Mississippi legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Mississippi HB1035: MS Future Innovators Act; enact to require high school computer science or CTE with embedded computer science course.
Status: Failed, March 3, 2026
AN ACT TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI FUTURE INNOVATORS ACT; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 37-13-215, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT, BEGINNING WITH THE ENTERING NINTH-GRADE CLASS OF 2029-2030, A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT SHALL, BEFORE GRADUATION, BE REQUIRED TO EARN ONE UNIT OF CREDIT IN A HIGH SCHOOL COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSE, OR ONE UNIT OF CREDIT IN AN INDUSTRY-ALIGNED CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION (CTE) WITH EMBEDDED COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSE; TO PROVIDE THE STATE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS THAT MAY BE SATISFIED BY EITHER OF THESE COURSES; TO REQUIRE THAT SUCH COURSES INCLUDE INSTRUCTION ON THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF EMERGING COMPUTER SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIES, SUCH AS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE; TO AMEND SECTION 37-13-205, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DEFINE "CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION WITH EMBEDDED COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSE" FOR PURPOSES OF THE MISSISSIPPI COMPUTER SCIENCE AND CYBER EDUCATION EQUALITY ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
What the bill says
An act to create the mississippi future innovators act; to create new section 37-13-215, mississippi code of 1972, to provide that, beginning with the entering ninth-grade class of 2029-2030, a public high school student shall, before graduation, be required to earn one unit of credit in a high school computer science course, or one unit of credit in an industry-aligned career and technical education (cte) with embedded computer science course; to provide the state graduation requirements that may be satisfied by either of these courses…
From the introduced text:
AN ACT TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI FUTURE INNOVATORS ACT; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 37-13-215, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT, BEGINNING WITH THE ENTERING NINTH-GRADE CLASS OF 2029-2030, A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT SHALL, BEFORE GRADUATION, BE REQUIRED TO EARN ONE UNIT OF CREDIT IN A HIGH SCHOOL COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSE, OR ONE UNIT OF CREDIT IN AN INDUSTRY-ALIGNED CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION (CTE) WITH EMBEDDED COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSE; TO PROVIDE THE STATE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS THAT MAY BE SATISFIED BY EITHER OF THESE COURSES; TO REQUIRE THAT SUCH COURSES INCLUDE INSTRUCTION ON THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF EMERGING COMPUTER SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIES, SUCH AS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE; TO AMEND SECTION 37-13-205, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DEFINE "CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION WITH EMBEDDED COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSE" FOR PURPOSES OF THE MISSISSIPPI COMPUTER SCIENCE AND CYBER EDUCATION EQUALITY ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Mississippi Future Innovators Act." SECTION 2. The following shall be codified as Section 37-13-215, Mississippi Code of 1972: 37-13-215. (1) Beginning with the entering ninth-grade class of 2029-2030, a public high school student shall, before graduation, be required to earn one (1) unit of credit in a high school computer science course, or one (1) unit …