in the performance of commission duties, together with other expenses of the operation of the commission. The members of the Commission on College Accreditation shall serve without salary compensation but shall receive a per diem and mileage as authorized by law including time of going to and returning from site visits of said commission, together with actual travel and hotel expenses incident to the site visits of the commission, and in the discharge of duties prescribed by the commission.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2025.
