School prayer; require school boards to designate a period of reflection for students at the beginning of each school day.

HB 488 requires Mississippi public school boards to designate a daily period of reflection at the start of each school day, allowing students to engage in voluntary, nonsectarian, nonproselytizing prayer on their own initiative. This policy directly affects all public school students and school boards across Mississippi, mandating they create a specific time for student-led prayer without school staff leading or endorsing it. The bill specifies that this reflection period must not be structured as a religious service and must align with existing laws protecting student prayer rights under the First Amendment. It takes effect July 1, 2025, and does not require schools to promote or facilitate prayer beyond designating the time.