SB 2515 Mississippi Senate · 2025 Regular Session

REFOCUS Act; enact.

SB 2515, the "REFOCUS Act," creates a Mississippi University System Efficiency Task Force to evaluate public universities' enrollment, graduation, and retention rates - especially for Mississippi residents - as well as demographic trends and funding. It directly affects all public universities and community colleges in Mississippi by requiring them to stop establishing diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and to report on student/faculty fairness. The task force, composed of legislative leaders and university representatives, must develop efficiency recommendations for the legislature by December 2025, focusing on enrollment declines and demographic shifts. The bill died on the calendar in March 2025 and was never enacted.

Issues: ✗ Education

Bill status died 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Feb 2025

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 13, 2025 Last action Mar 12, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Committee Substitute → Current version · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill title was updated from 'Committee Substitute' to 'As Passed the Senate', indicating the bill has moved through the Senate committee stage and reflects the version approved by the Senate. This change is procedural and does not alter the substantive policy content of the bill, which establishes the 'Requiring Efficiency for Our Colleges and Universities System (REFOCUS) Act' to improve higher education efficiency in Mississippi.

TECHNICAL

The version designation was changed from 'Committee Substitute' to 'As Passed the Senate', reflecting the bill's progression through the legislative process without substantive policy changes.

As Introduced → Committee Substitute · 8 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended from its original version to establish a Mississippi University System Efficiency Task Force and to prohibit public universities and community colleges from maintaining diversity, equity, and inclusion offices or engaging in certain diversity-related practices. The Committee Substitute version adds specific members to the task force, clarifies the task force's duties, and expands the prohibitions on DEI offices and related activities while including exemptions for certain programs and legal compliance efforts.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on public universities and community colleges in Mississippi, but the Committee Substitute version adds more specific members to the task force and clarifies the exemptions for certain programs and activities.

REQUIREMENT

Added specific members to the Mississippi University System Efficiency Task Force, including committee chairmen, the Director of the University Research Center, and designees from public universities appointed by the Speaker of the House, Governor, and Lieutenant Governor.

Modified the task force's duties to include evaluating funding formulas, physical plant plans, enrollment and graduation data, and examining strategies for addressing demographic shifts and enrollment declines.

Added a requirement for the task force to meet within 45 days of the effective date and submit findings and recommendations to the Legislature on or before December 1, 2025.

Added prohibitions on public institutions from expending funds to establish or maintain DEI offices, hire DEI staff, compel DEI statements, give preference based on protected characteristics, or require DEI training.

DEFINITION

Added specific definitions for 'diversity, equity and inclusion,' 'diversity, equity and inclusion office,' 'institution of higher learning,' and 'community college' to clarify the scope of prohibited activities.

ENFORCEMENT

Added enforcement mechanisms including a complaint process, investigation procedures, and the ability for aggrieved persons to seek relief through the attorney general.

TIMELINE

Added a requirement for the boards to adopt complaint processes and investigative procedures within 120 days of the effective date and to submit annual reports beginning in 2026.

EXEMPTIONS

Added exemptions for programs for military veterans and students with disabilities, scholarly research, registered student organizations, activities designed to enhance academic achievement without regard to protected characteristics, data collection, student recruitment, compliance with state and federal laws, and affirming fidelity to the constitution and laws of Mississippi and the United States.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 6, 2025

How they voted

34–14

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 49

Feb 6, 2025

D Democratic15

14 Nay 1

93% Nay

R Republican34

34 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass As Amended

lower

Feb 17, 2025

Committee

Referred To Judiciary A

lower

Feb 13, 2025

Introduced

Transmitted To House

upper

Feb 6, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed

upper

Feb 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub

upper

Jan 20, 2025

Committee

Referred To Universities and Colleges

upper

0 primary · 9 co-sponsors